Knee Problem Treatment

This fact sheet contains general information about knee problems. It includes descriptions and a diagram of the different parts of the knee, including bones, cartilage, muscles, ligaments, and tendons. Individual sections of the fact sheet describe the symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment of specific types of knee injuries and conditions. Information is also provided on the prevention of knee problems.
Why Women Are at Greater Risk for InjuryDue to both anatomical differences and monthly hormonal fluctuations, women are more likely than men to suffer knee injuries during sports and exercise.

Wider hips create more of a lateral pull on the knee (think “knock-kneed”), which stresses the ligaments.

Also, in activities such as jumping, men absorb a landing better, says Peter J. Millett, M.D., a sports-injury specialist with Steadman Clinic in Vail, Colo. Women tend to rely more on their quadricep muscles and land with their knees locked out, which requires the knee to absorb all of the force.

What Causes Knee Problems?

Some knee problems result from wear of parts of the knee, such as occurs in osteoarthritis. Other problems result from injury, such as a blow to the knee or sudden movements that strain the knee beyond its normal range of movement. How Can People Prevent Knee Problems? Some knee problems, such as those resulting from an accident, cannot be foreseen or prevented. However, a person can prevent many knee problems by following these suggestions:A sudden change in direction while running, pivoting or getting hit from the side of the knee can strain or tear the ligament.

• First warm up by walking or riding a stationary bicycle, then do stretches before exercising or participating in sports. Stretching the muscles in the front of the thigh (quadriceps) and back of the thigh (hamstrings) reduces tension on the tendons and relieves pressure on the knee during activity.
• Strengthen the leg muscles by doing specific exercises (for example, by walking up stairs or hills, or by riding a stationary bicycle). A supervised workout with weights is another pathway to strengthening leg muscles that benefit the knee.
• Avoid sudden changes in the intensity of exercise. Increase the force or duration of activity gradually.
• Wear shoes that both fit properly and are in good condition to help maintain balance and leg alignment when walking or running. Knee problems may be caused by flat feet or overpronated feet (feet that roll inward). People can often reduce some these problems by wearing special shoe inserts (orthotics). Maintain appropriate weight to reduce stress on the knee. Obesity increases the risk of degenerative (wearing) conditions such as osteoarthritis of the knee. 
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•   A PROTECTIVE KNEE WORKOUTSS
• Try half-squats instead of full squats.
  
• Avoid knee-extension exercises (such as the gym machine where you sit with your knee bent and lift a weight with your shin).
  
• Give up activities such as downhill hiking, and use walking poles to take the pressure off knees.
  
• Instead of running, go biking or swimming. Replace the treadmill with an elliptical trainer or stationary bike.

Muscle Pain and Soreness After Exercise

 muscle soreness is most frequently felt when you begin a new exercise program, change your exercise routine, or dramatically increase the duration or intensity of your exercise routine.
Although it can be alarming for new exercisers, delayed onset muscle soreness is a normal response to unusual exertion and is part of an adaptation process that leads to greater stamina and strength as the muscles recover and build hypertrophy).

This sort of muscle pain is not the same as the muscle pain or fatigue you experience during exercise. Delayed soreness is also unlike the acute, sudden and sharp pain of an injury such as a muscle strains or sprain that occurs during activity and often causes swelling or bruising. The delayed muscle soreness of DOMS(Delayed onset muscle soreness )Is generally at its worst within the first 2 days following a new, intense activity and slowly subsides over the next few days.
 

What Causes Muscle Soreness After Exercise?

Delayed onset muscle soreness is thought to be a result of microscopic tearing of the muscle fibers. The amount of tearing (and soreness) depends on how hard and how long you exercise and what type of exercise you do. Any movement you aren't used to can lead to DOMS, but eccentric muscle contractions (movements that cause muscle to forcefully contract while it lengthens) seem to cause the most soreness. Examples of eccentric muscle contractions include going down stairs, running downhill, lowering weights and the downward motion of squats and push-ups. In addition to small muscle tears there can be associated swelling in a muscle which may contribute to soreness.

