Question 1

What’s a good exercise to help make it easier to walk with knee arthritis?

Accepted Answer

Squats! This can sound scary to someone with knee arthritis, but it’s actually a very functional and safe exercise, according to Dr. Broach. Squatting helps build strength in the structures in and around your knee, helping to increase range of motion and create more joint stability. Over time, this helps reduce pain while walking. You can start with a mini squat — stopping about half way down, instead of going into the full depth of a normal squat — if that feels better. Then progress to a full squat as you become more confident.

While squats can be helpful, they are not for everyone. So if you have more advanced arthritis or you feel that squats are making your pain worse, you should check in with your healthcare provider.

Question 2

Indoor vs. outdoor walking: which is better for arthritis?

Accepted Answer

It’s not so much whether you are walking indoors or outdoors as much as the surface, says Dr. Broach. In general, if your symptoms are really severe, a pool is best, since water takes the most pressure off of joints. But after that, an indoor or outdoor track is a good bet, since it’s a soft, flat surface, says Dr. Broach. A treadmill is also a great way to build a walking routine since you can focus on walking time instead of walking distance. You can also take breaks as needed and adjust the incline to progress the challenge as you get stronger and more comfortable. If you find yourself walking on a surface that contributes to frequent pain flares, you can always scale back on the duration or intensity of your walks for a short time and gradually increase to give your body time to adapt.

Why walking is good for knee arthritis

Explore the benefits of walking as a treatment for knee arthritis and get access to physical therapist-approved exercises to alleviate knee pain.

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