How I Got Rid of My Knee Pain

 When I was a freshman in high school, I was training for track and tennis. I was planning on running the mile and 3-mile race in track so I started training with the long-distance track team during the winter. One day, we were running inside the school because it was too cold to run outside. At the beginning of our run I felt a pull in my calf but decided to ignore the pain and push through the practice. That night not only did my calf hurt, but my left knee hurt too. For three years I got x-rays, MRIs, pain shots, and even an ultrasound to try to figure out what was wrong with my knee. 

During this time my right knee started to hurt too even though it was my left knee that was originally hurt. The pain would be so bad that sometimes my teeth would start to chatter, scream if there was a bump on the road while I was in the car, or not be able to walk. I was on crutches for over 3 months and I remember a physical therapy session where I tried walking while holding on to bars with both hands. I was shaking, sweating, and in pain and I only walked 5 steps. That session I left with my shirt soaked with sweat even though I only tried walking a few steps. 

I had over 4 knee braces that I tried wearing to fix the problem, did electric shock muscle therapy, went to physical therapy, and got injections in my knees. I tried supplements, creams, lotions, and essential oils. One of the doctors that I went to encouraged me to lift weights; however, at the time I thought lifting weights was boring and painful so I hardly did any lifting. 

Eventually, my knee pain became less frequent and three years had passed. By now I started to lift weights as on outlet to my stress of what was going on in my life and I realized how passionate I was about lifting weights. I slowly started to do squats, lunges, leg extensions, leg curls, etc. I built muscle in my quads, hamstrings, and calves. 

I started listening to a fitness podcast, Mind Pump, and learned about fitness, exercise, and wellness. I started watching Abbey Sharp on Youtube and learned about macronutrients, vitamins, recipes, and nutrition. I found fitness pages on Instagram like Sarah's Day, Whitney Simmons, Mari Llewellyn, and Sydney Tollett. I would find workouts or exercises that I liked from their pages and implement them into my routine.

Today, I am squatting more than my body weight, playing tennis, going on long hikes and walks, and swimming. My knees only start to ache if I am in a room that is cold and has a draft (my mom and grandmother deal with this too). I truly believe my knees are better due to weight lifting and building muscle. 

Whenever I lift weights, I typically do 4 exercises that are either lower body or upper body focused, and then I do 2 exercises that are ab workouts. I used to do 12 exercises (doing each one 3 times each) but I realized this was way too much. My workouts are simple, short, and effective. This has helped me build muscle and prevent another injury. 

Weight lifting has changed my life dramatically and stopped pain that I thought would never go away. I encourage everyone to try to build muscle and get strong in order to have a healthy lifestyle and a healthy body. Remember, weight lifting worked for me but it may not work for you. Seek professional advice before doing your own research.

Love,

Gabby