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Walking has been shown to reduce knee pain. However, exercising while you’re in pain can be tough. Here we discuss how it actually can help and ways to get started.
When your knees feel creaky and achy, the last thing you might want to do is move. Because, ouch. We totally get that logic. But hear us out: Certain types of movement have actually been shown to help manage pain and even improve overall knee health and function. Yep, you read that right. Read on to find out more.
So why the pain in the first place? Here are four biggies:
Carrying excess body weight can put stress on your joints—like your hips, knees, and spine. Over time, they may wear down and become painful. This may limit your ability to move comfortably, which can interfere with the amount of physical activity that you get each day.
Did you know that being inactive can be hard on your joints? Besides increasing your risk for weight gain, a sedentary lifestyle can lead to weaker knees. (There’s something to that old saying about “use it or lose it.”) When you don’t move regularly, your body gets used to it and requires less work from your muscles which weakens the muscles and ligaments that support the knee.
This is a seriously painful and, at times, debilitating disease that worsens with age. It’s characterized by inflammation and painful, stiff joints. While arthritis can’t be cured, there are things you can do to lessen the pain and slow its progression-—like stretching, walking and maintaining a healthy weight.
If you’ve experienced a knee injury, you know firsthand that the pain can linger for years—even if you’ve undergone knee surgeries to repair tendons or ligaments. And there’s only so much that PT can do.
So, let’s get back to our point about exercise. Research shows that walking can improve the health of your knees and reduce new and recurrent knee pain in those with osteoarthritis. People who walked for exercise were found to have less knee pain than non-walkers. More good news: Medial joint space narrowing (a medical term for when the bones begin to touch together and cause pain) was less common in walkers.
Let’s look at what the science shows about the benefits of a regular walk:
How much and how often should you be walking? It’s important to listen to your body but aim for at least 30 minutes daily. And try getting out there to break up bouts of sedentary activity. If 30 minutes seems overwhelming, start with what you can! Remember, any movement is better than none.
Here’s some expert advice to get you going.
One final thing: There’s a difference between a little zing and pain with a capital P. If you’ve got the latter, touch base with your doctor. Otherwise, text your walking buddy and get out there.
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