Let's face it. With age comes bodily creaks and cracks. This week I woke up with some gnarly knee pain, and decided to dig into a solution.
My work outs typically consist of one or two mile runs, squats and dead-lifts, and HIIT work outs that often include a lot of jumping. I guess you could say, "change your work out", but I'm not ready to give up any of those. I'm too stubborn to let my body dictate my actions.
Here are a few tips I found to be useful, credible, and repetitive:
R.I.C.E. - Rest, ice, compression, elevation. If your knee or joint inflammation is coming from a recent injury or from being new to working out, try this. If you're stubborn like me and don't want the rest part to slow you down, do some exercises involving the opposite parts of your body.
Vitamins - I never used to be believer in vitamins. I figured I was eating healthy enough to get by, and never felt a difference with the woman's gummies. Then some guy at a local GNC sold me on the most expensive vitamins I've ever bought, and I was convinced. Not only did I physically feel focused while taking just half of the suggested amount, but mentally I knew I was filling in the deficiency gap. Vitamin D is especially good for inflammation, and fish oil helps with joints.
Stretching - Who has time for stretching? YOU DO! Not going to lie, I tend to slack in this area. Any experienced athlete or trainer will let you know the importance of stretching. In my research I found it to be most effective during and after your workout when your muscles are warm and loose.
Warm-Up - It's easy to jump straight into the core work out because of time, laziness, or whatever else may be holding you back. Warming up is essential to give yourself a bigger range of motion and to get the blood pumping. Just ten minutes is all you need.
Overall, proper planning prevents poor performance. What I don't want you doing is not working out when the smallest pain arises. Working out is actually very good for your joints and small pains because it builds up your strength and makes you stronger. No pain, no gain!