The Springs of Life: Your Knees
Knees are happy when they’re working correctly. They make the rest of the body miserable when they don’t work. And all too often, we don’t give them the respect they deserve.
Knees are a cushioning agent for the body. They absorb shock, store energy, and help push off from the feet. You need knees to hike uneven trails in National Parks, climb stairs or step over a log, stabilize yourself on a boat, play any sport, and get into and out of a car.
Riding everywhere instead of sometimes walking, osteoarthritis, ligament tears, and meniscus injury all weaken the knees, thereby causing us to use them less. Walking up stairs is a burden, and it hurts. Walking down stairs and having knees give out is embarrassing.
According to a study published in Arthritis Care & Research, lower thigh muscle strength predicts the risk of knee osteoarthritis, more so in women than men. It is not to say that men will not get osteoarthritis. They will. Most people benefit from thigh muscle exercise.
One of the easiest, and most helpful, exercises for your knees is squats. I know, I know, ugh squats! Even if you don’t like them, your knees do. They strengthen the muscles, ligaments, and tendons that support your knees, and hold them in place. The squats don’t have to be big, and your feet can be hip width apart and feet facing forward, or wider than hips and feet facing outward. In fact, doing squats in both positions is smart. Squats can be shallow or deep, fast or slow, take 10 seconds or 10 minutes. It’s up to you how strong you want your knees to be, and how fast you want to run if you ever need to. If you need to run from, say, a fire starting in a building, a tree coming down in your yard, or hustle to catch a plane or train, fast is better than shuffling. Knees are important.
If you hate squats, try climbing stairs several times. Not only does it work your knees and legs, but it’s also cardiovascular. It’s a 2 for 1. Not having knees limits your choices in life. Who wants that?
Aging Intelligently