What Is the Best Treatment for Muscle Soreness After Exercise?

There is no one simple way to treat delayed onset muscle soreness. In fact, there has been an ongoing debate about both the cause and treatment of DOMS(Delayed onset muscle soreness)  In the past, gentle stretching was one of the recommended ways to reduce exercise related muscle soreness, but a study by Australian researchers published in 2007 found that stretching is not effective in avoiding muscle soreness. So does anything work to reduce delayed-onset muscle soreness? Nothing is proven 100 percent effective, and although some people have found the following advice helpful, it's best to try a few things to see what works for you. Ultimately, best advice for treating DOMS is to prevent it in the first place.

Tips for Dealing with Muscle Soreness After Exercise

If you do find yourself sore after a tough workout or competition, try these methods to deal with your discomfort. Although not all are backed up with research, many athletes report success with some of the following methods.

• Use Active Recovery. This strategy does have support in the research. Performing easy low-impact aerobic exercise increasing blood flow and is linked with diminished muscle soreness. After an intense workout or competition, use this technique as a part of your cool down.
• Rest and Recover. If you simply wait it out, soreness will go away in 3 to 7 days with no special treatment.
• Try a Sports Massage. Some research has found that sports massage may help reduce reported muscle soreness and reduce swelling, although it had no effects on muscle function.
• Try an Ice Bath or Contrast Water Bath. Although no clear evidence proves they are effective, many pro athletes use them and claim they work to reduce soreness..
• Perform Gentle Stretching. Although research doesn't find stretching alone reduces muscle pain of soreness, many people find it simply feels good.
• Try a Nonsteroidal Anti-inflammatory. Aspirin, ibuprofen or naproxen sodium may help to temporarily reduce the muscle soreness, although they won't actually speed healing. Be careful, however, if you plan to take them before exercise. Studies reported that taking ibuprofen before endurance exercise is not recommended.
• Try Yoga. There is growing support that performing Yoga may reduce DOMS.
• Listen to Your Body. Avoid any vigorous activity or exercise that increases pain.
• Allow the soreness to subside thoroughly before performing any vigorous exercise.
• Warm Up completely before your next exercise session. There is some research that supports that a warm-up performed immediately prior to unaccustomed eccentric exercise produces small reductions in delayed-onset muscle soreness (but cool-down performed after exercise does not).
• ** If your pain persists longer than about 7 days or increases despite these measures, consult your physician. 
•  R.I.C.E .(Rest,Ice,Compression,Elevation) may help!!!
  

  Tips to Help Prevent Muscle Soreness After Exercise

  While you may not be able to prevent muscle soreness entirely, you may reduce the intensity and duration of muscles soreness if you follow a few exercise recommendations.
• Progress Slowly. The most important prevention method is to gradually increase your exercise time and intensity. See the 10 percent rule if you need some exercise progression guidelines.
• Warm Up thoroughly before activity and cool down completely afterward.
• Cool Down with gentle stretching after exercise.
• Follow the Ten Percent Rule. When beginning a new activity start gradually and build up your time and intensity no more than ten percent per week.
• Know the 10 Tips for Safe Workouts.
• Follow the Spring Training Fitness Tips.
• Hire a Personal Trainer if you aren't sure how to start a workout program that is safe and effective.
• Start a new weight lifting routine with light weights and high reps (10-12) and gradually increase the amount you lift over several weeks.
• Avoid making sudden major changes in the type of exercise you do.
• Avoid making sudden major changes in the amount of time that you exercise.

Certain muscle pain or soreness can be a sign of a serious injury. If your muscle soreness does not get better within a week consult your physician.

The Best Workouts for Osteoporosis

Ever think of your bones in terms of architecture? Well, health professionals do — bone is a living tissue that is constantly breaking down and rebuilding. Diseases that change bone architecture, such as osteoporosis, spell trouble.

