As an orthopedic surgeon, Howard Luks treats aching, aging knees. As a 63-year-old, he also possesses them. Over the decades, his knees have weathered meniscus tears, morning stiffness, thousands of miles of hiking, cycling and running and long days at the medical clinic or in surgery.
But a few years ago, he began worrying about them. Still active and fit, a runner and frequent weight trainer, he was starting to see some of his older friends and patients shy away from activities they once loved out of fear they’d strain their knees. Their knee health actually worsened.
“I didn’t want that,” he said. So he started reconsidering his workouts. In his 60s, he was still bench pressing and deadlifting as much weight as many 20-year-olds. He was strong. But he wasn’t agile. His balance felt wobbly.
He decided to shore up his ability to move well. He started working with Brett Poniros, a performance coach in Upstate New York, and Poniros’ partners to develop a new resistance training routine that would protect and strengthen his knees by improving his body’s ability to move.
“You want the knee to be going through a full range of motion,” Poniros said. “But you also want to develop speed and balance and make sure you can move in all directions under different loads. That’s good for knees and for long-term quality of life. If you can’t catch yourself when you trip, you’ll fall, maybe fracture a hip or wrist, and your life suddenly becomes very different.”
Luks regularly performs these seven exercises at a gym. But they can be done at home, with minimal equipment.
Check with your doctor before trying these moves if you’re concerned about your fitness. And if you’re new to weight training, start with a single repetition of each exercise, Poniros said. Experienced exercisers should repeat each move until their muscles feel tired but not exhausted. Adjust the difficulty up or down by adding or lowering repetitions, weight or speed.
full story: At 63, he’s a top knee expert. Here’s his exercise routine for strong knees.