Is Your Workout Killing Your Knees?

Most people probably don't pay too much attention to how their joints feel all the time, because usually you can barely feel it. The odd twinge there, a slight tweak over there – it  really doesn’t seem that much of a big deal.

While they may seem small, these twinges and tweaks could be trying to tell you something.

It’s common to hear a lifelong gym-goer in their 50s or 60s complaining about their aching joints, and wishing that they would have changed their training program, exercised more sensibly, or even just taken better care of their body when they had the chance. 

There are so many factors that could be leading to your knee trouble. But the good news is that there are loads of solutions to solving your knee pain too.

Whether you have just felt your knees start to ache recently, have had the odd instance of pain over the last couple of months or have been suffering with the pain that comes from sore knees for decades now, take a look at these common fitness faux pas, all associated with knee pain.

1. Being Overweight

It won’t surprise you to hear that being overweight is one of the main contributing factors to knee pain. The more weight that is going through your joints, the more stress they are put under.

2. Running

Why is running associated with knee pain? Just take a look back at point number one. What puts your joints through more stress than running?

Running isn’t necessarily bad, in fact it's healthy, but most folks have several issues when they are running, the first, of course, being if they are overweight.

Running places a huge amount of stress through your knee joints as it is, but if you add several pounds (or possibly more) of excess body weight from the added fat you’re carrying, well, that's just a recipe for disaster.

Running can be problematic for everyone, though. Even if you're super slim, for instance, running with a poor form can create some serious knee discomfort. If your legs flick out to the side, knees knock in the middle, or your treadmill runs can be mistaken for a herd of stampeding elephants by someone standing only three blocks away, you might want to take a look at your technique. Seriously, technique is incredibly important.

The same goes for your shoes too – if you’re planning on going to run, get your footwear properly fitted and have a gait analysis carried out by an expert. Shoes are more important than you think when it comes to running.

3. High-Rep Plyometrics

Plyometrics are jumping, bounding and leaping movements. They’re highly beneficial for building explosive strength, power and acceleration, hence why they’re a staple in almost every athletic performance workout you’ll come across.

The focus of plyometrics should be on quality, not quantity though. If you’re following a routine that prescribes sets of 30, 40, or 50 jump squats, followed by jump lunges, sprints and bounds, your knees will not like you.

4. Squats with Poor Form

The idea that correctly performed squats are bad for your knees is absurd. The idea that poorly performed squats are bad for your knees is entirely correct, however.

Letting your knees shoot forward, or knock together, along with bouncing in the bottom position or taking the tension off your legs and core muscles will all create a huge amount of stress on your joints. One dodgy rep may not have an impact, but perform squats like this consistently and there could be severe negative implications.

5. Sitting Down to Train

If you sit down all day in your office, then drive to the gym and sit on the couch when you get home, the last thing you should be doing is sitting down while training.

Your knees get stronger by bearing weight, so skip the bike, rower and seated weight machines and stand up instead.

Awesome Tips for Bulletproof Knees

We’ve established what workout practices might be causing your bad knees, so how can you go about fixing them?

1. Lay Off the Running

At least for the time being. If something hurts, it’s a good idea not to do it. If you’re returning home from every run feeling like your knees have been battered by a two by four, maybe knock the running on the head for the time being.

Or, rather than sack it off completely, refer to the above sections and seek advice regarding your running style. You wouldn’t just walk into a gym and try to perform an Olympic weightlifting exercise without expert tuition, so why would you do the same for running?

2. Get a Sports Massage

Sore knees can be due to tight muscles and tendons around the joint. The best way to ease these is with a sports massage. You can also perform self myofascial release (SMR) using a foam roller. Do this daily, focusing on your hamstrings, glutes, quads, abductors and adductors.

3. Learn to Squat Properly

Hips back, knees out – the two cues for the squat. Go as low as you can while maintaining perfect form and your knee joints, as well as the muscles, tendons and ligaments surrounding them will get much stronger.

4. Single Leg Moves and Hamstring Exercises

Weak knees can cause instability, and instability equals pain. Remedy this by adding more single leg exercises such as lunges and split squats to your program, along with more hamstring work. For every quadriceps-focused exercise, perform two hamstring ones, such as deadlifts, stiff legged deadlifts, glute ham raises, leg curls, cable pull-throughs or glute bridge raises.

5. Use the Right Type of Weight Bearing Exercises

If you’re overweight, running isn’t the best choice of cardio, but you do still need something to strengthen your knees.

The elliptical machine is a better choice, as you’re standing up, but not putting impact through your lower body. Swimming is a fantastic option too, as your knees have to work against the resistance of the water.

Take care of your knees – you only get one set and they have to last you a lifetime. If you’re starting to feel the onset of knee pain, go and see your doctor or a sports therapist and nip the issue in the bud before it gets any worse. Take a look at your program and ask yourself what stands out as being potentially detrimental on your knees.