Walking and cycling are essential exercises to stay in great shape. They also help to build muscles in the thighs, legs, and feet. But be careful, they can increase pressure on your joints.

Walking and cycling affect joint and knee health differently. If you have tightness in the joints, walking and biking are some of the best ways to manage it. However, it is important to understand how both walking and biking can work to help enable you to support healthy joints so you can do even more. Like some of these awesome exercise routines

Below is a description of the two exercises and how they may affect knee and joint pain. 

Walking

Your knee joint is made of cartilage and bones. The cartilage relies on joint fluid for nourishment. When there is fluid retention in the knee joint, it leads to discomfort. This is a symptom associated with osteoarthritis. Walking is a way of helping to manage osteoarthritis.

If you have mild to moderate osteoarthritis and knee joint pain, you should walk to strengthen the knee joint. If the pain is excruciating, walking may not be wise. This is because walking is a weight-bearing exercise. The weight falls on the knee joint causing more pain.

Biking

Biking is another way of exercising the knee joints, albeit with no impact forces. Unlike walking, it is a non-weight bearing activity. Therefore, less pressure is applied to the knee joints. This is not the case if you have excess weight. Having excess body weight means that you have to apply more pressure when pedaling, and this can stress your painful knee joints. This sustained and constant pressure may actually cause pain for some riders. For outdoor cycling, ensure that the bicycle is comfortable to ride and that you avoid trying to go too fast or take hills that you aren’t prepared for.

From the description above, one can see that both forms of exercising are applicable under different conditions. If knee joint pain is painful, it is best to see a medical doctor before you choose between biking or walking. The goal is to choose either of these aerobic activities that will complement your knee joint pain management. We hope you will find this guide helpful in managing your knee joint pain properly.