Knee arthritis, in its most common form known as osteoarthritis, involves inflammation of the joint due to worn-out cartilage. It’s important to understand that while arthritis can be successfully managed, it is not a reversible condition. Your joint cartilage tends to break down with age and does not regenerate. 

While exercise is extremely important for patients diagnosed with knee arthritis, it’s also important to be careful. Low-impact and therapeutic exercises can help to mobilize your joints and strengthen the surrounding muscles, but there are also exercises that put an undue strain on the knees and worsen your condition. 

To help you better understand what knee arthritis exercises to avoid, we’re highlighting a few of the most common ones in this guide. 

1. Running

Running is an efficient form of cardiovascular exercise that many people enjoy, but it should definitely be avoided if you have arthritis of the knees. Even on soft surfaces, the impact forces and ranges of motion are too great when running or jogging, especially over longer distances. In addition to causing aches and pains, regular running does not help with the preservation of remaining joint cartilage. Walking, cycling and swimming can all be effective alternatives for patients looking to get cardio without adding stress to their knees. 

2. Weightlifting 

While therapeutic strengthening exercises, sometimes involving resistance, are commonly used in a physical therapy setting to treat knee arthritis, unsupervised heavy weightlifting should not be practiced. The deep squats and heavy weights put an undue strain on the knees. Instead, always work with a qualified professional when learning targeted exercises to help your knees. 

3. Jump squats

Jump squats, along with other plyometric exercises, combine two activities that patients with knee arthritis should stay away from — jumping and deep squatting. As an alternative, Pilates and restorative yoga are two forms of exercise that can provide strengthening benefits to the whole body while lessening the impact on the knees if done properly.

Continuum Wellness can provide the guidance knee arthritis sufferers need

If you are seeking a comprehensive, exercise-based knee arthritis treatment plan, the caring and highly trained team at Continuum Wellness is here for you. We’ll work with you one-on-one to develop a therapy program that is right for your specific needs, including a personalized exercise routine.

To learn more and schedule your initial appointment, contact us today.