Knee osteoarthritis can be a painful and debilitating condition that affects many individuals as they age. However, one of the best ways to manage symptoms and improve overall function is through regular exercise, with walking being a particularly effective form of physical activity.
Through our program, you’ll have access to therapeutic exercises and stretches for your condition. Additionally, you’ll have a personal care team to guide, support, and tailor our program to you. The research offers the potential of an easy — and free — way to combat one of the most common culprits of knee pain among older adults. While it may seem counterintuitive to walk or exercise when your knee feels stiff or swollen, walking and other low impact activities can be especially helpful for OA of the knee. Walking, although likely not damaging to the knee, often makes the pain worse.
Each subsequent month, there was a 30–40% probability that subjects would regress to their initial activity level. We derived these probabilities from the Montana study 6-week and 6-month follow-up data [18]. The WWE program is designed to last six weeks, so we modeled a one-month period in which subjects could increase their activity levels. Participants could stay on the WWE regimen and incur program costs for up to two years.
Low-Impact Exercise
Walking is a low-impact exercise that puts less stress on the joints compared to high-impact activities like running. For individuals with knee osteoarthritis, this is crucial in preventing further damage and reducing pain. By engaging in regular walking routines, individuals can strengthen the muscles around the knee joint, improve flexibility, and increase range of motion.
A firm heel and thick flexible soles can help absorb the pressure exercise may cause in the joints. So if you’ve been a runner for years, osteoarthritis doesn’t mean you have to toss away your running shoes. Instead, consider scaling back mileage or intensity to ease strain on your knees. For example, three 10-minute strolls count as a half hour of walking. If you’re new to exercise or just want guidance, try seeing a physical therapist or certified personal trainer. They can also teach you the right form, along with stretches and strengthening moves, to protect your joints.
Walking is a low impact exercise that is beneficial for people with knee arthritis. This activity can ease symptoms, increase muscle strength, and help reduce joint stiffness. Walking may also help prevent and manage other physical and mental conditions.
Weight Management
Another benefit of walking for knee osteoarthritis is its role in weight management. Excess weight can exacerbate symptoms of knee osteoarthritis by putting additional strain on the joints. Walking regularly can help individuals maintain a healthy weight or even lose excess pounds, thereby reducing pressure on the knees and improving overall joint health.
The simple activity of walking has so many powerful health benefits. Done correctly, it can be the key to losing weight, lowering blood pressure and cholesterol, and boosting your memory,as well as reducing your risk for heart disease, diabetes, cancer and more. Walking for Health, created by the experts at Harvard Medical School, takes you step-by-step from whywalking may be the most perfect exercise, to how to get started on a walking program, to specific walking workouts. Conservative treatments aim to manage symptoms such as pain and inflammation. Doctors may also recommend low impact exercises and fitness programs alongside treatments.
Walking for exercise was defined dichotomously (walkers and non-walkers). To ascertain the exposure of walking for exercise, we administered a modified version of the Historical Physical Activity Survey Instrument9. We altered the survey so that a participant could complete it as a take-home survey, similar to what was previously done by Chasan-Taber10. If the survey was incomplete at the time of the closest in person follow-up clinic visit, the 96-month visit, clinic staff asked participants to complete it at the clinic visit; clinic staff assistance was available if requested. These data were acquired between September 12, 2012 and October 31, 2014.
Overall, walking is a simple yet effective way to manage symptoms of knee osteoarthritis, improve joint function, and enhance overall quality of life. By incorporating regular walks into their routine, individuals can experience a wide range of benefits that contribute to better joint health and mobility.
