Of obese adults, around one in eight are morbidly obese (3.6% of all adults). Men are more likely than women to be overweight or obese (67.2% of men compared with 61.5% of women). *

Although weight loss is often undertaken for aesthetic reasons i.e. slimming down for an event or holiday, it is also essential for maintaining healthy bones and joints and can help to save your knees and hips in years to come.

Did you know that that every pound of bodyweight generates an extra five pounds of force on your knees?

Osteoarthritis

We put a huge amount of mechanical stress on our knees every day and, although our knees are designed for this, even the way you stand, move, walk, and run can impact them.

Osteoarthritis is the most common form of arthritis and causes joints to become painful and stiff. While it isn’t possible to prevent it altogether, there are things you can do to minimise your risk of developing it.

Exercise is key; many people wrongly assume that this would have a negative impact and aggravate joint pain, however your muscles help to support your joints, so having strong muscles means that you’re more likely to help your joints stay strong too.

OrthTeam Consultant Knee Surgeon, Professor Phil Turner, recommends the following steps to help reduce the chances of getting osteoarthritis and other arthritic conditions:

• Keep exercises that put too much strain on your joints to a minimum i.e. prolonged running and heavy weight-training
• Try sports such as swimming and cycling, where your joints are better supported
• Maintain good posture; try not to slouch and if you work at a desk ensure that your chair is at the correct height
• Move more throughout the day ie take a walk from your desk a few times a day and use the stairs instead of the lift
• Aim to do at least 160 minutes of moderate intensity aerobic exercise every week to help build-up your muscle strength
• Look at adopting a nutritionally balanced diet if classed as overweight or obese by your GP

Make sure you talk to your doctor/consultant/physiotherapist before embarking on any health or fitness programme to ensure that you’re doing the correct exercises for you, as your individual needs and circumstances will vary over time.

To book a consultation with Professor Turner or for more information please call 0161 447 6888.

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Reference:

NHS