Spectrum Performance

Did you recently go to a physician with some knee pain, they said you have knee OA, and now you're feeling like you'll never run, jump, or play sports again.

Everyone dreads hearing the dreaded "bone on bone" statement.

But the truth is, symptoms can come and go with osteoarthritis . Many people with OA run marathons, play sports, lift weights, and play with their grandkids without ever knowing. People with perfect images of their knees can also still have symptoms.

When more symptoms are present, it is important to try and keep moving. That can be as simple as walking outside or on a treadmill. Maintaining quad strength and full extension (straightening) range of motion is vital in reducing risk of pain in the long term.

Lifting heavy is encouraged to help maintain strength, bone density, and can help reduce overall symptoms long term. The key is finding which moves feel good for you and slowly progressing them.

For help finding and starting a plan that works for you, reach out and set up a discovery call to see if we can help!

Just when we were wrapping up a session, Dr. Sebastian was asked for a more challenging "core exercise" to add into programming.

Hollow holds can already be plenty difficult, but adding a load that changes position, while continuing to stay still really spiced things up.

Props to this Spectrum Athlete for doing a great job with this move.

Give it a try yourself and let us know what you think!

People generally hate lunges.

I don't get it personally, they are my favorite. But let me try to convince you to do them weekly:

Single leg load without the balance component- it's mostly a single leg movement (especially with certain form) but because the other leg is on the ground, balance isn't the hardest part of the movement

It's how you get up from the ground. Which might not feel pertinent now, but patterns we strengthen now will stick with us through life! If you fall, it's ideal to be able to get up alone. More applicable now: you're on the ground with your kiddos. You will likely use a lunge to stand up!

Improve your grit. Lunges can be really challenging! The legs are burning and it's easy to throw in the towel. But exercise is one of the best ways to make us physically and emotionally more resilient. Learning to continue despite being uncomfortable is one of the best lessons from fitness.

Have I convinced you? Here are several ways to lunge, starting with the easiest options...

Hip pain can have a variety of sources. It can also happen at many different times.

Your run can feel great, but your hip is sore for the next 2 days. You go to get up in the morning, but find those first couple of minutes feels incredibly stiff on that one hip.

Rolling it can go a long way, but we know that improving strength and load tolerance is what will help in the long term.

These are some challenging moves that you can incorporate into your training to help prepare you for heavy lifts, or to improve your running economy as you prep for your next race.

When talking about quad strengthening, ole reliable is doing knee/leg extensions at the gym. But that machine is often taken by someone doing 10 sets, or you may not have access to one.

Thankfully, there's plenty of other ways to load your quads. Check these out and give them a try.

Volume up at the end to hear Dr. Sebastian regretting his choices.