Hi everyone,
I hope you’re keeping warm and well as we move through February.
Before I dive into this month’s focus, I want to share something I’m really proud of – After months in the making, our new Body Works website is now live! We’ve worked hard to make it clearer and easier to use, we’ve dedicated sections for Physiotherapy, Pilates, Therapeutic Massage and Female Pelvic Health. If you’d like to take a look, explore our services in more detail, or share them with a friend, I’ll pop the link further down in this email.
This month, we’re turning our attention to something many of us notice more in the colder months – our knees! While we’re still navigating cold temperatures and icy pavements, it’s often the time of year that our joints, particularly our knees, can feel stiffer or more vulnerable. Slips, muddy pitches and cold muscles can all increase the risk of niggles and injuries.
This month I’m chatting to Jonathan, one of our physiotherapy team, as he shares some timely advice to help you keep your knees strong and supported through the rest of winter.
Warm wishes,
– Theresa
Keeping Your Knees Healthy & Supported This Winter
Why do knees struggle more in winter?
Slippery conditions, dark evenings and the cold can all reduce our motivation, confidence and ability to enjoy walks outside. This in turn can reduce our fitness, muscle strength and exercise tolerance.
Slipping can lead to excessive forces being loaded onto the knees and of course increases the risk of falling.
The colder temperatures can also make our joints feel stiffer and muscles slower to respond, reducing the knees’ ability to absorb load as efficiently.
For those of you who play outdoor winter sports or run, you may be aware of the increase in knee injuries seen, particularly for football and rugby players. It’s often due to a combination of factors – winter training conditions including muddy and slippery surfaces, changes in our training patterns, reduced fitness levels and rushed warm-ups.
Winter Knee Q&A with Jonathan
We’ve recorded a short Q&A video where I ask Jonathan some of the most common questions we hear about knee problems in winter, including:
- Why winter sees more knee injuries?
- How we can navigate slippery surfaces?
- How we can reduce the risk of injury at this time of year?
Jonathan also mentions recent NHS guidance that encourages a slightly wider, flatter-footed walking style, sometimes described as a “penguin walk”, to improve stability and reduce the risk of slips on icy or wet surfaces.
Search up in your browser “NHS penguin walk” if you’d like more information or want to laugh at some YouTube footage!
Small changes can make a big difference, especially if you’re feeling cautious outdoors
Jonathan’s Favourite Knee Rehab Exercises
To support knee strength and control, Jonathan has also put together a short video showing three knee-friendly exercises that are suitable for many people and easy to do at home.
Watch Jonathan’s knee exercise video here:
These can be particularly helpful if you:
- feel knee stiffness after sitting
- notice weakness or wobbliness on stairs
- want to stay active but protect your joints
Thinking About Getting Your Knees Checked?
If knee pain, stiffness, or loss of confidence is holding you back, a one-to-one physiotherapy session can really help. Jonathan currently has some evening clinic availability, whilst daytime appointments are also available with other practitioners.
If you’re experiencing knee stiffness, a recurring niggle, or want a personalised plan to keep you moving well through winter and into spring, Appointments are suitable for sports injuries, everyday aches and pains, and longer-term joint issues.