Outside magazine reminds us that knee injuries are the number one reason people call orthopedic specialists, and offers a three-part guide to care and feeding of our most vulnerable joint. Curiously, the most useful stretch of this Knee Story has little to do wiith knees: It’s a cross-trainer’s guide to complementary combinations of high- and low-impact activities for four different sports. Have a look:
Sport: Running
Complement: Swimming with fins
Payoff: Adds low-impact balance to your routine. Fins help isolate quads and hamstrings to build leg strength.
Sport: Skiing
Complement: In-line skating
Payoff: Lateral movement mimics skiing motion, so you build hip strength and muscle endurance.
Sport: Cycling
Complement: Running
Payoff: The higher-impact activity helps promote bone density, build leg strength, and keep your weight down.
Sport: Mountain climbing & hiking
Complement: Mountain biking
Payoff: Pedaling up steep, technical trails develops leg and core strength. And descending? Well, some things are just for fun.
How can you complement cycling training by running if the reason you started cycling was bad knees?
Duh.