Try a special squat to prevent cartilage damage.

For a long and healthy life, consistent exercise is paramount. Maintaining healthy knees is a prerequisite for maintaining proper physical activity for a long time. Ironically, however, the more you engage in physical activities like walking, running, and hiking, the more your knee joints bear the weight and become vulnerable to damage. Over time, the knee cartilage wears away, eventually causing direct friction between the bones, leading to pain. Therefore, it's crucial to strengthen the muscles surrounding the knee joints to relieve the stress on them.

 

In this article, we introduce effective ways to protect your knee joints. The second exercise in the "lower body strengthening exercise" series is the "wide squat." We learned about this with the help of instructor Kim Gyu-nam of Quat. Quat is an integrated health management platform that offers exercise programs such as Pilates, stretching, aerobic exercise, and strength training.

◇Thigh exercises are the best for knee health.

 

To protect your knee joints, it's crucial to strengthen your quadriceps, located at the front of your thigh. This muscle plays a key role in knee extension and hip flexion. Strengthening this muscle before the cartilage wears down reduces the stress on your knees, preventing cartilage and joint damage. During physical activities like walking and running, the quadriceps absorb the shock to your knees, minimizing cartilage damage. Even if you already have knee pain due to cartilage wear, strengthening your quadriceps can be beneficial. This will alleviate the pain, as it reduces the load on the knee itself. The quadriceps also stabilize the ligaments surrounding the knee, increasing the stability of the knee joint. Conversely, if your quadriceps are weak, pressure is concentrated on the front of the knee, increasing the risk of knee damage.

 

◇Spreading your legs wide when squatting reduces the strain on your knees.

 

Wide squats, performed with a wider leg spread than standard squats, strengthen the entire thigh muscle, including the quadriceps. Wide squats reduce the strain on the knee joints and minimize hip discomfort, making them an easy exercise for beginners. Because they require less knee strain, they're recommended for those with existing knee ligament damage. However, caution is advised, as stretching your legs more than halfway can strain the hip joint. If you experience knee pain during squats, try bending your knees to about 30 degrees to reduce the stress on the meniscus.

The opposite of the wide squat is the narrow squat, which narrows the width. This exercise is good for those with bowlegs (knees turned outward). It stimulates the inner leg muscles, correcting the bowlegs.

 

 

▶Movement

 

Stand with your feet about 1.2 to 1.5 times shoulder-width apart. Imagine picking up a towel with the soles of your feet, keeping the inner arches of your feet engaged. Keep your ankles steady. Stand with your feet about 45 degrees apart, keeping your feet and knees pointing in the same direction. Keep your upper body upright, tightening your abdominals around your navel. Fold your hands in front of your chest. Look straight ahead. Then, inhale, bend your hips and lower your buttocks toward the floor, slowly squatting for two to three seconds. Push your knees outward to keep them from rolling inward. Tighten your glutes and the front of your thighs, and pull your inner thighs together. Squat down to a point where it feels uncomfortable to go any lower. Then, push off the floor with your soles and exhale, straightening your hips and knees. Return forcefully, this time for one second.

▶Number of exercises and rest time

 

Perform 1 set of 15 hip extensions and flexions, for a total of 3 sets. It's best to rest briefly, about 1 minute, between sets.

 

▶Postures to watch out for

 

Your knees should not roll inward or your arches should collapse. Your heels should not lift off the floor, and your weight should not be placed on your toes. Be careful not to let your hips fall back during the movement, causing your upper body to lean forward or round, as this can actually increase the strain on your knees. If you experience any pain in your lower back, knees, or ankles during the movement, stop immediately.

 

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There are many different types of squats.

They say that once cartilage is damaged, it never comes back.

How to prevent it in advance

I have to keep doing it