Why is Knee Stretching Important for the Elderly?

July 2, 2012 by admin
Filed under Stretching

Article by Tim Sweeney

Why is Knee Stretching Important for the Elderly? – Health – Disabilities

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We are all aware that as we grow older, we become decreasingly active and also subject to discomfort. As the years accrue, we also discover it is progressively difficult to recover from slight personal injuries and should we fall or stumble, effects will be endured for weeks instead of days. So that you can ease growing old and save ourselves from lots of needless issues as you can we’ve got to always endeavor to continue to keep, active, healthy lifestyles.

A very common issue for people as they age is problems with their knees. The knee is truly a intricate and delicate joint, many people endure knee conditions in their life and past injuries may perhaps be made worse as we get older. People who have suffered a sporting injury during their youth is vulnerable to feel repercussions of the past injury as they age. You may not appreciate simply how much punishment our knees receive during an entire life, but if you consider that each time we walk up a step, our knees receive four times our body weight in stress, you begin to fully understand exactly how much knees endure inside of a lifetime.

Exactly why knees and various other joints cause us a great many problems as we get older is that usually as our bodies age, our muscles become not as long and lose elasticity. In regards to to knees, this will make them less effective to take in the shock this is put on them on a regular basis through regular activity.

We do, however, have means to help us tackle this deterioration, like stretching, as there are lots of factors why stretching is really so worthwhile. Not preserving our knees can result in serious lifestyle impediments, a whole lot of pain and enormous expenses if knee surgery is demanded. Stretching the knee will enhance the flexibility within the muscles all around the joint, enhancing it’s means to soak up shock before it gets to the joint and can cause improved stableness from the joint, gaining better range of flexibility and causing it to be not as likely to ‘give out’ under you.

Knee stretches are most effective carried out Three or four times a week or even more regularly and you should always do it when the body is warmed up and ready, not every person will be comfortable completing this task first thing every morning even though some may find this the perfect time of day. Always speak with your physician before undertaking a new exercise routine.

This can be a basic exercise to strengthen the hamstring (back of thighs) and quads (front of thigh). Sit down on the floor with your back up against a wall put your legs out straight in front of you (if you choose, you can do this sitting on the bed with your back up against the headboard). Begin by using your muscles to push your knees down, you will make this happen by flexing your quads. You should see your knees go down a small amount. Next flex your hamstrings; you ought to see your knees go up a small amount.

Alternate between quad flex and hamstring flex for 30 seconds to 2 minutes, or less if you feel tired. Stop if you feel any pain.

To support the knees by strengthening your calf muscles, stand about 12″ from the wall. Place your hands on the wall. Step forward with your right foot until your toe is against the wall. Lean your hips towards the wall, keeping your left leg straight. You should feel the stretch in your left calf muscle. Hold for 20 seconds and then switch sides.

About the Author

To learn more about easy knee stretches, you can visit Tim’s blog, My Knee Stretches. Tim used knee stretches on his blog to win a gold medal at the National Rowing Marathon Olympics and also to compete in a 155-mile ultramarathon in the Sahara.

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Tim Sweeney

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