In my early twenties I played numerous sports, ran long distance, went mountain climbing but I have since had issues with knees (probably from those twenties) which has resulted in chronic knee pain and sharp pain when I play sports. This pain has eliminated many of the different activities I used to participate in but I don't want to become sedentary and put on thirty pounds so I have tested out different activities I can do to get my heart rate up and burn calories. For those who also suffer from knee issues here are some ideas that can hopefully get you back in the game.
Keep a Schedule
* Schedule-This is probably the most important part of a good night's sleep. Go to bed the same time everyday including on weekends and even holidays. I know it is difficult not to stay up on Friday when it is your only chance but being consistent will reinforce your body's rhythm and help you grow tired around the same time every night as melatonin (chemical used to help you nod off) will be created regularly. The same goes for the time you wake up each day. If you do want to change the time that you get up and grow tired each day it is easiest to do it in small increments and adjust your schedule. * Ritual-As you are getting ready to go to bed each night stick with the same activities. These could include lying on the couch reading a book or taking a shower. Try not to include your ritual activities on your bed but do them somewhere else in the house. By reserving the bed for sleep or romance your body will take the cue and know what your intentions are when you lay down.
Jump rope Great for getting your heart rate up and works out your calves, shoulders, and forearms especially. You need to be careful with this exercise depending on the level of knee damage that you have experienced. My particular issue is putting pressure on my knee when it is bent more than 140 degrees. The benefit of jump rope is that your legs stay relatively straight and there is no extreme pressure on the joint. You are also landing on two feet as opposed to running which places all the stress on one knee at a time. Jump rope is a great exercise and burns quite a bit of calories. Running which is the most efficient exercise burns about 880 calories in an hour while a fast jump rope burns around 840 calories per hour. This is one of my favorite exercises to use as a warm-up and warm down for weightlifting.
Specific Weight Machines Again it really depends on your injury and the level of damage to your knee. For me I can't do squats or leg presses as they place the most pressure on the knee joint. However you can do modified leg extensions (the machine where you are sitting and lift up your lower leg). I change the angle of the machine so my leg is nearly straight but there is just enough room left for me to lift my lower leg.
I lighten the weight and lift my lower leg only 4-5 inches. This is still enough to stress your lower leg muscle and make you feel the 'burn'. Keep the weight low to prevent any injury and do 20+ reps using this small angle of movement. You can get your heart rate up while preventing your leg muscles from atrophying from lack of use. Other machines you can use include hamstring extension machines (which have little stress on your knee as your leg is moving backwards), stiff-legged deadlifts, and calve extensions.
Walking, Elliptical, and Cycling These exercises offer low impact to your knee but elliptical machines and cycling involve bending your knee repetitively. For my injury (patella femoral disorder) this is a bad idea, but if your injury is strictly impact these are great exercises for you. Walking is always a great idea but it takes a long time to burn calories. Instead of setting apart time to walk make it part of your day. Bring something to do and just head off to different destinations. I have gotten into the habit of listening to books on mp3 so I will pop in my headphones and walk to the store. If you insist on heading to the gym for your workout jump on the treadmill and increase the incline to make it a harder workout.
Empty Your Mind
- The most important tactic is learning how to relax your mind because even with the perfect setting you will keep yourself up in your thoughts. Organize everything that you may worry about before heading to bed and then whether or not you got everything done empty the worries from your head. You can do this through meditation or relaxation exercises.
Along with good exercises there are a number of exercises you should avoid. These may include basketball and volleyball (jumping), sports involving running, and squats or leg presses. It really depends on your injury but know your limits and don't make sure not to further injure yourself. A perk of getting in shape is that many health insurance companies will lower our premiums if you report regular exercise and take a health inspection annually. So along with a great body you get affordable health insurance. I hope these ideas helped and get you back to a healthy lifestyle.
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