Groan and Moan….

Groan and Moan….

After reaching my goal yesterday, I found myself being invigorated with energy, I was super enthusiastic about exercising... a bit more than usual. Not intending to push myself or anything, but more so because I tend to get a bit giddy and I forget about my ailments and pains. So today, I did about 40 min cardio stepping and 5 min cardio boxing with my Wii. Sighh… I have now officially hurt my stupid knees.

I have flat feet and patella femur syndrome and this makes it painful when I walk, step do elliptical etc. This syndrome can happen to athletes and overweight people. Strange huh? So let me explain this, since I have flat feet I tend to walk with an abnormal weight distribution, stressing towards the inside of my legs (the opposite of being bow legged). When you have flat feet and are overweight, you tend to pull your weight towards the inside of your legs. This keeps pulling at your knees towards the inside of your legs as well.

What then happens is a result of weak thigh muscles. When you step or do elliptical or jog, your weight distribution pulls your knee sockets to the inside of your legs and pushes to the outside every time you take a step. Painful sounding huh? Well it is, but this can be corrected by using orthopedic shoes or special inserts. They certainly help, but despite that support, if you over do it, your knees will creak and you HAVE to rest them.

As a rule if I feel I have overdone ANY bone or joint, I ice them. If I overdo a muscle, then I use my heat pads.

Knee safe cardio --- Swimming, light stepping (don’t overdo it), light walking (short distances), cardio boxing with Wii.

Do not jog, do not do elliptical, both are knee killers.

Links I suggest -
http://www.medicinenet.com/patellofemoral_syndrome/article.htm
http://www.sports-injury-info.com/patella-femoral-syndrome.html
http://www.rice.edu/~jenky/sports/pfs.html