3 cold-weather stretching tips for runners to keep their knees below the ground

Although the weather is freezing, Chinese people’s enthusiasm for jogging remains unabated. However, doctors remind that whether you are running or walking, if you do not warm up and keep warm properly, be careful of "runner's knee". Not only is lower limb pain prone to recurring, but if left untreated, it will cause wear of the subpatellar cartilage, which will lead to premature degeneration of the knee joint. It is best to do these four stretching exercises before or during exercise to prevent and stay away from runner's knee.

The weather is chilly, but people are still enthusiastic about road running. However, they should be careful about "runner's knee".

Dr. Liu Jianting from the Rehabilitation Department of Taipei Tzu Chi Hospital pointed out that the so-called runner's knee, officially known as "iliotibial band syndrome," is a common road running injury seen in outpatient clinics. Clinically, although both men and women may suffer from the disease, the incidence rate is relatively higher in women. Not only does it occur in the elderly, but cases of illness in young and middle-aged people are also quite common.

Runner's knee is prone to winter pain and difficulty sleeping

The main symptoms of patients are soreness around the patella, tenderness at the inner edge of the knee, and noise when the knee joint is bent and straightened. The pain will be more severe after sitting for a long time, squatting, kneeling, going up and down stairs, or walking on a slope. If not treated properly, the knees will become extremely sensitive to temperature, and as soon as the temperature drops, the patient will often be in so much pain that it will be difficult to sleep.

Especially when the weather is cold, runners are prone to sports injuries. This is because the blood circulation in the human body's muscles and tendons is relatively poor in winter. In addition, the cold weather makes blood vessels more likely to contract, resulting in difficulty in the supply of oxygen and nutrients. Muscle fibers and collagen fibers are less elastic. If you don't warm up and keep warm properly, it is very easy to cause muscle inflammation or injury.

Road running enthusiasts may suffer knee injuries, and in serious cases, they may even have difficulty walking up and down stairs.

Not warming up enough and having trouble going up and down stairs

According to statistics, runner's knee accounts for about 1/4 of runners' lower limb injuries and should not be underestimated. Dr. Liu Jianting emphasized that the reasons for knee injuries among road running enthusiasts are mostly related to improper training. For example, insufficient warm-up, being too eager to increase the running distance, and the road slope being too steep can all cause injuries.

In particular, for people who participate in road running, run for a long time and long distances, over-train, or continue running up and downhill, when the iliotibial band muscles are too tight and rub excessively with the lateral femoral condyle, it will cause pain and make it impossible for the patient to continue exercising. In severe cases, it will even be difficult to walk up and down stairs, so prevention is needed in advance.

Lower limb exercises stretch muscles and joints

To prevent runner's knee injuries, the recommended first step of exercise is to warm up. You can walk briskly or jog until you sweat slightly. The second step is to stretch the muscles and joints. It is recommended to do static stretching for a few minutes, with each movement lasting about 15 seconds. A common mistake is stretching for too long, causing the body to cool down, or stretching before warming up.

At the same time, after enjoying the road run, don't forget to do a cool-down exercise and stretch your muscles and joints again. The cool-down exercise only requires a few minutes of easy walking. The purpose is to allow the blood accumulated in the lower limbs to flow back to the body organs and brain, and to relax the tense muscles through stretching. If you stop suddenly after running, it is easy to cause dizziness or even fainting due to the lack of contraction of the lower limb muscles, which affects blood circulation.

"A Complete Guide to Preventing Runner's Knee"

Standing IT band stretch: With your foot to be stretched behind you, cross your feet. (Demonstration/Rehabilitation Physician Liu Jianting)

The first move: "Standing Iliotibial Band Stretch": The foot to be stretched is at the back, the feet are crossed, the knees are straight and touching each other, the body is bent forward and leaning towards the side of the front foot, stay still for 15 seconds, and repeat 5 times.

Seated IT band stretch: With one foot flat on the ground, step the foot you want to stretch over the other foot. (Demonstration/Rehabilitation Physician Liu Jianting)

Move 2. "Seated Iliotibial Band Stretch": Place one foot flat, cross the foot to be stretched over the flat foot, push the knee with the opposite elbow, and turn the upper body to the side to be stretched. Stay still for 15 seconds, and repeat 5 times.

Lying IT band stretch: Lie on your side with your training foot on top and your knee straight and raised to the side. (Demonstration/Rehabilitation Physician Liu Jianting)

Move 3. "Supine Iliotibial Band Stretch": Lie on your back, bend the knee on the side you want to stretch, use the opposite hand to press the bent knee to the opposite side, hold still for 15 seconds, and repeat 5 times.

Hip abductor strength training: Lie on your side with the foot you want to train on top and your knees straight and raised to the side. (Demonstration/Rehabilitation Physician Liu Jianting)

Tip 4. Hip abductor muscle strength training: Lie on your side with the foot to be trained on top, straighten your knees and raise them to the side, hold still for 5 seconds, rest for 10 seconds, and repeat 10 times. If this is too easy, add some weight to your ankles (sandbags or lead weights).

[Exercise Reminder]: The above stretching exercises are all effective. You can choose the appropriate stretching method based on the surrounding environment. You can do a few sets a day depending on time, but you don’t need to do all of them. Do not hold your breath while stretching, breathe normally, and do not overstretch to avoid straining your muscles.