9 Ways To Prevent Knee Pain And Injury

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Athletes and even your average person will experience some form of knee pain at least once in their life. While for the average person, this can be shrugged off, the pain can greatly affect an athlete’s performance and future career. Before knee pain becomes a serious issue, here are a few ways athletes can minimize injuring their:

1 – Maintaining A Healthy Weight

Carrying extra weight increases the risk of osteoarthritis because the stress of added weight affects the joints. Athletes in training are advised to maintain a healthy weight to minimize joint stress which leads to fewer cases of knee pain and injury.

2 – Wearing Sensible Shoes That Fit Well

Although it might seem funny, wearing the correct footwear does help prevent knee pain and injuries. Sensible shoes maintain the correct leg balance and alignment, which is why people who are always on their feet wear orthopedic shoes.

3 – Stretching Regularly

During Sports Therapy, Dublin, Ohio trained experts will encourage their patients to stretch everyday. Holding a 10 to 30-second static stretch is enough for daily stretching. However, it is recommended to hold the stretch for 1 to 2 minutes for a more effective pre-activity stretch.

4 – Warming Up

Engaging in warm-up exercises has more than one benefit. These exercises don’t just prevent knee injuries, they are also good for the muscles, joints, the cardiovascular and pulmonary systems. Warm-ups result in a rise in body temperature which gets the blood flowing, and the body ready to move. Don’t skip it!

5 – Cooling Down

When your exercise routine is ending, never just abruptly stop and sit as this causes the joints to inflame, stiffen up, and become painful. Include a cool-down routine to keep your breathing in control, body temperature down, and keep the blood flowing before you can finally rest.

6 – Opting For Low-Impact Exercises

To minimize the risk of injury to the knee, it is best to use machines that offer an intense workout without causing a great deal of impact on the knees. Rowing machines and the cross-country skiing machine come highly recommended.

7 – Going For A Swim

Another amazing low impact activity is swimming. Not only does it have a low impact on all of your joints, but swimming also burns a lot of calories and is the perfect way to cool down while exercising in the summer months.

8 – Building Up Your Strength

Never jump from low impact exercises to high-intensity workout sessions as this will lead to injury. Slowly build up your strength so that your joints and muscles can also have time to adjust to the new routine.

9 – Physical Therapy

As soon as you start feeling pain on your knees or you have experienced any form of a knee injury, consult with a sports therapy, Dublin, Ohio professional right away. The sooner you can start therapy, the better are your chances of making a full recovery and regaining all of your strength and motion. With the expert guidance of a therapist, you can be back to your chosen sport in no time with a lesser chance of re-injuring yourself.

Sean’s Massage Center offers Sports Therapy, Dublin, Ohio to help heal, relax tissues, or help prevent injuries. Contact us today to learn more about our services.