How to Avoid Knee Pain & Injuries
Knee pain and injuries are common in every level and type of athletic activity. Your knees are some of the most impacted joints in your body during exercise - just imagine the pounding, twisting, and repetitive forces they experience. It’s not surprising that 6.6 million knee injuries were reported over a 10 year period in the United States alone!
In this post, we’ll cover some practical tips on avoiding knee pain and injuries, focusing on prevention as opposed to recovery. If there’s one takeaway, it’s that prevention is absolutely the most important aspect for preventing knee pain - there are many things you can do to decrease the risk of injury.
A quick disclaimer here - if you’re experiencing knee pain that’s possibly the result of injury, check with a medical professional for a diagnosis and treatment plan tailored to your specific injury. The content we included in this section is general advice on preventing knee pain and injuries.
Preventing Knee Pain & Injuries
Warming up is underrated and supremely important in preventing knee injuries, or any injuries for that matter. Stretch the muscles in the front and back of your thighs to decrease tension and relieve pressure to your knees. We recommend dynamic stretches as opposed to the more traditional static stretches in order to maintain strength while still warming up the muscles and tendons.
Wear shoes that fit correctly and provide the right support. Oftentimes, knee pain and injuries occur because incorrectly-fitting shoes caused improper leg alignment and balance. Consider replacing your older pair of shoes that no longer have the same level of support as it did when it was new. If you’re consistently training several times a week, it might be a good idea to replace shoes at least every 6 months.
Strengthening the leg muscles is another way to support your knees and avoid injuries. You can do body weight exercises in the comfort of your own home, or hit the gym for some weight training. There are many resources out there on good workouts to target muscles that support your knees. Keep in mind that proper form here is more important than the reps and weights that you use.
Another important factor in preventing knee pain and injuries is maintaining your weight, or even losing weight to get back into a healthy range. Extra weight increases the likelihood of developing osteoarthritis and adds stress to the knee joints. It’s no coincidence that many professional athletes have been opting for a leaner build as opposed to a bulkier build from years past.
Finally, ramp up on intensity when you’re starting a new workout or sport. One of the most common knee issues comes from overuse - putting too much pressure on joints and muscles that haven’t yet adapted to the exercise itself. Make a sensible plan and stick to it. It’s better to start off slower and gradually work your way up than going all-out and ending up with an overuse injury.
Enerskin E75 Knee Compression Sleeves
Knee sleeves are sleeves worn over your knees that typically don’t include any hinges or straps. They provide support to the knees without limiting their natural range of motion or immobilizing any tendons or ligaments. They also offer compression, which increases blood flow and improves recovery and subsequent performance. A compressed knee allows more blood to flow through the blood vessels in the knee, resulting in less soreness and swelling after workouts.
Enerskin offers top-quality knee compression sleeves in our E75 line of compression products. The Knee Compression Sleeves we carry provide targeted knee support, reducing strain, pain, and swelling with concentrated compression and support. Targeted coverage for the key muscles surrounding the knee promotes healing and support to guard against strain, for the power to finish stronger and recover faster.
Closing Thoughts
Prevention is the most important factor in avoiding knee pain and injuries. Knee sleeves are a great supplementary tool that provide additional support and recovery improvement.
Enerskin is excited to offer professional-grade athletic gear to anyone that wants to up their own sports, training, or recovery regimen. We put our money where our mouth is and have backed up our products with the highest-quality materials and research since day one.
Sources:
https://www.everydayhealth.com/knee-pain/how-to-avoid-knee-injuries.aspx
