With age, the joints make themselves felt. And often the problems begin with the knees. They can whine or crunch – and this is considered a conditional norm: “it happens to everyone.” Of course, you don’t want the situation to get worse. So, you need to take care of your knees. Let’s figure out exactly how.
Why are the knees trying to fail in the first place? They have to carry almost the entire weight of the body – the knees must support our body, while maintaining both relaxation and freedom of movement. Unfortunately, we do not always use their joints as nature intended.
Qigong has the idea of an upward flow of energy from the earth. You can believe in it or not, but this image clearly illustrates what the normal mode of operation of the knee joints is. They must “pass” through themselves this energy up during movement or in a static position. That is, the joint must be “opened”, there must be space in it. Then he retains both his depreciation qualities and health.
If there is tension in the knee, that is, the joint is excessively clamped, then it begins to gradually collapse. We don’t really feel this excess tension – it very quickly begins to be perceived as the norm, because our legs are almost constantly in motion.
Asymmetry: why does “skew” occur?
Another serious cause of joint destruction is uneven tension. Asymmetry occurs due to the fact that somewhere higher, in the pelvis, in the spine or even in the neck, curvature has arisen.
For example, even small scoliotic curvature can cause torsion of the pelvis: it turns slightly around its axis. You can’t see it with the naked eye, but different knees now have a different amount of load. One “takes on” a little more weight, the other a little less. And then a distortion also occurs inside the joint itself: one part of it begins to break down faster, as if “grinding off”.
These processes can take years. But if a person, say, at the age of 15 had a scoliotic curvature, then by the age of 40 he has every chance to start suffering from pain in his knees. What to do to prevent this from happening?
Posture exercises
If these joints are already reminiscent of themselves, this is a very, very serious reason to deal with posture in the first place. Pain in the knees is a clear sign that something is wrong with the usual position of the body, even if the back does not particularly hurt and there are no complaints about it.
Where to start exercising, especially if there is pain in the legs? Choose relaxation practices such as Qigong for the spine Sing Shen Juang. The purpose of these practices is to find the usual tension, relax it in an upright position and restore a slender posture, and therefore normalize the position of the knee joints.
Such practices usually include slow movements aimed at finding deep relaxation, so they will not injure the knees: Sing Shen Juang is safe for the joints. But if a person gets tired during the exercises, they can be done while sitting on a chair. Therefore, they are also suitable for the elderly.
knee exercise
As part of the Sing Shen Juang course, in advanced workshops, we give students special exercises to relax the knee joints.
Very slow, gentle movements open the knee joint so that there is space between the articular surfaces. This provides an additional flow of synovial fluid to the joint: it brings nutrients, which means that the regeneration process is enhanced.
All of our tissues, to one degree or another, have the ability to recover. And if you provide the knee joint with sufficient conditions for renewal, it will begin to recover.
A simple but very effective exercise
- Sit on a high and wide surface – on a table or window sill. It is important that the thigh lies completely on the surface, and the lower leg hangs freely without touching the floor.
- Put your palm on your knee – this way you will control the movement in the knee joint, track it and make it even more delicate and accurate.
- Start the rotation as if you are describing with your foot a circle with a diameter of 5 cm. That is, a very, very small circle and very, very slowly! One circle – at least 5 accounts.
Track this rotation with your hand and ask yourself what else you can relax in the joint to make the movement smoother. Most likely, you will feel that the movement is choppy, jerky – and this is normal. In this way, you find the usual tension in the joint and relax it.
Look for more and more fluidity in the rotation. Do this exercise for 10 minutes on one leg and the same amount on the other. And then stand up and note what changes have occurred in the joints: the movements have become so much more springy, free.
This practice can be performed 1-2 times a day, when there is a free minute. And it is also vital for athletes who have a lot of stress on their knees. For example, runners after training. When the joint is warmed up, the exercise will be especially effective.