Recently, Aunt Li noticed a new trend on her WeChat friends' posts, aside from food pictures, photos of their kids, and selfies—people were showing off their step counts. Since she already enjoyed walking for exercise, she couldn't help but join the fun. So, she asked her son how to track her steps and started using her phone’s pedometer. Every time she walked, her phone would display the number of steps, and by evening, there was a ranking of people's activity for the day. Many of her friends were walking over 10,000 steps a day.

Aunt Li was motivated and decided to walk more, often hitting 20,000 steps per day, sometimes even topping the activity leaderboard. But after a few months, she began to feel the strain—her knees hurt, and even a slight touch caused intense pain. She immediately went to the doctor and was diagnosed with acute synovitis, caused by excessive walking. She deeply regretted pushing herself so hard.

How Many Steps Should You Walk to Protect Your Knees?

Everyone has a different level of physical fitness, so the amount of exercise each person can handle varies. However, walking too much can damage the knee joints. Excessive weight-bearing on the knees can lead to wear and tear on the meniscus or cartilage, as well as strain on the muscles and ligaments.

If your knees are swollen or painful the day after walking, it’s a sign that you’ve exceeded your body’s tolerance, and continuing to walk at this intensity could cause lasting damage. Research suggests that more steps don’t always mean better health—walking too much can lead to muscle, fascia, and joint damage.

In 2019, researchers from Harvard Medical School conducted a study of 16,741 elderly women, comparing their walking steps and intensity with overall mortality. They found that walking 7,500 steps a day reduced the risk of death by 60%, compared to walking only 2,700 steps. However, walking more than 7,500 steps didn’t show any additional benefits.

According to most health guidelines, healthy adults can aim for 6,000 steps a day at moderate intensity.

4 Exercise Mistakes That Can Damage Elderly Knees

Exercise has many benefits, and walking is considered one of the healthiest activities. However, improper walking can cause harm to your knees.

1. Skipping Warm-Up
   Always warm up before walking to avoid knee injuries. A proper warm-up helps loosen the muscles and joints, reducing strain on the knees during exercise.

2. Incorrect Walking Posture
   Walking involves the whole body—incorrect posture puts extra pressure on the knees and joints, which can cause gradual wear and tear. Over time, these unnoticed damages can lead to severe knee problems.

3. Wrong Walking Surface and Footwear
   Choose soft, flat surfaces like grass or smooth paths for walking to minimize stress on the knees. Also, wear comfortable shoes with soft, breathable soles. Hard shoes don’t provide enough cushioning and can harm the knees.

4. Engaging in Knee-Unfriendly Exercises
   Apart from walking, certain other activities can also be harmful to the knees:

   • Mountain Climbing: Climbing puts immense pressure on the knees, especially when going uphill, as the knees bear around 4 times the body weight. Fast-paced climbing increases this load and the risk of injury.
   • Sports like Badminton, Basketball, and Soccer: These sports involve frequent running, sudden starts and stops, and intense twisting movements that place a lot of strain on the knees.
   • Aerobics: Aerobics usually involves jumping on hard floors, which can lead to knee injuries.
   • Jump Rope: Jumping rope is tough on the knees, especially for people who are overweight, as their body weight places excessive pressure on the knee joints.

6 Tips to Protect Your Knees During Exercise

If you have bad knees, choose low-impact exercises that are gentle on your joints. Here are three great options:

1. Swimming
   Swimming has minimal impact on the knees because the buoyancy of the water reduces the weight burden on the joints. However, it’s important to use the correct swimming techniques to avoid strain on the knees.

2. Rowing Machine
   The rowing machine provides a low-impact workout while strengthening the upper body and legs without stressing the knees. The movement is controlled, and it doesn’t involve heavy pressure on the knees.

3. Cycling
   Both stationary and regular cycling are great low-impact exercises. Be mindful of sudden accelerations or stops, and ensure the bike's seat and handlebars are properly adjusted to avoid knee strain.

In addition to these exercises, you can do specific knee exercises to protect and strengthen the knee joint:

• Wall Sits
  Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, back against the wall. Slowly squat down until your thighs are parallel to the ground, keeping your knees directly above your ankles. Hold the position for as long as you can, gradually increasing the time.

• Leg Squeezes
  Sit with your legs extended and place an empty bottle between your knees. Squeeze your legs together, hold for 10 seconds, and then release. Repeat 20 times.

• Foot Presses
  Sit with your legs crossed and press your feet against each other, holding for 10 seconds. Alternate legs and repeat 20 times.

For elderly people, who often suffer from bone loss and muscle weakness, and may also have cardiovascular conditions, low-intensity exercises are key. Always listen to your body and choose exercises that are within your capacity to avoid knee injuries.

Conclusion

To reduce knee damage while exercising, choose appropriate activities and adjust the intensity according to your body’s needs. Whether walking, swimming, or cycling, remember that balance and moderation are essential. Taking care of your knees now will ensure they stay healthy in the long run.