As far as the knees are concerned there are 2
major thrust areas of workouts to follow.
Firstly the aim is to reduce weight and maintain
it. Let us understand which are safe and
effective exercises, which will help reduce
weight and also be friendly to knees. The
exercise which, tops my list, is swimming. If
you could swim briskly for a sustained period,
the fat can be burnt without harming the knees.
If you are not a swimmer you could go for
cycling. Cycling is very effective method to
burn fat and provide friendly exercise to the
knee. Third on the list is the ever-popular
walk. Remember to wear good shoes and choose a
track, which does not have too many inclines or
uneven surfaces. These exercises done 4 times a
week for 45 minutes at good intensity could help
you knock off the excess fat weighing on your
knees.
The second thrust area of exercise in
knee-care is strengthening the muscles around
the knee. The largest muscle of our body, which
is in the front of the thigh protects the knee
from wear. There are simple exercises, which can
strengthen the quadriceps in your thighs.
Sitting on a chair and raising your leg to
horizontal helps the "quads". You could add a
small weight of a kilo or so around your ankle
to give better exercise. A couple of sets of
twenty repetitions can work wonders on the
knees. If you are the gym type, leg press, leg
raises, leg curls and ¼ squats are just great.
The exercises, which can be potentially
harmful to the knees, include running, jumping,
high impact aerobic dance and full squats. In
your action plan for knee-care start your
workout by warm-up, stretching, followed by a
session of cycling, weight training for your
thighs and concluded by a cool-down.
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