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The Best Exercises to Do for Bad Knees

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If there’s one part of the body that injures easily, it’s the knees. As a complex joint, knees are vulnerable to sprains, ligament tears, fractures, and dislocations. These can interfere with everyday tasks and make it difficult for you to reach your fitness goals.

Once it was thought that rest was necessary in healing from knee injuries and other kinds of injuries. But these days, doctors and therapists recommend exercise as an important part of the healing process. The right exercise can strengthen the knees, so you recover sooner.

However, it’s important that the exercise you do assists with healing and does not worsen your injury. So, what exercises should you be including in your workouts? Here are some that are recommended.

Resistance Band Sidestep

  1. Wrap a resistance band around your ankles.
  2. Bend your knees slightly with your feet hip-width apart.
  3. Step to the side until the band provides resistance. Then bring your foot over to recreate your original stance.
  4. Repeat this movement for 10-15 steps in one direction, then switch to the other direction.

Clamshell

  1. Lie on your side on the floor with your legs stacked and knees bent at a 45-degree angle.
  2. Lift your top knee as high as you can keeping your knees steady and your top foot down. Your legs should mimic a clam opening.
  3. Hold, then bring your knee back so you are in a closed position.
  4. Continue the movement for 15 to 20 reps per side.

Glute Squeeze

  1. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart.
  2. Squeeze your glutes as tightly as you can and hold for four seconds.
  3. Release and repeat for a total of 10 too 12 reps.

Quad Sets

  1. Lie down with one leg straight out in front of you. The other leg should be bent so your knee is in the air and your foot is flat on the floor.
  2. Press your foot to the floor so you tighten the muscles on the top of your thigh.
  3. Hold for six seconds, then rest for ten seconds.
  4. Aim for 12 reps.

Heel and Calf Stretch

  1. Stand facing a wall.
  2. Place your hands on the wall and move one foot as far back as you can comfortably. Your toes should be facing the wall with your heel flat, and your knees slightly bent.
  3. Lean into the stretch and hold for 30 seconds.
  4. Change legs and repeat twice for both legs.

Quadriceps Stretch

  1. Stand next to a wall or use a chair for support. Your feet should be shoulder-width apart.
  2. Grab your foot to bring it up towards your glutes. Gently pull it up as far as you can.
  3. Hold for 30 seconds.
  4. Return to standing position and change legs.
  5. Repeat 2 times on each side.

These exercises will help strengthen your knees and keep you in shape while you’re healing. Which will you be incorporating into your routine?

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What’s the Deal with Running Barefoot?

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Have you ever seen someone running barefoot? If so, you probably thought they were crazy. But if you are familiar with health trends, it’s likely that you have heard of benefits associated with running barefoot.

So, what’s the downlow? Is running barefoot good or bad? Here’s what you need to know.

Is Running Barefoot Good for You?

Running is among the exercises most commonly associated with repetitive stress injuries. There are those that believe these injuries could be occurring because running shoes put your feet at an unnatural angle. Running barefoot is said to put your foot in a more natural position reducing the risk of RSIs.

Barefoot strides are shorter and more compact, so you touch down on the earth directly below your torso. This better aligns your body with the earth’s center of gravity. It causes your knee to bend more putting less pressure on your joints.

Running barefoot is said to result in the following benefits:

Helps Flat Feet: If you are wearing supportive shoes, you’re not allowing the muscles in your feet to get stronger. Running barefoot may tighten and strengthen foot muscles helping to stabilize a flat arch.

Reduces the Risk of Plantar Fasciitis: Plantar fasciitis occurs when the tissue along the bottom of the foot become inflamed. Sloppy running form can strain your plantar fascia. Running barefoot improves running technique minimizing the risk of this injury occurring.

Burns More Calories: When you run barefoot, you don’t have the bounce of a springy sole to propel you forward. This makes running more challenging, so you burn more calories.

Disadvantages of Running Barefoot

Running barefoot has one major disadvantage that’s likely to be clear to anyone who is thinking of trying it. It leaves your feet vulnerable to cuts punctures, woods, infections, and foot fractures. It’s also not exactly pleasant running on hot, cold, or bumpy pavement.

What About Barefoot Running Shoes?

There are shoes that were designed to simulate the experience of running barefoot while offering your feet protection. However, they do not offer your feet as much protection as traditional running shoes. Furthermore, some of the companies that manufacture barefoot running shoes were accused of making false health claims about their products.

Should I Run Barefoot?

The consensus is, if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. If you’re not having problems running in your running shoes, don’t try running barefoot.

It’s also worth noting that running barefoot has never been proven to provide benefits. More research is needed to determine if this is the case.

If you do run barefoot, do so in areas that limit your risk of injury. Opt for beaches, grassy stretches, and clean indoor areas.

Running barefoot is said have its share of benefits, but it’s not right for everyone. You should only try it if you are experiencing problems running in sneakers. Or you could just choose another exercise.

Do you think running barefoot is right for you?

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