Your knees, as two of the most complex joints in your body, are designed to withstand tremendous pressure: they support 80 percent of your body weight when standing and absorb up to one-and-a-half times your weight when walking.

Although your knees are naturally strong, the daily stress of performing under pressure makes them vulnerable to injury as well as a variety of wear-and-tear conditions.

Chronic knee pain is a common problem among adults, especially as they get older, but it is not a foregone conclusion. Maintaining healthy body weight and staying physically active are two of the best ways to keep your knees strong and healthy as you age, provided you follow a knee-friendly workout routine.

Wear the right shoes

Take a good look at your favourite pair of workout shoes before you get on the treadmill or head to your next cardio dance class. Are they comfortable and supportive, or have they outlived their usefulness?

The negative effects of worn-out athletic shoes extend beyond your feet and ankles. Wearing worn-out shoes, in fact, can quickly lead to knee pain or exacerbate an existing problem because your feet, ankles, knees, and hips form a powerful kinetic chain that shapes and directs your overall body mechanics.

Athletic shoes are divided into two types: those designed for stability and those designed for neutral support. Stability shoes have a dense, cushioned heel and midsole to help control motion and prevent overpronation, or rolling the foot inward as it strikes the ground. Although neutral shoes provide cushioning, shock absorption, and support, they are not intended to correct overpronation.

Bring your old shoes to a store that specializes in athletic footwear to determine which type of athletic shoe is best for you. An experienced staff member can pinpoint biomechanical issues and help you find the best pair of shoes for your feet after looking for abnormal wear patterns on your old shoes and analyzing the way you walk.

Warm-up before you work out

You wouldn’t grab the heaviest dumbbell on your first day of strength training or go for a 20-mile run in your first week of marathon training if you didn’t warm up your muscles, tendons, ligaments, and joints first.

One of the most underappreciated aspects of a safe and effective exercise programme is a proper warm-up. A quick warm-up not only raises your body temperature and increases blood flow to help loosen your muscles, but it also lubricates and prepares your joints for exercise-related stress. It only takes five minutes of walking or marching in place before your workout to reduce your risk of knee injury and post-exercise joint stiffness.

Avoid excessive stress and strain

If nothing beats cranking up the resistance during your favourite indoor cycling class, it’s time to take a step back and consider how your favourite workout might be affecting your knees.

Any activity that puts too much stress or strain on your knees increases your risk of injury and long-term joint pain, especially if it has been a part of your regular workout routine for a long time. Deep lunges, full squats, or leg extensions, even when done correctly, can be taxing on your knees, as can taking extra-large steps on your gym’s stair or climbing machine. Running downhill, or on very hard or extra-soft surfaces, is also hard on your knees.

Learn proper form and technique

Proper form and technique are essential for protecting your joints regardless of the type of exercise you do. Understanding what it feels like to maintain good posture and alignment is required for proper form, whereas learning how to perform an exercise safely and correctly is required for proper technique. Runners can protect their knees from stress and injury by learning the best way to land each step and how to propel their weight against gravity to move forward with ease. Cyclists can also protect their knees by properly positioning their feet on the pedals and learning how to engage both their quadriceps and hamstrings for efficient pedaling. Whether you’re a runner, cyclist, yoga enthusiast, or simply enjoy using the elliptical, Spend some time working on your posture and learning proper techniques for your favourite activities.