Exercises for Healthy Joints

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