Hearing your knee crack every once in a while is an unpleasant sound. It’s therefore even more terrifying if you hear it crack consistently, especially when exercising. So, what is it about your knee that makes it crack during physical activity?
There could be various scenarios at play, i.e., For instance. If you’ve been wondering why do my knees crack when I squat? They include:
OVERLAPPING BONE ENDS
As you age, the cartilage at the end of your bones usually wears out. As such, the ends of bones wear out gradually. This is what leads to bone ends that connect the joints overlapping.
The friction of the surfaces of these joints is what causes that crackling sound you hear when walking.
TIGHT OR MALIGNED MUSCLES
Tight or misaligned muscles cause an imbalance within the kneecap. This could happen as a result of overexertion. As a result, the imbalance leads to clicking or popping, which has adverse effects.
In the long run, this constant friction leads to worn out cartilage that precedes early onset arthritis.
LOOSE CARTILAGE
Cartilage is the primary connective tissue in your knee. It is also responsible for lubrication and cushioning of your knee almost like a shock absorber of sorts.
In the event, the cartilage in your knees gets loose due to injury during exercise it can lead to popping or catching. This constant movement is what makes your knee crack.
HOW TO STOP KNEES FROM CRACKING
There are two types of knee crunches. For some people, the knee crunches come with bouts of pain. For others, its an annoying sound that your knee makes.
That said exercise in the long term can help you even if you’re knee crunches are painful. However, before you begin, you are best suited to seek a doctor for appropriate diagnosis.
On the other hand, if you’re wondering how to stop knees from cracking and don’t experience bouts of pain, you are in luck.
This is because there are various exercises you can attempt. These exercises are meant to alleviate the awkward noises and avoid potential injury.
They include:
CALF RELEASE
The calf release is used to alleviate tight or maligned muscles to restore your kneecap on track. It involves stretching which relieves tension in the muscles as a result of the direct pressure.
You can try this exercise up to six times a week.
The steps include:
1.Sit with your calf on top of a lacrosse or massage ball.
2.Stack your other leg on top of it, and roll yourself up and down over the ball.
3.Once you find a tender spot, stop and point your foot up and down for 30 seconds.
4.Repeat as needed.
INNER THIGH SQUATS
Squats, while trying to figure out how to stop knees from cracking, seems like a counter-productive. However, the reverse is actually true.
Inner thigh squats strengthen the quad muscle and, in the process, keeps any knee pain at bay. It steps are:
1.Place your feet shoulder-width apart with your toes pointed out at a 45-degree angle, keeping the weight on your heels.
2.As you begin to squat, bring your hips back as if you’re trying to sit in a chair that’s too far behind you.
3.While squatting, move your knees out to the sides and go as low as you can—though no lower than a 90-degree angle—and push back up through your heels.
4.Do three sets of 15.
HIP FLEXOR RELEASE
Painful knee cracks are associated with misaligned hips. The hip flexor involves using a massage ball if you don’t have one you can use tennis-sized balls.
The steps are:
1.Lie on your stomach and place a 5-inch massage ball just below your hip bone.
2.Lean a tolerable amount of weight onto the ball.
3Bend the knee on the side of the release to a 90-degree angle and swing your leg side from to side as far as you can tolerate.
4.Repeat as needed in 30-second- to 2-minute intervals
SIDESTEPS WITH RESISTANCE BAND
The outer quad muscles tend to be weaker than the muscles that run along the top of your thigh.
This disparity in strength is what causes an imbalance in the kneecap. This results in the kneecap being pulled outline which prompts knee crunching,
Using the resistance band, you are creating resistance, which builds strength in the outer quad. An alternative to the resistance band can be a towel.
The steps are:
1.Pull a medium resistance band up right below your knees and lower down into a squat (if this is uncomfortable, standing works, too).
2.Move two steps to the right then two steps to the left, working hard to pull your legs apart and stretch the band.
3.Repeat one 30-second to 1-minute set three times
QUADRICEPS SETS
As the name suggests, this exercise involves heavy use of the quadriceps. The quadriceps act as instigators of energy while the legs act as support
This stretches the knee and restores balance as well as tighten the muscle in front of the thigh. The steps are:
1.Sit on the floor with your legs out in front of you.
2.Tighten your quadriceps muscles, using your hand to check they’re tight.
3.Hold for 8 seconds and then release for 2]
4.The quadriceps are the muscles at the front of your thigh, making these muscles stronger can help prevent further knee problems.
5.Work up to repetitions of 30.
STRAIGHT LEG RAISES
The straight leg exercises target the upper thigh. It also strengthens the quadriceps and alleviates great amounts of pressure from the knee.
Strengthened quadriceps are very helpful if you’re looking for how to stop knees from cracking. This is because, despite not affecting the joint directly, it plays a crucial role.
Strengthened quadriceps provide support for the knees. This support takes a lot of pressure from the knees.
To do the exercise:
Have one leg out flat in front of you and the other bent at the knee. Tighten your quadriceps, and tilt the leg flat on the ground outward a little. Lift the flat leg off the floor about 6 to 8 inches (15 to 20 cm), then lower it back down
Begin with 2-3 repetitions and move up to 10-12
TIPS FOR HEALTHY KNEES
WARM-UP BEFORE EXERCISING. Preparing your muscles for the workload they are about to do helps prevent injury.
ADD STRETCHES TO YOUR ROUTINE. Do your stretches before starting your routine. Try out dynamic exercises that extend a muscle through its full range of motion. This helps prevent injury.
WEAR THE RIGHT SHOES.
As trivial as this sounds, the right shoes are vital to a healthy knee. The right shoes provide support to the leg, which in turn helps prevent misaligned muscles.
MAINTAIN A HEALTHY WEIGHT
Bodyweight is significant while trying to find a solution on how to stop knees from cracking. This is because the knees are primarily the pivot used to carry your body weight.
As such, maintaining a healthy weight alleviates pressure from the knee.
CONCLUSION
While there lacks a single airtight way of how to stop knees from cracking when exercising, there are various methods you can use to remedy the situation.
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