Friday #Fitness 10 - Patellar Tendonitis Jumper's Knee

Since fitness is my other passion, I occasionally devote a blog post to that aspect of my life.  I've been teaching group fitness classes--mostly step aerobics but also Zumba and BodyPump--since I was 22 years old.  At the risk of allowing people to calculate my age, that makes it 24 years of teaching high impact classes with no breaks, with the exception of a few weeks around my two pregnancies.  So, it's safe to say my joints have taken a beating over such a long time of repetitive exercise.

Oddly enough, I've stayed mostly injury-free.  I may be old school, but warm-up dynamic stretching and static cool-down stretching are two elements I refuse to skip during class.  This helps to prepare muscles to perform and then releases tension after the workout.  Every once and a while I'll pull a muscle, but it's a rare occurrence, thankfully.

Tendons are a different story, however.  All those years of jumping around have led to something actually called "Jumper's Knee".  Both my knees are affected, at this point.  I could stop teaching and switch to some low impact workouts, but I love what I do.  After 24 years, I'm pretty good at it, and I have a large following of gym members who enjoy my classes.  Plus, cuing a class through an hour of complicated routines forces me to focus on one thing and one thing only: remembering what move comes next, and calling it out several beats before we do it.  This may sound stressful but it's actually almost like meditation for me.  Since I'm a writer, my mind is usually filled with plots and characters, scenes and dialog, twists and reveals, etc.  I tend to get wrapped up in my fictional world, and if things aren't going right there, I get very cranky and obsessive.  Writer's block is not something I handle well.  But if I'm teaching a class, I honestly cannot think of anything other than what I'm doing right at that moment.  It's a wonderful mental break, and that combined with the aerobic activity usually allows my mind to reset, which then allows my imagination to provide a solution to whatever's got me stuck.

So quitting isn't an option.  I have to manage my Jumper's Knee, which is technically known as Patellar Tendonitis.  The patellar tendon connects the patella, or kneecap, to the shin bone.  Inflammation and tiny tears result from repetitive actions and overuse.  In my case, it presents as an ache beneath the kneecap, especially upon bending the knee, and the sensation of weakness in the knee.  I should note here that I've been professionally diagnosed, and I've gone through x-rays, ultrasounds, and physical therapy for this condition.  Since I want to stay active--and keep my job--I use what I learned from both my doctor and PT to keep the condition under control.

Modification: I can no longer do a lot of high impact moves.  High impact essentially means both feet are off the floor at the same time.  Even if I'm instructing my class through these moves, I modify my own moves to protect my knees.  Half-jacks instead of full jumping jacks, lunges on the floor instead of off the step, a march around instead of a hop over the step, etc.  My class knows they have options as well, and they adjust high impact to low impact or vice versa as necessary.

This is the brace I use...it works
great for my needs.

Knee Support: Various types of knee braces are made for this condition.  They all wrap around the knee at the patellar tendon and support and compress the area.  At first, I used a single strap designed with a little rubber tube to cushion the patella and distribute the pressure.  Now, I use something that provides even more support and protection - a "multi-action" brace that wraps around the top of my knee as well as below and has a thick (adjustable) padded buttress to cradle my knee.  The ones I use are made by McDavid.

Shoe Inserts: Since my feet never hurt, it was a revelation to find out I now have flat feet.  Apparently, the arch can fall as we age, and when my doctor took a look at my feet, he noted the problem could very well be contributing to my knee pain.  Many athletic shoe stores now have machines that "map" your feet and pinpoint areas that need support.  I went immediately to have this done, and it turned out my fallen arches were resulting in pronation...which can throw off the alignment of the knees.  Now I put supportive inserts into my workout shoes, and it makes a huge difference.  The ones I like are New Balance Arch Support Insoles.

Ice and Heat: Immediately after class, I take five minutes to ice down my knees.  This reduces any inflammation in the area, controlling pain (for me) without the use of medication.  Hours later, I'll use heat in the form of a cloth bag I made filled with rice.  After microwaving it for about 2 1/2 minutes, I put my feet up (great excuse to take some time out to read!) and place the bag across my knees.  This helps bring blood flow to the area, stimulating healing.

These are the things that work for me, and allow me to continue staying active and doing a job I love...especially important since my other job requires a lot of time spent sitting in front of a computer.  If anything has worked for you, I'd love to hear about it!



  

New Year's Resolutions? #Fitness Tips Round-up! #FitnessTips #Workout

It's a New Year, and with that tends to come resolutions that often involve striving for a healthier lifestyle.  Fitness is one of my passions, and one of my jobs, so every once in a while I dedicate my blog to a topic related to nutrition or exercise.  So, I've decided to list a roundup of my first 9 "Friday Fitness" posts, just click a title to open the link of any subject that might help you achieve your goals!

