Weight Matters
Obesity has been linked to so many health conditions and knee pain is one of them. The knees bear the entire weight of the body and enable movement. When the body weight becomes too much for the knees to handle it is natural for them to undergo damage. The knees are one of the strongest joints of the body where the femur (thigh bone) and the tibia (shin bone) meet. These bones are surrounded by patella or kneecap and are covered in cartilage which helps in the smooth gliding of the bones. When we walk, our knees bear at least 1.5 times the body weight and therefore are very much prone to injuries.
A recent study has shown a relationship between obesity and osteoarthritis of the knee. It has also been observed that women with a higher BMI for instance 27 or above have a higher chance of experiencing knee pain and early cartilage degeneration. This is due to the extra weight that is put on the knees which causes pressure on the cartilage and leads to early wear and tear. In different research on obesity and knee pain, a link between a hormone called leptin and cartilage degeneration of the knee has been observed. It has been established that excessive fat in the body leads to an increase in the secretion of leptin which plays a role in the development of osteoarthritis.
The life of an obese person can become extremely difficult with knee pain as it can hinder movement and even interfere with daily chores. However, the good news is fat can be lost and weight can be managed. Obesity is not permanent and health issues associated with it also fade away once the weight is reduced to normal. You can reduce the damage to your knees by almost 50% if you lose that extra body fat and can live a normal and healthy life. All that you need are a few dietary changes and a proper workout program to help burn all the extra fat on your body.
Consulting a Physical Therapist can be a game-changer in your weight loss journey if you have knee pain or some other health condition. Doing exercises on your own involves a certain degree of risk and can also aggravate the pain further and cause more damage if done incorrectly. Therefore, if you’re suffering from knee pain then you should first consult a professional and get a customized workout plan with exercises that are safe for you to perform.
Even walking for a few minutes, a day can be great for your body and you can slowly increase the intensity and time and transition to running for 10-15 minutes per day. Resistance training exercises are also a great way of building muscle strength and tackling pain. You can join a gym or consult a personal trainer to help you with the workout. The whole point here is to be active in general to keep the body moving and healthy. By becoming more active you not only improve your physical health but also become sounder mentally. Walks are known to impact the physical as well as the mental well-being of people and a little exercise a day means a lot in the long run.
