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How Pilates can help with knee pain | CNN

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How Pilates can help with knee pain | CNN

Editor’s note: Before beginning any new exercise program, consult your doctor. Stop immediately if you experience pain.



CNN
 — 

Aching knees are surprisingly common. While you may be tempted to hang out on the couch if one or both of your knees hurt, exercise — Pilates in particular — may be a much better option. It all depends on the reason for your pain.

About 25% of adults experience knee pain, according to a 2018 study published in the journal American Family Physician. The report also found the prevalence of knee pain has increased 65% over the past 20 years.

Osteoarthritis is often the cause of knee pain, especially for women and older adults, according to the Arthritis Foundation. But sore knees may also result from an injury, weak or tight muscles, obesity, overuse, or muscle imbalances.

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“Establishing a correct diagnosis is super important,” said Dr. Adam Kreitenberg, a rheumatologist and internal medicine physician at Rheumatology Therapeutics Medical Center in Tarzana, California. “You’ll want to know if the pain is from, say, a fracture, meniscus tear, osteoarthritis or rheumatoid arthritis.”

Knee pain from poor biomechanics is the driver behind much of the knee issues seen by Shari Berkowitz, a biomechanist and founder of The Vertical Workshop, a studio in New York’s Westchester County that provides continuing education to Pilates instructors.

“People have a malalignment, and then irritation or strains occur,” Berkowitz said. “Over many years, it can be compounded into a catastrophic injury like a muscle tear, or it can become something that affects the cartilage and turns into osteoarthritis.”

If you experience sudden knee pain, it’s probably best initially to rest your knee, Kreitenberg said. But you don’t want to be immobile for too long. “In the long term, that results in weakness and muscle atrophy,” he said. “Working on strengthening the supporting structures of the knee, particularly the surrounding muscles, can frequently help relieve stress on the injured area, and help with flexibility and pain.”

Pilates exercises can be beneficial in warding off knee pain. The regimen was deemed significantly effective at reducing pain associated with knee osteoarthritis and osteoporosis, back pain, and neck pain in a systematic review published in the March 2022 edition of the journal Musculoskeletal Care.

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Even those with no knee pain can benefit from strengthening the structures supporting the knees since these joints are the largest in the body and quite complex. They are also extraordinarily powerful, absorbing a lot of force from daily activities, a process known as knee loading.

Knees absorb about 1.5 times your body weight while walking on level ground. That jumps to 316% of your body weight while climbing stairs and 346% while descending stairs, according to an August 2010 study published in the Journal of Biomechanics.

To stave off knee pain, you primarily need strong quadriceps, hamstrings, glutes and calves, Kreitenberg said. It’s also helpful to have strong hip joint muscles. “Everything is connected,” he said. “If you have a weakness in any area of your body, it can cause poor alignment and excessive force on areas where you don’t want it.”

The low-impact, simple movements of Pilates were found to improve people’s mobility, gait and postural stability in a September 2021 meta-analysis.

Here are five easy exercises to try.

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Lie on your back with your knees bent and your feet on the floor. Make sure your feet are parallel and a fist apart, Berkowitz said. Breathe from your diaphragm and engage your core, then lift your pelvis and spine off the floor. Hold for five breaths and then lower back down.

WATCH: Have tight hamstrings? The breathing bridge can help

In this Pilates exercise, you begin by sitting upright on a mat with your knees bent at a 90-degree angle and your feet flat on the floor. Place your hands under your knees with your elbows out to the side, Berkowitz said, then lightly round your spine. Inhale and roll your pelvis and spine away from the legs until your arms are straight, then exhale and roll your pelvis and spine back up.

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Stand with your feet and legs parallel to one another and shoulder width apart. Lower yourself down, as if sitting in a chair, making sure to press your heels into the floor.

It’s also important to keep the middle of your knees in line with the middle of your feet, which is the space between your second and third toe joints. Hold, then rise.

“You want that proper knee and foot alignment,” Berkowitz said. “This is a huge component of why knee problems develop.”

While performing a squat, pay attention to proper form so that the middle of the knee is in line with the middle of the foot.

