Safety and Injury Prevention
Need to Know
Knee injuries are more prominent in women, with factors such as wider hips and hormonal fluctuations contributing to the fact that they suffer nearly twice the number of problems as men. Fortunately, weak knees aren't every woman's destiny. According to Brian Halpern, M.D., associate clinical instructor of sports medicine at Weill Cornell Medical Center in New York City and author of The Knee Injury Crisis Handbook (Rodale, 2003), "Regardless of the reasons for injury, the best way to prevent a knee problem or recover from one is to maintain a healthy weight and improve the flexibility and strength of the knee's muscles so the joint is less vulnerable." Halpern weighs in with his three favorite stretches for preventing knee injuries and improving flexibility.
Checklist
- Cost: N/A.
- Time Commitment: 3 to 5 times per week, 1 to 3 sets of each move, 8 to 15 repetitions per set.
- Location Limitations: N/A.
- Special Equipment Required: Two hand towels.
- Potential Pitfalls: N/A.
- Boredom Rating: Listen to music or even do these stretches while watching your favorite television show and keep boredom at bay.
- Potential Injury Risk: As long as you’re doing these stretches correctly, they will actually help to prevent injury.
- Level of Fitness Required: N/A.
- Calories Burned (based on a 150 pound woman exercising at a moderate intensity for 30 minutes): N/A.
- Body Parts Worked: Thighs and knees.
- False Myths: Many individuals are misinformed and think that stretching needs to be painful to be effective, but this couldn’t be further from the truth.
Fitness A - Z
- 15 Minute Workout
- Abs
- Arms
- Arm Exercises
- Back Toning Tips
- Back Exercises
- Bad Technique
- Butt-Firming Exercises
- Dancing
- Fitness Myths
- Flat Ab Moves
- Glutes
- Indoor Cycling