“In osteoporosis, more bone gets broken down than built up,”“Osteoporosis is a major health concern. Half of all women and one-quarter of all men over age 50 will have a fracture caused by osteoporosis in their lifetime.”
Fortunately, exercise done properly can help to rebuild bone and reduce the likelihood of fractur.Here are her recommendations for people with osteoporosis who have not had a fracture:

Cardiovascular conditioning

Cardiovascular workouts should involve bearing weight. “So walking, jogging and dancing are preferable to swimming or biking,” she says. It’s also important to dial up your exercise intensity.

• To see improvements in bone density, heighten the intensity of your normal walking pace. “Increasing your pace for short intervals or going up and down hills will place appropriate forces on your bones,” she notes.
• Alternating higher-intensity exercises two to three days a week with lower-intensity activities four to five days a week is most effective.

Strengthening exercises

Work with free weights, use weight machines at the gym or do floor exercises to gain strength. “Recent studies have confirmed that it’s important to lift enough weight to stimulate bone growth,” “Therefore, you will need to do fewer reps with heavier weights.”

• Most of us don’t lift as much weight as we could. To determine how much weight you should be lifting, search for a “1-Rep Max” calculator available on many websites. Then aim for 70 to 80 percent of your 1 Rep Max.
• Remember that exercise is site-specific. So target the areas most prone to fracture: spine, hips and wrists.
• Weight training is recommended two to three times a week.
• Strengthen your spinal extensor muscles, which lie over the spine, to improve posture and reduce fracture risk by doing the following exercise daily:
  
• Stomp your feet to increase bone density in your hips. Do four stomps on each foot twice a day using enough pressure to crush a can.

Stretching

Lengthening tight muscles will reduce back pain, and promote good spinal mechanics and posture. Muscles that are commonly tight include those you use to arch your back (spinal extensors); raise and rotate your shoulders (shoulder elevators and external rotators); lift your knees (hip flexors); and pull your feet toward your body (ankle dorsiflexors).

• Perform stretches slowly and smoothly, “to a point of stretch, not pain,”
• For maximum benefit, do stretches once or twice a day.

Yoga, Pilates: Helpful or not?

You may have wondered if yoga or Pilates (core-strengthening) classes would be safe to do if you’ve got osteoporosis.
 “Yoga and Pilates are helpful for stretching and lengthening but include many flexion-based (forward-bending) moves.” If you are interested, she advises being careful and working with knowledgeable yoga and Pilates instructors.
Fortunately, everyone with osteoporosis can develop a safe, effective personal exercise program — even if they have had a fracture, she says. Ask your doctor whether a referral to a physical therapist might be worthwhile.

What to avoid

Exercises that keep the spine in a straight or slightly arched position are generally safer than exercises that involve bending forward. That’s because most spine fractures occur in a position of forward bending,  If you have already had an osteoporotic fracture, avoid exercises that involve forward bending or rotating the trunk.
Proper strengthening of your lower abdominal and back muscles will help attain the optimal spinal position.

Boot Camp Workout

 Not long ago, boot camp workouts were the thing. In many cities, you could sign up for a program, meet in local parks and kill yourself with workouts that resemble the physical training of soldiers. Well, you don't have to train like a soldier to lose weight and get in shape. Make your own boot camp workout for a challenging circuit training workout.
 
What is The Boot Camp?
Boot camp workouts are efficient because you work your entire body-- heart and muscles--by going from one exercise to another with no rest. The workouts involve calisthenics like pushups, jumping jacks, crunches and other body weight exercises...the difference lies in the intensity. In boot camp, your challenge is to take your body to its limit. You work, you sweat and, best of all, you burn calories like crazy.
Boot camp workouts are:

