Warm up - before playing sports and exercising. Walking helps increase circulation and joint flexibility and stretching the muscles in the front and back of the thighs work well to warm up the knees

Strengthen - the leg muscles to help support the knees

Avoid sudden changes - in the intensity of exercise or the direction of movement

Increase activity gradually - force and duration

Good support - shoes that fit for you and the activity

Healthy weight - extra weight puts pressure on the knees

Exercises that work with knee problems:

Three types of exercise are best for people with arthritis:

  • Range-of-motion exercises. These exercises help maintain or increase flexibility. They also help relieve stiffness in the knee.
  • Strengthening exercises. These exercises help maintain or increase muscle strength. Strong muscles help support and protect joints with arthritis.
  • Aerobic or endurance exercises. These exercises improve heart function and blood circulation. They also help control weight. Some studies show that aerobic exercise can reduce swelling in some joints.

General Information

Of the 187 joints in your body, probably none brings about more suffering than the knee.

Now that America has become more active, the problem with knees has grown in response.

An estimated 50 million people have suffered or are suffering knee pain or injury.

But you don't have to be a fitness buff to know about that -- one out of every three automobile injuries is an injury to the knee; other hazardous activities or environments -- climbing stairs, scrubbing floors, slippery sidewalks

Take a load off. "Body weight is a major contributor to knee problems," says Dr. Fox. "For every pound you weigh, that's multiplied by about six in stress placed across the knee area." If you're 10 pounds overweight, that's an extra 60 pounds your knee has to carry around. And, as Dr. Fox says, "You don't put a Mack truck on Volkswagen tires."

Save the braces for teeth. Knee braces can be purchased at just about any sporting goods store, but the experts we spoke to say you should leave them on the shelf. "Some braces are truly meant to be preventive, but these are typically very complex and designed just for you; they can cost from $300 to $1,000," says Dr. Fox. "The wraps or braces you buy off the shelf at a sporting goods store shouldn't be used for anything more than to remind you that you have a bad knee."

Because some braces and knee wraps push your kneecap into the joint, you can actually do more harm than good

The rub that soothes - some wintergreen lotions produce heat which can make you feel more comfortable; be careful with any topical for skin irritation

Reach for an OTC - Ibuprofen (Advil, Medipren, Nuprin, etc.) is the over-the-counter painkiller of choice recommended by experts. It reduces inflammation and provides pain relief without causing the stomach problems associated with aspirin. Acetaminophen (Tylenol) is a fine painkiller and causes fewer stomach problems, but it does little to reduce inflammation.

Recent studies have also shown ibuprofen can significantly improve joint mobility in those people with acute knee ligament damage. When compared to either aspirin or acetaminophen, "ibuprofen may be the best of both worlds," Albohm concludes.

Strengthen with exercise. "The only things holding the knee together are the muscles and the ligaments," says Dr. Fox. "Building up the muscles is critical, because the muscles are the real supporting structures. If they don't have their power or endurance, you're going to be in trouble with you knees."

Stronger muscles provide you with a stronger joint, one that's better able to withstand the considerable strain that even walking or stair climbing places on the knees.

Isometric knee builder

Sit on the floor with your sore knee straight out in front of you. Place a rolled towel under the small of the knee, then tighten the muscles in your leg without moving the knee. Hold that contraction and work up to where you can keep the muscles taut for at least 30 seconds, then relax. Repeat this tightening and relaxing process up to 25 times.

Sitting leg lifts

Sit with you back against a wall and place a pillow in the small of your back. (Sitting against a wall ensures that the leg muscles do the lifting, and this type of leg lift won't aggravate back pain.) Once you're in position, do the isometric contraction described above for a count of five, then raise your leg a few inches and hold it to a count of five, then lower it and relax for a count of five. Work up to doing three sets of ten lifts each, always using the five-count for pacing.

Hamstring helper

To build the hamstrings, lie on your stomach with your chin to the floor. With an ankle weight (you can use a purse, or a sock filled with coins and draped over the ankle works fine) and your knee bent, slowly lift the lower leg 6 to 12 inches off the floor, then slowly lower it back down, stopping before you touch the floor. Repeat the movement again, always working slowly and steadily through each repetition. Work up to doing three sets of as many of these as you comfortable can (largely determined by the amount of weight you use).

Tips:

  • Build up gradually - listen to your body; pain serves a purpose
  • Modify - match activity to needs, keep it at an appropriate intensity - beware the weekend warrior
  • Find options - swimming, biking, rowing - things that are non-weight-bearing
  • Don't give up - be patient with yourself and your body
  • Change to a softer running surface - this can be a biggie for dedicated runners