The knee is a complex joint comprising bones, tendons, muscles, and ligaments and is crucial to our movement. Even the slightest injury to any of these parts can result in soreness and even severe pain. Knees are susceptible to injury from running, stretching or bending, and incorrect and unsupervised gym workouts, which can further aggravate their condition.
Cause Of Knee Injury During Gym Exercise
Exercising in the gym is a popular way to stay in shape but many fitness enthusiasts make these common mistakes that end up damaging their knees:
Heavy weightlifting: Routines such as dead-lifts are great to build muscle strength, but they put a lot of strain on your knees. Unless supervised by a professional trainer, lifting heavy weights can cause severe damage to your knees. It’s also advisable to wear the right shoes while lifting weights to stabilise yourself properly.
Lack of proper warm-up: Whether you are doing weight training or a cardio routine, a few minutes of warm-up is essential to get your body ready for exercise. Jumping straight into a vigorous routine can result in serious repercussions for the knees. Also, don’t make the mistake to end your workout without some stretching to avoid damage to the ligaments surrounding the knee.
Faulty technique: The knee is very vulnerable to overuse that occurs due to muscle imbalances during a workout. Weak abdominal muscles and lack of core strength further tilts the pelvis exerting more pressure on the knees.
Not locking your knee: A common error made during exercises such as squats or leg presses is fully locking-out your knees. This transfers the weight from your muscles to the knee joint leading to additional stress and even injury.
Exercise With Wrong Technique Harmful To The Knee
Leg extensions: A part of the lower body workout routine, leg extensions if practised incorrectly cause injury to the knees. As the knee extends due to the force exerted, the kneecap or quadriceps may end up damaged.
Squats: An effective exercise to tone the abdominal, lower back muscles and quadriceps, squats must be practised with great care. Remember to squat on your heels and not on your feet’s balls and don’t allow your knees to bend forward as your body descends.
Kickboxing: Beginners of this sport are vulnerable to knee injuries as the sudden impact of kicking can damage the joint.
Precautions And Remedies To Avoid Knee Injuries
To prevent further damage to injured knees avoid running on the road or treadmill. Working out on an elliptical cross-trainer or stationary cycling will put lesser strain on your knees.
During weight training, remember to avoid using weight that is more than your body can handle. While performing any leg exercise, make sure to perform the entire motion and not leave the routine midway. Enroll for a few classes with a qualified trainer or therapist to understand the correct form of leg exercises. To provide relief to injured knees you may have to resort to physical therapy and stabilise the joint.
Additionally, it is better to wear knee braces or caps while working out.
Sources:
https://www.highmountainortho.com/4-common-gym-exercises-cause-knee-injuries/
http://www.womenshealthmag.co.uk/fitness/sports-injuries/6455/knee-pain-causes-gym-mistakes-joint-issues/
https://www.bodybuilding.com/content/save-your-knees-5-tips-for-training-legs-and-preventing-knee-injuries.html
https://www.health.com/fitness/knee-pain-exercise
