5 Types of cardio exercise that are safe if you have knee pain

Pain in the joints and knee pain are the main obstacles for those of you who like cardio sports. Moreover, cardio exercise is very tight with movements that press all joints, including your legs and knees. Don't worry, you can still continue to do cardio even if you have knee pain, you know! What are some cardio exercises that can be done and how are they safe for knee pain? Check out the full review below.

Can you do cardio when you have knee pain?

According to dr. Willibald Nagler of Cornell Medical Center in New York, exercise is the best treatment to relieve chronic knee pain, as reported by the Prevention page. The reason is, exercise can strengthen the muscles around the joints which can reduce pressure on the knees.

The good news is that an injury to your ankle or knee will not prevent you from doing cardio. In fact, radio exercise can actually help wound healing by circulating oxygen-containing blood cells to the affected area.

The right type of cardio exercise for those of you who have knee pain

Although exercise is beneficial for maintaining knee health, you cannot just do cardio exercise. It is imperative that you follow certain techniques so that your knee doesn't hurt any more. Well, here are the types of cardio exercise that are good and safe for those of you who experience knee pain problems, including:

1. Swimming

For those of you who like swimming sports, this is good news for you. The reason is, swimming is one of the best cardio exercises that don't burden your knees. Swimming in the butterfly or backstroke, for example, can help burn significant calories as well as work out all the major muscles in the body, especially the abdominal muscles and chest muscles.

Apart from these two swimming styles, you can also choose freestyle which can help you burn 100 calories more than jogging. In essence, whatever force you apply while swimming helps to strengthen the muscles throughout your body.

2. Elliptical electric bicycle

Even if you have knee pain, you can still do cardio exercises using an elliptical electric bicycle. Even though it involves a bicycle pedaling motion, this tool is actually good for minimizing injuries to the knees, back, neck and hips as long as you don't let your foot off the pedals of the electric bike.

This tool is useful for increasing your heart rate and of course making you sweat. Every stroke you do can increase your endurance, without hurting your knees any more.

3. Rowing

This one sport definitely doesn't involve the strength of your knees. Yes, rowing is one of the best cardio exercises to burn calories without putting stress on your knee joints. Not only does rowing work your muscles, rowing will also maximize the core strength of your heart every time you pull the hardest paddle.

4. Cycling

This one sport definitely involves the strength of the knees and other parts of the legs. Eits, wait a minute. Cycling exercise is safe and doesn't irritate your knees, instead it increases the flexibility and strength of your knees. This is supported by the American Arthritis Society which says that some cases of knee injuries and osteoarthritis can gradually improve with cycling.

However, make sure not to put too much stress on your knees by avoiding uphill roads. Position the bicycle seat slightly higher to reduce pressure on your kneecap.

5. Step-up

If you want to do low intensity cardio, try step-ups. Here you need the help of a sturdy chair or bench with a certain height before starting this movement.

First, put your right foot on the bench, then push your body up using your glutes so that your leg is completely straight and your left leg is lifted off the ground. Slowly lower your body until your left foot touches the ground, then your right leg follows. Repeat 10 times to burn more calories.