• A great way to burn lots of calories.
• Efficient - you work your whole body in a short period of time.
• Fun - each exercise is different so you don't get bored.
• Easy to fit in to a busy schedule - You can do it anywhere with little equipment.
• As challenging as you want them to be.
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•  Door voldoende te drinken kun je je prestaties zelfs verbeteren en de kans op blessures verkleinen! Wie onvoldoende drinkt loopt kans op uitdroging. Dit kan gepaard gaan met klachten als kramp, duizeligheid, flauwvallen, hoofdpijn, verminderde alertheid en op den duur zelfs gebrek aan coördinatie, waardoor het risico op verstappen en andere ongelukken toeneemt.
  Richtlijnen voor de hoeveelheid vocht
  2 tot 3 uur voor de inspanning is het raadzaam om 500- 700 ml vocht (= 2 tot 3 longdrinkglazen) te drinken. 10 tot 15 minuten voor de training is het verstandig om 200- 350 ml ( 1 tot 1 ¾ longdrinkglazen) vocht te gebruiken. Tijdens de inspanning neem je af en toe een goede slok drinken, dat is belangrijk om gehydrateerd te blijven. Na de training kun je naar behoefte een glas water tot een flesje water van 500 ml drinken. Als het erg warm weer is, heb je 1 liter water per uur sport nodig tegen vochtverlies. Dit is erg belangrijk om een goede en prettige prestatie te leveren.
  
  

  Drink voldoende water bij een Bootcamp training
  Als je pas gaat drinken als je dorst hebt, ben je eigenlijk al te laat. De vochtbehoefte kan per persoon sterk verschillen. Daarom is het van belang om van te voren goed te bepalen wat voor jou de ideale hoeveelheid aan water of sportdrank is. Zo kun je het veel langer volhouden!
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  Fitness Boot Camp Pros

  
  
• Efficient - You can often get a whole body strength and cardio workout in each one-hour session.
• Motivational - When you exercise with a group of people there is built-in motivation.
• Low Cost - By sharing the personal trainer you get a reduced rate.
• Something Different - Boot camp workout break up the boredom and monotony of the same old gym or cardio workouts.
• Portable - The exercises you learn at boot camp classes can be done nearly anywhere with minimal equipment, so you can learn new ways to exercise anywhere.
• Interval Training Emphasis - The nature of the boot camp makes it a perfect way to perform interval  
•  training on a regular basis  
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• OUTDOOR BOOTCAMP!!!!!!!!!!!!to get out of their dull indoor gyms, get outside, get fit and have fun - Our bootcamp program provides an enjoyable yet personally customised sydney group fitness activity that caters for every fitness level.       
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• Getting into shape
• Reducing stress
• Losing weight
• Increasing energy
• Building confidence and
• Making new friends
• so what u waiting for!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!:)
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What to Eat Before Exercise

Energy, Food and Exercise

The food an athlete eats before, during and after a workout is important for both comfort and performance during exercise. Energy foods including bars, drinks, gels and other easily digestible carbohydrates can help prevent the distracting symptoms of hunger during exercise and keep you from depleting your energy too quickly. The major source of fuel for active muscles is carbohydrate which gets stored in the muscles as glycogen in the days before exercise. It takes time to completely fill glycogen stores, and what you eat after exercise can help or hinder this process. Eating the right foods at the right time after a workout is essential for recovery and being ready for the next workout.
What you eat before exercise often depends upon your unique needs and preferences, but should be designed according to the intensity, length and type of workout you plan to do.

 

   

When to Eat Before Exercise

Exercising on a full stomach is not ideal. Food that remains in your stomach during an event may cause stomach upset, nausea, and cramping. To make sure you have enough energy, yet reduce stomach discomfort, you should allow a meal to fully digest before the start of the event. This generally takes 1 to 4 hours, depending upon what and how much you've eaten. Everyone is a bit different, and you should experiment prior to workouts to determine what works best for you. If you have an early morning race or workout, it's best to get up early enough to eat your pre-exercise meal. If not, you should try to eat or drink something easily digestible about 20 to 30 minutes before the event. The closer you are to the time of your event, the less you should eat. You can have a liquid meal closer to your event than a solid meal because your stomach digests liquids faster.

   

What to Eat Before Exercise

Because glucose is the preferred energy source for most exercise, a pre-exercise meal should include foods that are high in carbohydrates and easy to digest. This include foods such as pasta, fruits, breads, energy bars and drinks.

Sports Nutrition Planning for All-day Events

Planning your nutrition and knowing what and when you will eat and drink is essential if you are competing in an all-day event, such as track meets or other tournaments. Consider the time of your event, the amount of your meal and the energy required. Also, be aware of the amount of fluid you consume. You should plan ahead and prepare meals and snacks that you have tried before and know will sit well with you. Do not experiment with something new on the event day.

