In my early twenties I played numerous sports, ran long distance, went mountain climbing but I have since had issues with knees (probably from those twenties) which has resulted in chronic knee pain and sharp pain when I play sports. This pain has eliminated many of the different activities I used to participate in but I don't want to become sedentary and put on thirty pounds so I have tested out different activities I can do to get my heart rate up and burn calories. For those who also suffer from knee issues here are some ideas that can hopefully get you back in the game.
The Pool This is the obvious place to start. Swimming puts very little stress on your knees and is a great workout. I have made it a habit to go to the pool and swim laps after work and so far it has been successful. At the pool you can alternate between strokes to maintain your workout without wearing yourself out too quickly. Usually I will swim crawl for a few laps and then switch over to sidestroke or backstroke to rest.
* Schedule-This is probably the most important part of a good night's sleep. Go to bed the same time everyday including on weekends and even holidays. I know it is difficult not to stay up on Friday when it is your only chance but being consistent will reinforce your body's rhythm and help you grow tired around the same time every night as melatonin (chemical used to help you nod off) will be created regularly. The same goes for the time you wake up each day. If you do want to change the time that you get up and grow tired each day it is easiest to do it in small increments and adjust your schedule. * Ritual-As you are getting ready to go to bed each night stick with the same activities. These could include lying on the couch reading a book or taking a shower. Try not to include your ritual activities on your bed but do them somewhere else in the house. By reserving the bed for sleep or romance your body will take the cue and know what your intentions are when you lay down.
Before Bedtime
* Food-As you eat throughout the day make sure that as you come closer to bed that you are not hungry and not overfull. Hunger or thirst may wake you for a midnight snack while being beyond full will probably guarantee you a trip to the bathroom as well as be hard to digest, keeping you up at night. * Nightcap-Make sure to avoid alcohol before bed. Nightcaps may make you fall asleep but they will likely wake you up later in the night as well as reduce your sleep quality. * Caffeine-Definitely a poor idea any time after lunch as the effects of caffeine last for hours and may end up preventing you from falling asleep. * Electronics-Not a good idea before you is going to bed. The light shining into your eyes will suppress your body's release of melatonin and using electronics will stimulate your mind rather than help you relax and prepare for bed.
Learn to Relax
Walking, Elliptical, and Cycling These exercises offer low impact to your knee but elliptical machines and cycling involve bending your knee repetitively. For my injury (patella femoral disorder) this is a bad idea, but if your injury is strictly impact these are great exercises for you. Walking is always a great idea but it takes a long time to burn calories. Instead of setting apart time to walk make it part of your day. Bring something to do and just head off to different destinations. I have gotten into the habit of listening to books on mp3 so I will pop in my headphones and walk to the store. If you insist on heading to the gym for your workout jump on the treadmill and increase the incline to make it a harder workout.
Random Calisthenics These are leg exercises that involve little to no knee movement. They include static leg extensions (holding out your legs straight in front of you from a chair) and flutter kicks (same movement from the pool just lying on your back on dry land). After working your legs flip over and do pushups (wide, normal, and inside). Use a kettle bell to do straight arms lifts and then grab a bar for pull-ups. By combining a number of exercises together you can get a good workout without affecting your knees.
- The most important tactic is learning how to relax your mind because even with the perfect setting you will keep yourself up in your thoughts. Organize everything that you may worry about before heading to bed and then whether or not you got everything done empty the worries from your head. You can do this through meditation or relaxation exercises.
Hopefully these different techniques help you get the sleep you have been craving. If you are having consistent issues your individual health insurance plan should cover visits to your doctor for sleep deprivation. You should probably head to a physician if you have persistent daytime sleepiness, frequent morning headaches, loud snoring, or trouble breathing during sleep.
The Pool This is the obvious place to start. Swimming puts very little stress on your knees and is a great workout. I have made it a habit to go to the pool and swim laps after work and so far it has been successful. At the pool you can alternate between strokes to maintain your workout without wearing yourself out too quickly. Usually I will swim crawl for a few laps and then switch over to sidestroke or backstroke to rest.
* Schedule-This is probably the most important part of a good night's sleep. Go to bed the same time everyday including on weekends and even holidays. I know it is difficult not to stay up on Friday when it is your only chance but being consistent will reinforce your body's rhythm and help you grow tired around the same time every night as melatonin (chemical used to help you nod off) will be created regularly. The same goes for the time you wake up each day. If you do want to change the time that you get up and grow tired each day it is easiest to do it in small increments and adjust your schedule. * Ritual-As you are getting ready to go to bed each night stick with the same activities. These could include lying on the couch reading a book or taking a shower. Try not to include your ritual activities on your bed but do them somewhere else in the house. By reserving the bed for sleep or romance your body will take the cue and know what your intentions are when you lay down.
Before Bedtime
* Food-As you eat throughout the day make sure that as you come closer to bed that you are not hungry and not overfull. Hunger or thirst may wake you for a midnight snack while being beyond full will probably guarantee you a trip to the bathroom as well as be hard to digest, keeping you up at night. * Nightcap-Make sure to avoid alcohol before bed. Nightcaps may make you fall asleep but they will likely wake you up later in the night as well as reduce your sleep quality. * Caffeine-Definitely a poor idea any time after lunch as the effects of caffeine last for hours and may end up preventing you from falling asleep. * Electronics-Not a good idea before you is going to bed. The light shining into your eyes will suppress your body's release of melatonin and using electronics will stimulate your mind rather than help you relax and prepare for bed.
Learn to Relax
Walking, Elliptical, and Cycling These exercises offer low impact to your knee but elliptical machines and cycling involve bending your knee repetitively. For my injury (patella femoral disorder) this is a bad idea, but if your injury is strictly impact these are great exercises for you. Walking is always a great idea but it takes a long time to burn calories. Instead of setting apart time to walk make it part of your day. Bring something to do and just head off to different destinations. I have gotten into the habit of listening to books on mp3 so I will pop in my headphones and walk to the store. If you insist on heading to the gym for your workout jump on the treadmill and increase the incline to make it a harder workout.
Random Calisthenics These are leg exercises that involve little to no knee movement. They include static leg extensions (holding out your legs straight in front of you from a chair) and flutter kicks (same movement from the pool just lying on your back on dry land). After working your legs flip over and do pushups (wide, normal, and inside). Use a kettle bell to do straight arms lifts and then grab a bar for pull-ups. By combining a number of exercises together you can get a good workout without affecting your knees.
- The most important tactic is learning how to relax your mind because even with the perfect setting you will keep yourself up in your thoughts. Organize everything that you may worry about before heading to bed and then whether or not you got everything done empty the worries from your head. You can do this through meditation or relaxation exercises.
Hopefully these different techniques help you get the sleep you have been craving. If you are having consistent issues your individual health insurance plan should cover visits to your doctor for sleep deprivation. You should probably head to a physician if you have persistent daytime sleepiness, frequent morning headaches, loud snoring, or trouble breathing during sleep.
About the Author:
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