Casing the Joint

Every body has its issues.  Learning to adapt to those issues helps us not only stay fit, but become more fit.

Take, for example, knee problems.  Once physical therapy is completed and a doctor says it is all right, a person with knee issues can return to working out.  However, he or she might want to keep some things in mind.

• If it hurts, don’t do it.  Yes, this is obvious, but also often ignored.  Seriously.  DON’T DO IT.  I’m not talking about the mild discomfort that comes from working out after a long layoff.  We all know the difference between pain that comes from working out the kinks and the kind that means we are doing damage.  Damage is bad.  Don’t go there.

• Warm up.  The warm-up does not have to be a separate section of the workout, unless a person prefers to do it that way by doing some cardio before starting to lift weights.  (Stretching is best done when the body is at least slightly warm, not first thing.)  Doing the first few sets with lighter weights or gentler range of motion can allow the body to warm up while doing the workout.

• Range of motion is important.  This is one of those places to use good judgment.  Joints that don’t move become stiffer over time.  We need to push, gently, at the edges of our range of motion to ensure that we maintain or increase what we have.  Also, many joints are synovial, which means that they get nutrients not from the blood supply, but from the very act of moving.  Feed the joints!  Bend, bend, bend!

• Pay attention to form and alignment.  A lot of injuries begin with bad form.  Paying attention to proper alignment trains the body in good patterns that strengthen key muscles and promote pain-free movement.

• Joints do not get stronger; muscles do.  People who want injury-resistant knees need to work the quads, hamstrings, adductors, and abductors (although most people should prioritize the last three of those, since we tend to work the quads all the time).

• Don’t forget self-care.  Massage, hot tub, ice, ibuprofen, whatever it takes to make you feel better at the end.