Many experts around the world have long recognized health-improving walking as a universal type of exercise for our body.
This sport can be practiced by people of any age, even children. Depending on physiological indicators, there are certain conditions for each group. Dr. Shishonin talks about how to walk correctly so as not to harm your joints. Interesting Facts.
Scientists have proven that regular walking reduces the risk of breast cancer by 30%, reduces the intensity and frequency of hot flashes during menopause, and relieves menstrual pain. It has been established that the average inhabitant of our planet walks about 402,000 km throughout his life.
Excess weight is the main problem of joints
It has been established that excess body weight puts excessive stress on the joints. The joints will be regularly exposed to adverse effects, which will lead to their gradual destruction. The modern rhythm of life, working at a computer, fast food and an abundance of road transport have given rise to a disease such as physical inactivity, which was previously unknown.
Obesity is the main enemy of joints, so it is important to carefully monitor your body weight and make every effort to maintain it. The habit of sitting for a long time and constantly has an adverse effect on blood circulation in the body, muscles, as well as the condition of cartilage and ligaments. Weight may also increase due to age.
What are the benefits of Nordic walking?
You have all probably seen people who walk by pushing off the ground with sticks. Nordic walking is a healthy and safe sport that is often recommended for people with damaged joints.
During normal walking, a person uses about 60% of the muscles, and with Scandinavian walking - due to the work of the upper limbs - up to 90%! The load on the arms, neck and shoulders increases, and most importantly, it is distributed evenly, and does not fall only on the lower segment of the body. That is why Nordic walking is safer for cartilage damage in the joints of the lower extremities.
After several workouts you will feel the following effect:
- the joint will work better because the tone of the muscle fibers in the periarticular tissues will increase;
- the range of motion of the damaged joint will increase;
- the feeling of stiffness will become less pronounced.
Nordic walking was invented by Finnish skiers as a summer activity.
Are there any contraindications for Nordic walking? The answers are in the video below:
Activity and movement are life
To prevent joint disease from ever occurring, an active lifestyle is necessary. For healthy joints, it is recommended to focus not on static loads, but on motor ones (running, swimming, skiing, walking, etc.).
Such exercises help fight excess body weight - the enemy of the joints and the whole body in general. Movement will help normalize blood circulation around cartilaginous joints, since cartilage does not have its own vessels and is fed exclusively from joint fluid. Improving blood supply to cartilage tissue will provide various joints with nutrients and oxygen.
It is very important to exercise some caution: excessive stress on the joints, improper performance of physical movements and injuries can aggravate the problem. Before starting classes, it is recommended to consult with a trainer or your doctor, especially if discomfort occurs during or after classes.
To prevent joint disease, it is good to perform a kind of joint gymnastics, which consists of fairly simple exercises that do not require a machine or trainer. You can also visit the pool, since water reduces the load on the joints.
The above methods can be used exclusively for preventive purposes of arthrosis. If a diagnosis has already been made, you can exercise in the gym after consultation with a rehabilitation specialist and under the supervision of a professional trainer. He will be able to select and develop an individual training program. For patients during the acute period of the disease, training is contraindicated.
…when physical activity corresponds to the state of the body
A joint is a movable connection between two or more bones. The surface with which they come into contact with each other is covered with cartilage tissue. It serves two important functions: it allows bones to glide smoothly against each other and it serves as a shock absorber, reducing pressure on the bones during movement. Thanks to all this, a healthy joint can withstand quite a large load.
With arthrosis, cartilage tissue is gradually destroyed, and the resources of the joint are reduced. If this is not taken into account and you continue to overload it, the disease will progress quickly. Therefore, after making a diagnosis of arthrosis, doctors first of all recommend easing the problem for the joint.
If it is a knee or hip joint, you need to avoid lifting heavy objects, running, jumping, and squatting or standing in a bent position. In some cases, it is recommended to use a cane for additional relief when walking. If the joints of the fingers are affected, you should not perform small manual work for a long time, wring out laundry...
But this does not mean that there should be no movement at all in the life of a patient with arthrosis. On the contrary, damaged intra-articular cartilage needs increased nutrition. He can receive it only if the joint area is well supplied with blood, and this requires activity. Special gymnastics, walking at a comfortable pace, swimming should become firmly established in your life. Every day you need to devote 30–40 minutes to one of these activities. True, this only applies to those periods when arthrosis subsides - exercising through pain is harmful.
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Joints love warmth
The main axiom for preventing arthrosis is that joint tissues and cartilage do not like cold. Also, keeping joints warm should be done both for preventive purposes and for patients with arthrosis of the knee joint and those who have been diagnosed with osteoarthritis. Knee pads, which you can buy or sew yourself, can provide tangible benefits for maintaining heat. Knee pads are able to firmly support the joint, fix and warm the knee.
The basic rule for people who have joint diseases or are simply concerned about their health is not to get colds in their knees, elbows and hip joints.
