As stated by Harvard Medical School, strengthening
the muscles around a damaged joint will aid in the support of the joint by
taking over some of its responsibilities it has to the body. Correct muscle balance and strength can hold
the joints in the best functional way and least amount of pain (Harvard Medical
School, 2012). Cases that involve the
knees or hips are common because they support all of the body’s weight. Poor knees and hips are especially common in
people who run and lift weights. The
first of the muscles that normally loses strength are the quadriceps and the
gluteals. The quadriceps have the
opposite function of that of the gluteals and hamstrings. While the quadriceps contract
the gluteals, the hamstrings relax.
Thus, this is why it is essential for all over exercise for the benefit
of strength and stability not relaying on only one muscle or on the joint
itself (Harvard Medical School, 2012).
Closed-chain and open-chain exercises are
suggested by physical therapists for joint pain. The “chain” stands for it is a series of body
part movements such as the hip, knee, ankle, and foot. In the open-chain exercise, the body is
stationary while the limbs move. For
example, an open-chain exercise normally consists of a machine, like a leg
extension, the body is stationary although the legs are moving forward to lift the
weight that is assigned (Harvard Medical School, 2012). In the closed-chain exercise, the limbs are
stationary while the body is in motion. A closed-chain exercise would be a squat where
the feet stay stationary while the quadriceps do the work of contracting during
the bending process. Therapist may
suggests both chain exercises, but tend to lean more towards closed-chain
exercises due to involving more than one muscle around the joints (Harvard
Medical School, 2012).
Exercising without putting excess stress
on your hips and knees– such as floor, weight, or swimming routines– should
last around thirty minutes or until the joints feel strong enough to do more vigorous
activities. Floor routines could consist
of abdominal curls, jackknifes, crunches, push-ups, or leg lifts. Hand weight routines could include repetition
of small to large hand weights. Swimming
reduces the weight that is put onto the joints and can also increase range of
motion without joint pain involved (Harvard Medical School, 2012).
I
cannot stress enough how important form is for workouts especially without
using equipment. There is a lot to keep
in mind while performing a single workout like a push up. The head should not
move much during the up and down motions, shoulders and back need to be stable,
and the hands should be placed directly under the shoulders placement. When
pressing upward from the chest, focus the pressure on the outer part of the
palms. The hips and torso should be as
straight as possible during the motion and the body should dip a little lower
than a ninety degree angle. This may
seem like a lot of work required for one simple exercise, but one’s body
benefits greatly from it.
Reference
n.a. (2012, June 12).
Exercise for stronger knees and hips. Retrieved from http://www.health.harvard.edu/healthbeat/exercise-for-stronger-knees-and-hips