  

Suggested Foods for Exercise

Eating before exercise is something only the athlete can determine based upon experience, but some general guidelines include eating a solid meal 4 hours before exercise, a snack or a high carbohydrate energy drink 2 to 3 hours before exercise, and fluid replacement 1 hour before exercise.
1 hour or less before competition

• fresh fruit such as apples, watermelon, peaches, grapes, or oranges and/or
• Energy gels
• up to 1 1/2 cups of a sports drink.

2 to 3 hours before competition

• fresh fruits
• bread, bagels, pasta
• yogurt
• water

3 to 4 hours before competition

• fresh fruit
• bread, bagels
• pasta with tomato sauce
• baked potatoes
• energy bar
• cereal with milk
• yogurt
• toast/bread with a bit of peanut butter, lean meat, or cheese
• water

Glucose (Sugar) and Exercise Performance

If you are an endurance athlete, evidence suggests that eating some sugar (glucose) 35 to 40 minutes before an event may provide energy when your other energy stores have dropped to low levels. However, you should experiment with such strategies before competition because some people do not perform well after a blood glucose spike.
 

Foods to Avoid Before Exercise!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Foods with a lot of fat or fiber can be very difficult and slow to digest and remain in the stomach a long time. They also will pull blood into the stomach to aid in digestion, which can cause cramping and discomfort. Meats, doughnuts, fries, potato chips, and candy bars should be avoided in a pre-exercise meal. Keep in mind that everyone is a bit different and what works for you may not work for you teammate or training partner. Factor in individual preferences and favorite foods, and an eating plan is a highly individualize thing.

7 Tips for Healthy Bones

1. Eat calcium-rich foods

Besides dairy products, choose fish with bones (such as salmon, sardines or whitebait), and serve them with a side of dark leafy green vegetables or broccoli. Fortified tofu and soy milk are other calcium-rich choices, For a calcium boost, snack on almonds or dried figs.

2. Take calcium supplements

The U.S. recommended daily allowance for calcium is 1,000 mg a day during our 20s, 30s and 40s. But our need for calcium rises as we age. Check with your doctor before starting supplements about the amount that’s right for you. After menopause, women need 1000 to 1,500 mg a day unless they take hormone therapy. Your body only absorbs 500 mg of calcium at a time, notes.So spread the calcium you consume over the course of the day for the greatest benefit, and take calcium with meals to maximize absorption. You can also check an online calcium calculator to see how much calcium you are already getting in your diet. “This will help guide how much you should take in supplements,” . “Remember, many other vitamins, including multivitamins, also have calcium already in them.”

3. Add some D to your day

To help absorb calcium, most adults need 1,000 to 2,000 IU of vitamin D daily, .Combined calcium-vitamin D pills usually do not contain enough D to meet this requirement. “Vitamin D deficiency is far more common than previously thought, and affects everyone, young and old,” she notes. This is especially true in any region north of Atlanta. Due to the risks of skin cancer and the difficulty in getting vitamin D from the sun, it is best to take a vitamin D supplement to ensure you are meeting your daily needs.

4. Start weight-bearing exercises

For bone strength and new bone cell formation, try strength training plus exercises that “load” or compress your bones,  “Running, jogging, high-impact aerobics, repetitive stair climbing, dancing, tennis and basketball are best for building bones. But if you have osteopenia, osteoporosis or arthritis, try walking or using an elliptical trainer or stair stepper,” she says. (Clear any exercise plans with your doctor first.)

5. Avoid smoking and drinking to excess

Loss of bone mineral density is associated with tobacco use and excessive alcohol intake,  If you smoke, look into a smoking cessation program, and if you drink, stick to no more than one mojito or glass of wine or beer a day, she advises.

