When it comes to knee pain, there’s nothing quite like it. It can be debilitating pain that will have you missing out on all of the fun things, from doing that event you’ve been training for to playing with your favorite tiny humans.

But it doesn’t have to be that way; knee pain can be prevented. Here are our top tips for preventing knee pain today.

Avoid the Runner’s Stretch

One of the most common stretches for a runner or anyone about to take on physical activity is the runner’s stretch. It’s the one where you pull your foot back to your butt and stretch out your leg. Unfortunately, this stretch is actually harmful to the knee and can cause more pain. It jams up the kneecap and, even though it feels good on your thigh, can cause short- and long-term pain in your knee.

Maintain a Healthy Weight

In general, your body weight is your business. It’s mostly a relationship you have with food and how different dietary styles affect your body. But when it comes to your knees, any additional weight on your body affects how your knees feel.

As a joint, extra stress in the form of extra weight can be detrimental to those fragile bones. If you’re not sure what a healthy weight is for your body shape, talk to a nutritionist. Many appointments with a nutritionist can be covered by your insurance.

Exercise in a Way That Feels Good

Aside from a little bit of healing muscle pain the next day, exercise shouldn’t hurt. If it does, you’re probably doing something wrong. After all, pain is the body’s way of getting your attention and saying “I’ve had enough.” So listen to your body.

If running is painful on your knees or your regular tennis game is killing you lately, it might be time to switch to something more low impact. Consider switching to yoga, Pilates, swimming, or walking. Limiting high-impact physical activity can go a long way to ensuring that you’re not in pain during or after your workout.

Maintain a Healthy Diet

Many foods can increase inflammation in the body, so you want to avoid these foods as much as possible. Inflammation in the body leads to knee pain as well as chronic illnesses and cancers.

A healthy diet is different for every person because every body is different. A good rule of thumb is that if something upsets your stomach, such as giving you acid reflux or stomach cramps, it’s probably wreaking havoc on the rest of your body.

So instead of treating the symptoms, try cutting out the foods that are bothering you for a couple months and slowly reintroducing them to see if you still suffer the negative side effects.

Knee pain can be prevented through a healthy lifestyle and by listening to your body. But if that’s not in the cards for you right know, there are more significant steps you can take to prevent knee pain for good.

To learn how you can prevent knee pain for the rest of your life, click here and download our eBook 360 Degrees of Knee Replacement Surgery now.