Exercises That Can Stress Your Knees After 60

Avoiding these exercises can help you avoid putting too much stress on your knees.

Your knees have worked as hard as you have in your entire life. This means that your joints have experienced the natural wear and tear of cartilage. When you combine this with age-related muscle loss and any injuries you’ve sustained over the years, it’s time to give your knees some tender loving care. We from Doug Bertram, MS, L.Ac., MTCMFounder and CEO of Orthopedic Wellness Brand Structural Elements®five exercises that can damage your knees after 60, in addition to what you need to work.

“No exercise is inherently bad, but certain movements are more likely to exacerbate knee pain when they exceed a person’s current strength. movementbalance or restorative capacity. After age 60, the goal should be to build endurance, not just tolerate stress,” explains Bertram. “The most effective exercise programs after age 60 focus on improving the overall quality of movement, not just increasing intensity. When the body moves more efficiently as a system, stress on the knees often decreases, allowing people to remain active, independent and comfortable for years to come.

Extending the knees

The knee extension machine puts a lot of stress on the surfaces of your knee joints, especially the patellofemoral joint. It also engages the quads in a way that doesn’t overwhelm everyday activities.

“For knee extension machines, a better alternative is the sit-to-stand exercise from a chair. This movement strengthens the quadriceps and simultaneously engages the brachial, core and balance systems, which directly improves everyday function,” explains Bertram.

Here’s how to sit to stand:

1. Begin by sitting in front of a sturdy chair with your feet tucked under your knees.
2. Bend forward a little.
3. Try to stand up without using your knees, hands or extra support.
4. Use the controls to slowly sit up.

High impact running

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High-impact running on a hard surface like the floor can cause serious problems when mobility, strength, and recovery ability are reduced.

“For a high-impact run, a vigorous uphill walk or incline walk provides an excellent cardiovascular challenge while significantly reducing the forces on the joints,” Bertram tells us.

Deep Squats

While deep squats serve as a great body workout in some cases, they can hurt your knees after age 60.

“Deep sprains aren’t inherently harmful, but limited ankle and hip mobility often forces the knee to absorb more stress than necessary,” explains Bertram.

Try boxing instead of squats.

“Squatting against a box or chair helps with proper hip loading, improves movement mechanics, and allows people to work safely within their current range of motion,” Bertram tells us.

Here’s how to do boxing squats:

1. Start by standing tall in front of the plyometric box with your feet on the ground.
2. Activate your core and keep your chest up.
3. Bend at the knees and hips and slowly lower yourself as if you were going to sit up. Make sure your weight stays on your heels.
4. Touch the surface of the chair with your ankles.
5. Press through your heels to bounce back.

Walking sticks

According to Bertram, walking lunges when performed without proper control or strength can put excessive shearing forces on the knee.

“For walkers, step-ups offer many of the same strength benefits while providing more control over the knees and loading,” he says.

Here are the steps to follow:

1. Start standing tall facing a sturdy exercise bench, plyometric box, or a step that is about knee level. Hold a dumbbell in each hand.
2. Plant your left foot firmly on the ground, keeping your core engaged and your chest up.
3. Push through your left heel to lift your body until your left leg is straight and you are standing on the ground.
4. Use control to lower back to starting position.
5. Repeat on the other side.

Boxing jumps

Box jumps and other explosive jumping movements can be difficult for aging joints that are less able to absorb high impact.

“For box jumps and aggressive plyometric exercises, controlled strength and balance exercises such as step-and-hold movements, lateral step patterns, or medicine ball exercises can improve coordination, reaction time, and power production without the high landing forces associated with jumping,” says Bertram.

Alexa Mellardo