Sports suitable for people with knee osteoarthritis

Medical and health information - 01/24/2024

Knee osteoarthritis is one of the musculoskeletal diseases that can negatively affect the patient’s daily movements as well as pose a potential risk of complications. .

For patients with knee osteoarthritis, practicing exercise and playing sports is very beneficial for health. Statistics show that patients who regularly exercise properly can help bring about effects such as:

  • Reduce pain caused by osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis in the knees.
  • Symptoms of swelling, pain, and inflammation are also reduced in patients with reasonable exercise and rest regimens.
  • Increases mobility, increases range of motion, range of motion of the knee joint.
  • Improves the health of the muscles that support joint movement, helping the muscles that support the joints reduce shock during daily activities and movements.</li >

However, patients need to practice properly to ensure safety. Below are a few sports that will be suitable for people with knee osteoarthritis.

1. Walk

Walking is a sport that requires a lot of knee exercise, but if you walk at a light intensity for a short time, your knee joints will improve significantly. . First, you should walk for 2 – 5 minutes, taking small steps so as not to damage the knee joint. You can increase the time to a longer time if your body gets used to the old intensity. While walking, if your knee joint hurts, you should stop exercising and rest. When the knee pain is gone, you can exercise normally again.

2. Swimming

Swimming is one of the sports suitable for people with knee osteoarthritis. Swimming does not have much impact on the knee joints, but it improves the body’s mobility very well. With swimming, patients should only choose swimming styles with appropriate intensity and duration. This subject also improves chronic spinal diseases very effectively.

3. Cycling

Cycling helps the knee joint move more flexibly and supplely, however the patient should only pedal for a short time, about 10 minutes at a slow speed because of the sport. This affects the knee joint, so if you pedal for a long time, this position is susceptible to injury and swelling. Cycling regularly helps bones and joints become strong and flexible, joint cartilage is more elastic, blood circulation improves, mood is comfortable, relaxed, memory is enhanced and cardiovascular disease is prevented.

4. Yoga

Yoga has many movements, with all levels of intensity, people with knee arthritis should do gentle exercises, requiring little movement in this position. Yoga helps improve blood circulation, increase joint flexibility and effectively reduce pain. People who regularly practice yoga will limit the risk of bone and joint diseases, cardiovascular disease and maintain a balanced figure.

In addition to exercise regimen, patients should combine it with an appropriate nutritional regimen to maximize the effectiveness of treatment methods.

Article author: Sun. Tiet Ngoc Linh Chi