Losing Weight For Knee Health
If you are overweight, your chances of getting osteoarthritis in your knee are four to five times higher than someone who’s not.
In fact, overweight and obese people are not only more likely to get knee osteoarthritis, but their symptoms are reported to be significantly higher, with knee pain topping the list.
Fortunately, losing weight can help ease osteoarthritis pains. And there’s evidence to back this.
One important study, which was published in the Arthritis Care & Research, found that when overweight adults with knee osteoarthritis lose weight, they experience less pain, less inflammation, and better knee function.
The study also found that when an overweight person loses as little as 10 pounds, it can decrease the progression of knee osteoarthritis by 50 percent.
Of course, we all know that the best way to lose weight is through diet and exercise. However, for those of us that are overweight and experiencing painful knee osteoarthritis exercise may not be too appealing.
Depending on the severity of the knee pain and excess weight, it may be wise to work with your doctor to help create a customized exercise plan. Your doctor may refer you to see a specialist such as a physical therapist that can help you find the right physical activity while keeping your age, health history, and knee issues into account
If seeing a physical therapist or personal trainer isn’t in the budget, there are a few things you may wish to try on your own, that can help you lose weight while keeping your knee pain at a minimum.
Water Exercise:
Swimming, water aerobics, and walking laps in a pool are all excellent low-impact exercises for weight loss. Moving in water allows the knees and joints to flex without any gravity or weight against it, thus making it much less painful to move them.
Gentle Stretching:
Yoga and Tai chi are excellent practices that can teach you different stretches. Be sure to let your instructor know about your knee issues, so as to make the appropriate adjustments to the stretches if need be.
Walking:
If you are able to, walking is an excellent weight loss exercise and can be a very enjoyable one as well. You can walk while listening to a podcast, calling a friend, or just put on your favorite tunes. Rainy day? No problem, you can get the same benefits from walking on the treadmill at the local gym.
Cycling:
Depending on your level of knee pain and the severity of the osteoarthritis, cycling can be a great exercise. The movement during pedaling bends the knee but doesn’t put a lot of stress on the joints.
So give it a shot. Just thirty minutes of exercise a day can make a huge difference. Or you can even start smaller. Try 10 minutes, then 15, then 20…until you are able to reach that 30-minute mark.
Exercise will help you lose weight, and decrease osteoarthritis knee pain- but that is not the only way to lose weight. In our next article, we will look at some simple dietary changes that, when combined with exercise will help you feel better, lose weight and look great.
