Forgoing exercise to avoid wear and tear to the knees is self-defeating, Taiwanese Osteoporosis Association director-general Chen Fang-ping (陳芳萍) said.
Contrary to the popular perception that people should avoid exercise to minimize wear and tear to their knees, it is “inactivity that reduces bone density and damages the knee,” Chen said.
Exercise stimulates bone regeneration, augments bone density and induces the secretion of synovial fluid, which serves to lubricate the joints, Chen said.
Protracted lack of exercise, instead of reducing the burden on knees, exacerbates aging by simultaneously weakening bones and cartilage, she said.
“Activity is good for bone health,” Chen said, with speed walking considered by many orthopedists as the best form of exercise for maintaining knee health.
Chen offered three exercise tips for maintaining healthy knees: dynamic warm-ups, stepping always on the sole of one’s foot and drinking high-calcium milk after exercise.
“A dynamic warm-up is better than a static one, because it strengthens tendons and ligaments, and protects the joints,” she said.
Running is not as good as speed walking, Chen said.
When running, the toes land first before the rest of the foot, which transmits more shock to the knee. In contrast, when speed walking, the sole lands first, making for better shock absorption, Chen said.
“The proper order is sole-arch-toes,” she said, adding that this order spreads the body weight evenly among the ankles and knees.
Chen suggested that people take high-calcium milk after exercise, saying that milk is able to slow joint aging by as much as 71 percent.
Calcium and vitamin D are vital to maintaining bone health, Chen said, citing the Ministry of Health and Welfare’s recommendation that adults should ingest 1,000mg of calcium per day.
Vitamin D and calcium deficiency are correlated, Chen said, adding that vitamin D is a crucial element in calcium absorption.
The average diet does not contain sufficient quantities of vitamin D, which makes milk important because it is rich in calcium and vitamin D.
To keep joints and bones healthy, people should drink two glasses of high-calcium milk a day to meet the recommended dosage of both nutrients, she said.
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