Knees

     the first knee replacement was done in 1968.  currently in the US more than 600,000 are done a year and by 2030 that number is expected to be around 3 million! the knee is not our most complex joint-that is the shoulder-but it is the largest and is in almost constant use. at ground level, the force on our knees is 1 1/2 times our body weight-with each step. going up and down stairs 2-3 times and when you bend over to pick something up, 4-5 times  our body weight. knowing these numbers it should be clear how important it is to keep to a healthy body weight.
     our knees need to be flexible but also need to have strength and stability that comes from our muscles, tendons and ligaments. although keeping excess weight off is the primary way to prevent problems (i am not including injuries from sports, etc.) there are some other things we can do to help our knees stay healthy. one is to warm up before doing any exercise. we also need to strengthen our leg and especially our glute  muscles. two relatively simple exercises to start with* would be standing and/or prone hip extensions. don't want to do exercises like that-then at least try to walk as much as possible and keep to a healthy weight. i know that i don't want to be included in the statistics listed above. do you?

*if you already have knee issues speak first with your doctor about appropriate exercises.