No matter how good walking is... stop if you experience 'this symptom'.

There is no better exercise than walking to improve health. However, too much is as bad as too little. Excessive walking can actually put a strain on the knee joints.

If your knees hurt during walking exercise, you should first examine the nature of the pain. There are various causes for swollen or painful knees, such as cartilage damage, meniscus injury, tendinitis around the knee, or muscle pain. If the pain occurs while walking but subsides immediately after exercise, it is likely muscle soreness. In this case, it is safe to continue walking.

On the other hand, if pain occurs when going up and down inclined areas and the symptoms recur frequently, a precise examination is necessary. When walking, if the pain is not just simple muscle soreness but swelling around the knee joint or pain persists for more than 2-3 days, it is also important to check for possible damage to the joint cartilage or ligaments.

If the treatment is delayed, the cartilage surface can crack and wear down, eventually leading to the exposure of the underlying bone, which can progress to chondromalacia or osteoarthritis.

Having swelling or pain in the knee does not necessarily mean you must stop exercising. If the cartilage damage is not severe, continuing walking exercises along with pain treatment can be beneficial for joint health. The important thing at this time is to maintain proper posture while walking. When walking, look 10 to 15 meters ahead. Tuck in the chin, keep the back straight, and feel as if the weight of the head is falling onto the toes. It is also good to keep the feet parallel in an '11' shape.

Consistently spending 30 minutes to an hour each day with proper posture and without putting strain on the joints helps strengthen the joints.