Most damaging activity for your knees?

Written by: Glo

Recently, we were having a conversation with my parents, and at some point, the topic shifted to my dad’s lack of exercise. A few suggestions were thrown in, and I commented that my dad should get back into cycling as a low-impact activity to keep fit.

My mom then recalled an article she had read about the “most damaging activities for the knees”. Included on the list were common exercises like jogging and squatting, and guess what was at the top of the list?

Of course, it had to be cycling.

As someone who spent a couple of years as a fitness trainer, I absolutely hate articles like these, as I’ve seen first-hand how fear influences the average person’s choice of physical activity (or lack thereof).

I get it. Naturally, as we age, we start being more cautious and gentle with our bodies, since nobody wants to risk getting injured or aggravating old injuries.

Every physical activity carries risks. Yes, cycling with an improperly adjusted seat could hurt the knees. Jogging with poor form could hurt the knees. Swimming can’t be bad for the knees, right? But you could drown!

There’s no end to these unwarranted fears. All these activities have more benefits than drawbacks — by a significant margin.

Here’s the truth everyone needs to hear: the most damaging activity for our bodies, is undisputedly inactivity.

If you remember anything from this, remember these two phrases:

Use your body, and you’ll build a strong and resilient machine. Move the machine, and it’ll keep the joints healthy and robust.

Use it or lose it. Motion is lotion.

Anyway…

Here’s a video you should definitely watch if you actually want to protect your joints and keep them healthy for a long time.

Our posture and alignment starts from the ground up. Our feet are our foundation, but foot health is something that too many people (ourselves included) have neglected all their lives.

Wearing improper shoes is probably more damaging than any of the activities listed in those clickbaity “informational” articles. What’s even more unfortunate, is that most modern shoes are inherently improperly designed, and cause all sorts of issues for our feet.

Watch our video to find out what shoes are doing to your feet, and what we recommend for a fix!

Also see:

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💰️ Some things are just worth the money. Here are three types of things we think are worth spending on, even if you’re a minimalist. (Instagram)

🏋️ The Olympics may be over, but you can relive the Home Olympics Max Pull-ups Event held in the Thoughtworthy home. (Instagram)

🗑️ Decluttering was hard for us when we first started, but here’s an important lesson we learned about it. (Instagram)

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