What are some ways to protect the knee joint?

The knee joint is relatively fragile. If it is not well protected, it will easily cause knee joint diseases. Once a knee joint disease occurs, it will take a long time to treat, so everyone must protect the knee joint. Common protection methods include leg-lifting exercises, bridge exercises, leg-stretching exercises, etc.

15 to 30 years old: The knee joints are in "perfect condition" and can work tirelessly. As long as the knee joint tissue is not damaged, you can basically not feel its presence.

30~40 years old: The patellar cartilage undergoes early mild wear and tear, and there will be a fragile period with short-term knee pain that lasts for several weeks to several months. Some people may not even notice it. The patellar cartilage is a 3 to 5 mm thick layer of transparent cartilage inside the human knee joint, which can cushion the impact of movement on the knee joint. However, since the patellar cartilage has no nerve distribution, the "warning signal" will only be sounded once during the fragile period before the entire layer is worn out. During this period, strenuous exercise should be avoided. It is also from this time that the knee joint can no longer be used as you please.

40~50 years old : After walking a long distance, the inner side of the knee joint is prone to soreness, which will be relieved by gently rubbing it with your hands. In the knee joint, the function of the meniscus is to cushion shock and maintain stability. 60% of the human body weight is supported by the medial knee joint, so degeneration of the medial meniscus occurs relatively early. Because there are nerves distributed on the meniscus, people can feel pain during the degeneration process. The occurrence of this phenomenon reminds people that it is time to start taking care of their joints.

Over 50 years old: You will feel obvious pain in the knee joint. This is because the "service life" of the patellar cartilage has reached the end, the entire layer of cartilage has been worn out, and arthritis has already occurred. At this time, you should use your joints sparingly and reduce strenuous exercise, especially going up and down stairs and climbing mountains. If necessary, you can use crutches to reduce the pressure on the knee joints.

1. Side-lying exercise: Lie on your left side with your knees slightly bent and your heels together. Rest your head on your left arm and look straight ahead. Hold a 1-2 kg weight in your right hand and place it on the outside of your leg. Then tighten your abdomen and buttocks, and lift your right knee as high as possible. Keep your body still while lifting your leg, hold for a few seconds, and then put it down. Repeat the exercise 15 times, switching legs.

2. Leg lifting exercise: Stand behind a stable bench or step, step on it with your right foot (do not let your heel hang in the air), and concentrate your weight on your right foot. Lift your body and touch the step with your left toes. Hold for 1 to 5 seconds. Then lower your left foot and tap the ground. Repeat 8 to 10 times, switching legs.

3. Bridge exercise: Lie flat on the ground, bend your knees, spread your feet as wide as your hips, and place your arms on both sides. Slowly and steadily lift your hips off the ground. Then slowly put it down. Repeat 15 times.

4. Leg stretching exercise: Lie flat with your knees bent and your feet flat on the ground. Extend your left leg and put it into the retractable strap or towel, holding both ends of the strap with both hands. Use a strap to pull your legs toward your chest, then forcefully straighten your calves, holding for 10 to 30 seconds to exercise your calf muscles and hamstrings. Repeat this movement 3 to 5 times, then switch legs.