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LOOK AFTER THOSE KNEES! PART 2
Fitness consultant Craig Wise offers Diabetes Wellness readers some knee-friendly leg exercises.
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n the Autumn issue, I discussed general knee care. One of the most important ways you can look after your knees is by keeping your leg muscles strong to support your knees – especially your quadriceps. Here are some of simplest, equipment-free exercises you can do at home to help you to strengthen your leg muscles without putting strain on your knees if they are vulnerable. There are numerous variations to these exercises, and you can make them harder by using ankle weights, but I would advise against this until you’re comfortable with completing them in their simplest form. TIPS
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Ideally, find time to do some of these exercises each day. Try to do three sets of your chosen exercise or exercises. At the start, it may be hard to complete three full sets of some exercises. That’s okay. Just aim to get better each time. However, if you feel any real discomfort or pain, stop immediately. You don't need to do all of these exercises together. Choose a selection covering different muscle groups. Mix and match to add variety. As with any exercise, you may feel some soreness in the muscles for a day or two afterwards. This is called Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness (DOMS), and is a natural and good thing. However, if you're getting pain during or after any exercise then consult your medical advisor.
DIABETES WELLNESS | Winter 2021
LEG LIFTS
Works: Thighs; hip flexors 1 Lie on the floor with your legs flat. 2 Bend one knee, and have the other lying flat. 3 Pull your abdominal muscle inwards. (Imagine trying to push your belly button downwards. This should bring the lower back against the floor.) 4 Slowly raise the straight leg, keeping it straight, until your upper legs are line with each other. Do not raise your straight leg higher than your bent leg. 5 Slowly lower your straight leg back to the ground. Control its descent and don’t let it just drop. 6 Repeat 10 times, then swap legs.
