Fitwirr

People complain of knee pain all the time. For many, it is a case of intermittent pain, a sharp pain or slight discomfort experienced now and then. Then there is the chronic pain, which can wear down the knee structure over time, require constant medication and eventually surgery. This you want to avoid; the “letting go” of the issue for so long that arthritis sets in and surgery is required.   Often times the cause of intermittent knee pain is due to a muscle imbalance in the quadriceps or thigh muscles. The quads are made up of four muscles, and often because of how we move on a regular basis and the daily activities, the muscles on the outer sides of the thighs are stronger and take on the load. That means, the smaller muscles on the more interior portions of the leg, like the vastus medialis, are weaker and therefore less able to hold the knee in line for proper tracking. The Vastus medialis is not used as much in lateral movement, which is usu...

Most people don’t connect yoga with weight loss, yet if you step into an advanced class at a yoga studio you’ll see the crowd is full of toned, healthy individuals. This is because yoga, when done routinely and correctly, is actually an incredibly powerful weight-loss tool. You’ll notice your muscles burn and shake with energy as you hold a balanced position, which means that you’ve engaged the muscle, in much the same way you engage it while lifting weights. Furthermore, when you activate muscles, your body also speeds up your heart, burning calories and fat. We’ve rounded up some of our favorite yoga poses for weight loss. These poses engage large muscle groups that are very effective for burning calories. Some of them are also quite challenging, so they’ll help you build lean muscle throughout your body. Hold each move for 30 seconds, or to your comfort level. Complete all 10 moves then repeat 2-3 additional times. 1. The Chair The chair is like holding a squat, so ...

One mistake, the people with sore knees make him to avoid exercise. Performing exercises, especially strength training, helps to strengthen your knees. Here are some exercises you can do to keep your knees strong. 1. Pole walking Walking is a great form of cardio exercise which can reduce knee pain by building your muscles so that they can reduce the pressure on your joints. To avoid pain during walking, you can try using poles for support. Do this exercise for about 45 minutes 4 times every week. 2. Foam rolling This is a great way to work out your muscles. Most people focus on their backs and hips when doing this exercise and overlook the shins. Even if you don’t feel pain in your shins, they might contribute to your knee pain. Put a roller around the base of your ankles and position yourself like you’re going to do a push up. Turn your toe inwards, towards your body’s mid line to expose your shin muscles. Firmly press your shins down on the foam roller and raise it gradu...

Most of us rarely think about the importance of our body’s ability to maintain balance. But, as we age, the key to avoiding falls and subsequent injury is by focusing on improving our static (stationary) and dynamic (moving) balance skills. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warns that falls have reached an epidemic level, citing that 30 percent of people ages 65 to 80 and 50 percent of those over 80 will experience a fall each year. In addition, falls are the leading cause of traumatic brain injury and fractures in older adults. The upside to these dire statistics is that starting a program of specific exercises developed to improve your balance can significantly decrease your risk of falling. This series of exercises targets static and dynamic balance, helping to improve strength and coordination. It takes time for your body to build strength and improve balance ability, so start slowly with each exercise, and make sure you follow the safety tips. Work up t...