How to walk correctly so as not to cause harm
If you do not experience pain or discomfort, feel free to travel any distance. This kind of fatigue will be beneficial. If you have arthrosis of the ankle, knee or hip joint, be careful not to harm yourself with improper physical activity:
- wear comfortable shoes, without high heels, so that the load on the lower limbs is distributed evenly;
- If you have arthrosis, avoid climbing stairs - walk on level ground;
- do not walk if you are in pain - give your joints rest.
Careful handling of joints
Joint disease is the most common pathology among athletes. Heavy loads lead to tears and ruptures of ligaments, microtrauma of joints and sprains. As long as muscle tone, good physical shape, and body weight make it possible to firmly fix the joint, the problem may be invisible. After finishing a career, the joints become loose, the muscular frame weakens, crunching and aching pain occur. We are talking about post-traumatic arthrosis.
Protect your joints from injury, impact and excessive stress. This will prevent joint pain in old age and reduce the chances of developing diseases to a minimum.
The benefits of healthy walking
Healthy walking is recommended for absolutely all categories of people, regardless of their gender, age, physiological characteristics and health status. In the process of walking, energy metabolism is intensified, the body's immune resistance is strengthened, and the work of muscles, internal organs, and the cardiovascular system is activated. In addition, healthy walking helps to cope with extra pounds.
With daily walking you can achieve the following effects:
- improve overall well-being;
- strengthen the heart muscle;
- increase endurance;
- strengthen the muscle frame;
- reduce intraocular pressure;
- prevent the development of thromboembolism, heart attack and stroke;
- reduce the risk of developing cancer;
- improve mood;
- optimize brain function;
- reduce blood cholesterol levels;
- normalize the functioning of the digestive tract;
- reduce the risk of developing type II diabetes mellitus;
- normalize sleep;
- relieve feelings of helplessness;
- increase life expectancy;
- activate the immune system;
- increase lung capacity and depth of breathing;
- eliminate stressful phenomena;
- strengthen the musculoskeletal system.
Balanced diet for arthrosis
For the prevention of joint disease to be effective, you need to eat a balanced diet. Cartilage, ligaments and joints react quite sharply to what a person eats. Many will agree that today's food products have become less natural and healthy than before. Until recently, people did not know what a metabolic disorder was. Obesity was diagnosed in 45% of the population, and there were not so many people with diseased joints. Nowadays, many people snack at fast food cafes and buy food with dyes, flavors and preservatives.
A diet for arthrosis is mandatory. Choosing the right diet is an important task in which nutritionists and experienced specialists can help.
Walking with a cane with arthrosis
Using a cane will free the joints from unnecessary stress, so this preventive measure is also considered as an additional way to treat arthrosis of the legs. By leaning on a stick, patients with arthrosis of the hip or knee joints reduce the load by 40%.
To choose the right cane that will suit a person's height, stand up straight, lower your arms down and measure the distance from the floor to your wrist. The result is the recommended stick length. When buying a cane, you should pay attention to the tip. It should have a rubber pad that will prevent slipping and absorb movement.
It must be taken into account that if the left knee is sick, the stick must be held in the right hand, and vice versa. When taking a step, you need to transfer part of your body weight to the cane. As a result, walking will become less painful.
To make the disease cause less pain, you can purchase special chairs with armrests that protrude forward. When standing up, you need to lean on them, focusing on the wrist area. This will redistribute your body weight so that your joints won't hurt when you stand up.
Or maybe it's better to run?
In no case! If everything is that bad, then it’s better to swim. If you have arthrosis of the hip, knee or ankle, sudden movements are contraindicated. After all, when running, the likelihood of falling and injury increases, and this is very dangerous for the damaged joint. Cartilage is not able to fully absorb dynamic load, so when running, cartilage tissue is injured again and again.
Nordic or normal walking involves smooth movements that do not pose a risk to the joints. Leaning on ski poles, a person also keeps his back straight and does not load the spine. Support points evenly distribute the load, which reduces the likelihood of overstrain and injury to the joints of the lower extremities. At the same time, all muscle groups and the cardiovascular system are trained.
You can't run with arthrosis
General recommendations regarding the prevention of arthrosis
There are also several recommendations aimed at ensuring that joint disease never bothers you:
- do water aerobics;
- wear comfortable platform shoes;
- use arch support and special insoles.
After a grueling day of work, you can perform the “bicycle” exercise - pretending to be riding, moving your legs in the air. This exercise will tone your muscles and relieve tension in your joints. It is not recommended to sit with your legs crossed - this leads to a deterioration in blood flow in the vessels.
The complex of the above rules and recommendations serves as a prevention of arthrosis, which, if followed, can not only avoid adverse effects on articular tissues, but also slow down the processes of destruction that have already occurred in the joints.
Why walking?
Each person takes several thousand steps every day, even if he is just moving around the house or walking short distances. Upright walking is natural for us; it is a physiologically familiar type of activity, during which different muscle groups are involved. We don’t think about how to walk, however, despite this, walking requires a lot of effort and energy expenditure from the body.
While walking:
- metabolism is activated in all systems and organs, including joints;
- muscles and ligaments are strengthened;
- movable joints are trained, and this is a powerful prevention of congestion;
- joy hormones are produced - people who walk a lot are less likely to suffer from depression.
Walking lifts your spirits