6. Get your bone mineral density tested

Doctors can get a quick and painless “snapshot” of bone health using a simple X-ray test called DXA. This test measures bone mineral density (BMD) and helps determine risks of osteoporosis and fracture. “Most women lose bone at an accelerated rate for four to seven years after menopause, so they may wish to start BMD testing within two years of menopause,”  Younger women who skip periods or suffer unexplained broken bones/fractures should start testing sooner. Earlier BMD tests are recommended for men and women with certain diseases and for those taking medications that increase risk, such as long-term steroid therapy. Anyone who has broken a bone from a fall from a standing height should be evaluated for osteoporosis. “This is not normal — if you fall, you should not break anything,” 

7. If necessary, consider medication

Perimenopausal women at high risk of osteoporosis may consider hormone therapy to boost the waning estrogen levels linked to bone loss. Women and men diagnosed with osteopenia or osteoporosis can take various medications to prevent dangerous hip and spine fractures. Bisphosphonates prevent further bone loss and are taken by mouth once a week or once a month or, if side effects occur, once a year by IV infusion. Teriparatide, a medication similar to a natural human hormone, rebuilds bone when given by daily injection but can be taken safely for just two years. The newest medication for osteoporosis is called denusomab. It is given via a shot every six months. “None of these medications works without calcium and vitamin D as building blocks

Smoothie Recipes for Workouts

 

Made up of about 70 percent green vegetables and 30 percent fruit, this smoothie helps you eat far more greens than you ordinarily could. Because we blend the greens and fruit for easy digestion, your body is able to absorb more of the vitamins and minerals without working so hard. Thanks to all its nutrients and fiber, the smoothie is incredibly filling, so it keeps you from reaching for that midmorning second cup of coffee and that bagel you really didn't want to eat.

Ingredients
1 1/2 cups water
1 head organic romaine lettuce, chopped
3-4 stalks organic celery
1/2 head of a large bunch or 3/4 of a small bunch of spinach
1 organic apple, cored and chopped
1 organic pear, cored and chopped
1 organic banana
Juice of 1/2 fresh organic lemon
Optional: 1/3 bunch organic cilantro (stems OK) and 1/3 bunch organic parsley (stems OK)
Directions

1. Add water and chopped head of romaine to blender. Blend at a low speed until smooth.
2. Add celery, apple, and pear and blend at high speed.
3. Add cilantro and parsley (which help chelate heavy metals out of your body).
4. Finish with banana and lemon.

   ingredients
1/2 cup vanilla almond milk
1/2 cup water
1/2 banana
Dash of cinnamon
1 scoop of vanilla protein powder (I used one packet of Tone It Up's new vegan vanilla protein powder Perfect Fit)
Ice
1 to 2 drops of Stevia
Directions
Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. Makes one serving.

 Strawberry Lemonade Smoothie
Heather Scott, Purple Plant Smoothies
The recipe is from smoothie enthusiast Heather Scott, who owns Purple Plant Smoothies, a San Francisco-based smoothie catering company. She recommends having the smoothie as a light snack or in addition to a healthy meal. "Most whole food, real fruits, and veggies have a number of extremely beneficial nutrients to help the body cleanse and detox naturally," Heather says. Get her recipe below!
Ingredients
1/2 cup pure coconut water
1 1/6 cup local, organic strawberries
1/4 medium-large local, organic lemon
1 handful of organic spinach
2 to 3 small pitted, local Deglet Noor dates (optional and can be used to sweeten according to taste)
2 scoops ice
Directions

1. Place strawberries, lemon, coconut water, ice, spinach, and dates (optional) in a blender.
2. Blend on medium speed for about 30 seconds.

Makes one 16-ounce serving.

 

    Banana Berry Peanut Butter Broccoli Smoothie
original recipe
Ingredients
1 medium ripe banana
6 strawberries, green parts cut off
3 raw broccoli florets, stems cut off
6 ounces vanilla Greek yogurt
1/2 tablespoon smooth peanut butter
Directions

1. In a blender or food processor, add the banana, washed strawberries, washed broccoli florets, yogurt, and peanut butter. Blend until smooth. This makes a thick smoothie, so if you prefer a thinner consistency, add a little soy or skim milk. Pour into a glass and enjoy immediately.