Knee pain.
It’s a pain in the… well, a pain in the knee of course.
How do I keep my knees healthy and avoid knee pain if I’m overweight? I hear you ask.
Read on and I’ll enlighten you.
Lets start with your body. You may not think so right now but your body is AMAZING. Right now it is keeping you alive and millions trillions of little jobs are being done inside you at any one time to ensure you survive.
Be honest. Are you giving your body the treatment it deserves?
Knee Pain And Your Joints
If you happen to be overweight you’re likely to be causing extra stress on your joints. One of the many reasons to get in shape.
Have you ever wondered what impact (literally) life has on your knee joints? And what are the best ways to look after them?
If you’re experiencing knee pain you will know first hand that to keep your joints healthy is no easy task. I always recommend that you consume a balanced diet with a net alkaline effect on the body, and one that counteracts chronic inflammation.
For this try aiming for lots of green leafy vegetables, fruit, nuts, seeds, lean organic grass fed meat and poultry, and line caught fish.
In this modern world with soil nutrient depletion (even in organic soils) I also recommend we all consume a good multivitamin and mineral supplement with an omega 3 supplement.
Some of my clients who were experiencing knee pain have told me that supplementation with MSM, chondroitin and glucosamine had been beneficial for them.
In addition it is extremely difficult to get enough omega 3. In our industrialised diet we tend to consume an average a ratio of omega 3 : omega 6 of 1:10, and even as much as 1:24. This imbalance causes problems associated with inflammation.
Ideally we want an omega3 : omega6 ratio to be 1:1, and too much omega 6 results in chronic inflammation and a host of other problems.
Obesity And Knee Pain
Above is an image of an MRI scan of a morbidly obese 250 pound woman (left) and healthier 120 pound woman (right).The areas of pronounced subcutaneous (under the skin) fat are evident on the obese woman.
In this upright standing position, notice the subcutaneous fat around the neck, shoulders, arms, chest, waist, thighs, and even calves. Also, notice the re-positioning of her shoulder joint and hip joint, pronounced angle of the humerus (arm bone) and angle of femur (thigh bone), and the positioning of knee and ankle joints.
Other anomalies include the enlarged heart and greater momentum (fat deposition that hangs down from the stomach in front of the small intestines).
Additionally look at the space between the knees, where the thigh and shin bones meet. Osteo-arthritis – the wear and tare type of arthritis could well develop faster because of this. With this comes an increased risk of diabetes, coronary heart disease, hypertension (the silent killer), and plain feeling awful!
Nutrition For Healthy Joints
Don’t let being overweight cause you problems of ill-health and stress on your joints resulting in knee pain. In addition to losing weight I recommend helping your joints remain healthy through nutrition, which should be part of your weight loss and health plan anyway.
Nutrition supplementation is also is a huge topic and can be extremely valuable if you are concerned about the longevity of your joints, or if you have an injury to a joint.
Age, Activity And Nutrition Supplementation
As we get older, our ability to stay flexible both in terms of our thinking and our physical movement can often decline. Wear and tear and old injuries can eventually lead to stiff and painful joints, especially when large training loads are applied. Fortunately we can take steps to help keep our joints healthy whilst keeping fit.
Our bodies are made to be active, so it’s important to exercise several times a week if you want to keep your joints healthy. Just 1⁄2 an hour every day will make a big difference, since joint growth and repair will be stimulated by the exercise (a problem sedentary get adults from inactivity).
Ensure you consume optimum nutrition to go alongside exercise and give your body the building blocks it needs to keep your joints in good condition. Life by its nature applies a large stress on joints so essential nutrition to maintain joints is crucial. Being overweight exacerbates joint ware and tear.
Glucosamine And Chondroitin And MSM Supplements
Glucosamine hydrochloride is a natural amino acid sugar which can be easily absorbed by the body and used to help maintain the integrity of large joints in particular.
Studies suggest that it works by influencing the immune system more than the joint cartilage itself, and it combines well with both Chondroitin and MSM.
One study on Glucosamine and Chondroitin published in 2012 indicated that supplementing these may help with pain and narrowing of the joint space (Martin MS, 2012).
Glucosamine is sourced from sea shells so is considered unsuitable for those with a shellfish allergy.
Chondroitin is needed to create proteoglycans, a specific kind of protein needed to make connective tissue. It has also been shown in studies to help nourish the joint cartilage, although it can take 8-12 weeks to have a significant effect.
Methylsulfonylmethane (MSM) is rich in sulphur which is needed for many biochemical reactions throughout the body. In terms of joint health, sulphur has been shown to nourish and promote the maintenance of healthy cartilage, helping the joint to stay strong and flexible.
These three ingredients are considered to work better in synergy than on their own, and are very popular with runners and triathletes, and those wishing to keep their joints healthy well into old age.
Many products are available that contains all three ingredients and are an ideal product for those with old joint injuries, or concerned about the possibility of developing joint problems later in life.
As anyone who knows me knows, I am an advocate of natural and ethically sourced ingredients and products, so try to source ones that have no fillers, artificial sweeteners or chemicals, and have good bio-availability for the body.
How Do I Avoid Knee Pain From Being Over Weight?
Next Steps
- Develop your nutrition and weight loss skills to improve health, body composition (weight loss) and performance
- Try supplementing with Chondroitin, MSM and Glucosamine is this suits you, but monitor the outcome and adjust as necessary.
- Take a weekly note of your subjective feelings on any joint issues you may be experiencing, and refer to them and adjust to make progress.
- Integrate movement, flexibility and mobility and into your lifestyle to void knee pain.
So here’s to happy and healthy joints, pain free knees. Of course if you need advice on losing weight please contact me on the website.
Finally, if you do need to lose weight and you feel that you’d like to try exercise for not only weight loss but to prevent knee pain, the online personal training might be of interest to you. You’re welcome to get in touch and I will happily advise you on improving your health, performance and body composition.