Friday Fitness #1: Multi-Tasking - Working Several Muscle Groups at Once

Friday Fitness #2: Low-Impact Cardio - Moves that Will Raise Your Heart Rate, Not Hurt

Your Joints

Yoga can be a great place to start -
strength, stretching, and relaxation!

Friday Fitness #3: Plyometric Exercises

Friday Fitness #4: Zumba

Friday Fitness #5: The Importance of CPR Certification

Friday Fitness #6: Training for Triathlons

Friday Fitness #7: White Foods and Nutrition

Friday Fitness #8: The Importance of Stretching

Friday Fitness #9: Building a Backyard Soccer Goal

Future installments will include the Value of Interval Training, Dealing with Patellar Tendonitis, and Drinking Enough Water...so be sure to check back, or go over to the right-hand column where it says "Join This Site" to follow my blog (hint - some browsers make you click on the little overlapping squares in the upper right corner to Join).

And if you need a book to read while putting miles on the treadmill or stationary bike, try one of my ghost story/romances--SILVER LAKE or GULL HARBOR.  Plus, 99 cents will get you a copy of my new Young Adult Paranormal Romance DIVINE FALL.  I can promise they are all page-turners, so you'll be hooked right from the start and the workout will fly by!  Happy, healthy 2015!

Friday Fitness Tips #2 - Kathryn Knight

The second installment of my sporadic posts about fitness is here!  Exercise is always on my mind, since almost every morning I am at the gym teaching classes or training gym members.  My absolute favorite class to teach is Step Aerobics--it's been around a long time (I personally have been teaching it for 22 years!) but at my gym, my step classes are still packed.  I work very hard to come up with new and challenging routines for my girls, and we have a great time.  But not all of my clients can do something as high-impact as my step class, so I like to keep some lower impact cardio activities in mind for the interval training clinics I teach.

There are the obvious choices for low impact cardio: walking, swimming, biking, etc.  But those activities are not the kind of things I can have people do in a class-type training session.  So here are a few less-obvious drills to get your heart rate up without putting a lot of stress on your joints.

1.  Jumping jacks on a stability ball--this is a great way to get some cardio without impact.  All you need is a large inflated ball (everyone should have one at home, they are only about $15 and they are great for many things).  A good way to test for the correct size is to sit on the ball and check that your knees are about even with your hips.  Then start bouncing!  You really need to get your arms involved: overhead like regular jumping jacks, or crossing in front, or even little circles from your shoulders in both directions.



2.  Modified squat-thrusts--also called "burpees".  A modified squat-thrust takes out the impact.  You bend down, put your hands on the floor, walk one leg out at a time to a plank, walk them back in toward your hands, and stand up.  To make it even more challenging, use hand weights that have straight sides (so they won't roll when on the floor).  They become "handles" when you are bringing your legs in and out, and then when you stand up, add an overhead press.

3.  Squat-kicks--Squats are one of those exercises that a lot of people do incorrectly.  You really have to sit back, dropping your butt to knee level, while keeping your chest up (no leaning forward).  The weight should always be back in the heels.  I tell my class to think about the move starting at the hips, then the knees follow.  It's not a knee bend/lean forward.  Once good form is mastered, you can increase the cardio by adding a front kick alternating legs each time you come up.  A variation for abductors would be a side-leg lift on the way up.

4.  Walking push-ups--In a plank position (on hands and balls of feet), walk forward a few paces until you're in good form, then perform a push-up (you can drop to knees to modify this).  Then walk back to your starting spot and do a push-up.  Keep going, forward and back!

5.  Sit-ups with leg extensions and twists--this requires strong abdominal muscles and is not a great choice for people with a bad back.  Lying down with feet on floor and knees bent, come to a full sit-up, extending the right leg out straight and holding arms out to the right at shoulder height.  Put your leg back down for stability, arms pulled in near chest, and twist side-to-side on the way back down.  You alternate legs each time.

Obviously anyone just starting an exercise program should consult a doctor (that's what you always hear anyway, so I'll say it too).  And a few of these require work to build up to the final goal.  But almost anyone can bounce on a ball, and just the instability of the ball helps strengthen the core and improve balance.  In fact, you can gain benefits simply from sitting on the ball instead of a chair when at the computer. 

I hope these ideas will help people avoid boredom in a workout routine.  I know fitness isn't as popular a topic as hot look-alike men (my Charlie Hunnam - Travis Fimmel post had an amazing number of hits - thank you!) but along with romance, exercise is my other passion.  Let me know if you have any additions to the list, I'm always looking for new things to try :)