Lie on your back with your right knee bent.

Engage your abdominal muscles and, keeping your chest open, squeeze the muscles in your left thigh and lift your left leg up to the same height as your bent right knee. Hold, then slowly lower. Repeat on the opposite leg.

Squeeze the muscles in the left thigh before raising your left leg while keeping the leg completely straight.

Standing hamstring curl

Stand up straight with your knees 1 or 2 inches apart. Holding onto a stable chair or countertop, slowly bend one knee to a 90-degree angle. Hold several seconds, then slowly lower your foot to the floor. Repeat with the other leg.

You can work your way up to three sets of 10 to 15 repetitions for these exercises, although Berkowitz said you generally do three sets of three to five repetitions of an exercise in Pilates.

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The most effective Pilates experience to lessen knee pain would also include exercises on the reformer, a Pilates machine that facilitates precise movements, muscle engagement and body alignment, and additional mat exercises.

Experts agree these five exercises should help alleviate knee pain, although they are not cure-alls.

“While it’s impossible to say how much they’ll help any given person, incorporating these exercises could help relieve about 20% to 30% of your knee pain,” Kreitenberg said.

Berkowitz agreed. “When you have a serious thing, like an injury to a joint or an ailment like osteoarthritis, no five exercises can fix it,” she said. “They’re just a little supplement. You also have to do things like only wear shoes that stay on your feet themselves — no flip-flops, slides or backless shoes. Eat protein since you have to have muscles to support your joints. Get enough sleep. And keep moving. You have to keep moving.”

Sign up for CNN’s Fitness, But Better newsletter series. Our seven-part guide will help you ease into a healthy routine, backed by experts.

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Melanie Radzicki McManus is a freelance writer who specializes in hiking, travel and fitness.

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Club Pilates Allendale brings new exercise opportunities to north Austin

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Club Pilates Allendale brings new exercise opportunities to north Austin
Club Pilates, an exercise franchise under Xponential Fitness, is bringing boutique fitness options to the Allendale neighborhood in north Austin, aimed at making personalized health and wellness experiences accessible to all.

The new pilates studio, which opened Jan. 9, offers classes for all experience levels, including an intro class, muscle and stamina building class, and cross-training class geared for teens.

The fitness center also offers private training opportunities. Those interested in classes or personal training can find an assortment of membership packages on the studio’s website.

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Walmart’s best exercise equipment deals to help you reach your 2025 goals – on sale this week

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Walmart’s best exercise equipment deals to help you reach your 2025 goals – on sale this week

The ball has dropped, and the new year is here. What are some of your health goals for 2025? Are you crushing those New Year’s resolutions or have you already dropped off your workout routine? Maybe what you need is some new exercise equipment to help you reach your goals.

If you’re looking to score some great deals on fitness equipment for your home gym, now is a great time to shop. While the holiday deals may be behind us, Walmart still have some great deals available – especially on big ticket items. You’ll find everything from rowers to treadmills to stationary bikes marked down.

Keep scrolling to see some of the best deals we could find on top-rated fitness equipment on sale at Walmart this week:

Best deals on Treadmills

Most popular pick and best deal: Treadmill for Home, Portable Folding Electric Exercise Treadmill with Adjustable Incline, APP Control, 64 Programs, 300 lb. Capacity $299.99 (was $999.99)

The extended running belt gives you the best workout experience, and the foldable incline treadmill comes with built in safety key to ensure instant shut-off under emergency situation to ensure your safety.

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The treadmills multi-functional LCD display tracks real-time exercise data, including speed, time, distance, calories burnt, heart rate test, program and modes, promising a superior and effective home treadmill workout. With 64 preset programs and three different countdown modes, this treadmill will help you achieve your training goals.

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Treadmill for Home, Portable Folding Electric Exercise Treadmill with Adjustable Incline, APP Control, 64 Programs, 300 lb. Capacity $299.99 (was $999.99)

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Ashley Dill covers the online shopping industry, writing about commerce. She can be reached at adill@pennlive.com.

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