Strenuous physical activities may actually reduce your risk of knee osteoarthritis, say experts

Most people believe that high intensity, strenuous exercises may increase your chances of developing Knee osteoarthritis. But a new study begs to differ.

Many people around the world have to live with knee osteoarthritis, a debilitating condition that wears down the protective cartilage that cushions the ends of your bones. Osteoarthritis can affect any joints in the body, but it is very common in the joints of the hands, knees, hips and spine. Though the damage itself cannot be reversed, you can manage the symptoms of this condition by leading an active lifestyle, maintaining ideal body weight and getting treatment to slow the progression. Most people believe that high intensity, strenuous exercises may increase your chances of developing this condition.

But now, according to a new study, vigorous exercise will not increase your risk of developing knee osteoarthritis and may even protect you from the condition. Researchers from the Northwestern University in the US followed high-risk individuals for 10 years to come to this conclusion. The journal JAMA Network Open published this study.

INTENSE PHYSICAL ACTIVITY MAY KEEP KNEE OSTEOARTHRITIS AT BAY

For the purpose of this study, researchers followed 1,194 high risk individuals for 10 years. None of the participants had radiographic evidence of knee osteoarthritis. They saw that long-term participation in strenuous physical activities did not increase their risk of developing radiographic knee osteoarthritis. On the contrary, they found out that the vigorously exercising individuals in the study were 30 per cent less likely to develop osteoarthritis. The physical activities included jogging, swimming, cycling, singles tennis, aerobic dance and skiing. According to researchers, even sitting for long hours was not associated with either elevated or reduced risk. The study reveals that almost 50 per cent of the participants at high risk for this disease did not engage in any strenuous physical activity over eight years.

SYMPTOMS OF KNEE OSTEOARTHRITIS

This is a progressive disease that gets worse with age. It affects the joints. You may experience pain, stiffness and tenderness in your knee. You may also experience a loss of flexibility in your joint and it may make a popping or crackling sound when you move it. Sometimes, you may notice the formation of bone spurs, which are hard lumps, around the affected joint. Swelling of the knee is another common symptom of this condition.

WHAT YOU CAN DO TO REDUCE YOUR RISK OF KNEE OSTEOARTHRITIS

A healthy lifestyle goes a long way in bringing down your risk of this debilitating condition.

Lose weight

If you are overweight or obese, the first thing you need do is lose weight. By losing weight, you will reduce the extra pressure on your joint. Most obese people suffer from this condition. So, if you are obese, lose weight immediately.

Avoid bad habits

Another thing that you can do is follow a healthy lifestyle. Stop smoking and stay away from alcohol. Avoid substance abuse and boost your overall health.

Eat healthy foods

Your diet also has a big role to play and you need to eat sensibly. Make sure that you get your daily requirement of all the essential vitamins and minerals from your food.

Exercise

Be physically active. A sedentary lifestyle is a big risk factor of knee osteoarthritis. Just go for a one hour brisk walk if nothing else. Even this will help.