Knee Pain Won’t Get Better Unless You Fix This First
10almonds is reader-supported. We may, at no cost to you, receive a portion of sales if you purchase a product through a link in this article.
Most knee pain is mechanical, caused by excessive stress or strain on specific parts of the knee joint. However, it’s weak glutes that are often the root cause of excess knee strain, because when glutes are weak, they fail to keep the pelvis level and legs aligned, leading to improper knee movement.
The seat of the problem
Weak glutes cause the pelvis to drop and the thigh bone to roll inwards (called “valgus knee”). This misalignment creates shearing forces and excessive pressure on different parts of the knee. However, it can usually be fixed, and the following exercises are recommended:
- Seated band abductions: use a resistance band around the thighs while seated. Push your knees apart, and hold for a few seconds.
- Glute bridge with resistance band: lie on your back with your feet flat and a resistance band around your thighs. Push your hips up into a bridge position, then press your knees outward against the band.
- Clamshell exercise: lie on your side, with your knees bent at 90°. Keep your body slightly tilted forward, then lift the top knee while keeping your heels together.
- Hip abductions (lateral leg raises): lie on your side, keeping your legs straight. Lift the top leg slightly backward and upward, leading with your heel.
- Standing hip abductions: stand upright, using a wall for support. Lift one leg sideways and slightly backward while keeping your spine straight. Unlike the other exercises, this one has the benefit of being doable almost anywhere.
For more on each of these plus visual demonstrations, enjoy:
Click Here If The Embedded Video Doesn’t Load Automatically!
Want to learn more?
You might also like:
The Secret to Better Squats: Foot, Knee, & Ankle Mobility
Take care!
Don’t Forget…
Did you arrive here from our newsletter? Don’t forget to return to the email to continue learning!
Recommended
Learn to Age Gracefully
Join the 98k+ American women taking control of their health & aging with our 100% free (and fun!) daily emails:
-
The Counterintuitive Dos and Don’ts of Nail Health
10almonds is reader-supported. We may, at no cost to you, receive a portion of sales if you purchase a product through a link in this article.
It’s Q&A Day at 10almonds!
Have a question or a request? You can always hit “reply” to any of our emails, or use the feedback widget at the bottom!
In cases where we’ve already covered something, we might link to what we wrote before, but will always be happy to revisit any of our topics again in the future too—there’s always more to say!
As ever: if the question/request can be answered briefly, we’ll do it here in our Q&A Thursday edition. If not, we’ll make a main feature of it shortly afterwards!
So, no question/request too big or small
❝I take a vitamin supplement for strengthening my nails (particularly one of my big toes!) – but they are running out! What do you recommend for strengthening nails? What is/are the key ingredient(s)?❞
A lot of products marketed as for “skin, hair, and nails” focus on vitamins A and E, which are good for the skin but aren’t so relevant for nails. Vitamin B7 (biotin) has mixed evidence, and it’s worth knowing that megadoses can interfere with some blood test results, so while that doesn’t make them dangerous per se (the maximum safe dose of B7 is very high indeed), it is something to bear in mind, and desist from taking vitamin B7 megadoses (if you were taking such) for at least a few weeks before any blood tests.
Nutritionally, getting plenty of protein (whatever form you normally take it is fine) is also important since keratin (as nails are made of) is a kind of protein.
Outside of nutritional factors, a few other considerations:
- Testosterone strengthens nails, and declining testosterone levels (as experienced by most men over the age of 45) can result in weaker nails. So for men over 45 especially, a diet that favors testosterone (think foods rich in magnesium and zinc) is good.
- Because estrogen doesn’t do for women’s nails what testosterone does for men’s nails, increasing our magnesium and zinc intake won’t help our nails (but it’s still good for other things, including energy levels in the day and good sleep at night, and most people are deficient in magnesium anyway)
- Those of us who enjoy painted nails would do well to let our nails go without polish sometimes, as it can dry them out. And, acrylic nails are truly ruinous to nail health, as are gel nails (the kind that use a UV lamp to harden them—which is also bad for the skin)
- When nails are brittle, it can be tempting to soak them to reduce their brittleness. However, this is actually counterproductive, as the water will leech nutrients from the nails, and by the time you’ve been out of the footbath (for example) for about an hour, your nails will bemore brittle than before you soaked them.
- Use a moisturizing lotion or nail-oil instead—bonus if it contains biotin, keratin, and/or other helpful nutrients.
- Keep yourself hydrated, too! Hydration that comes to your nails from the inside will deliver nutrients, rather than removing them.
Take care!
❝I was wondering whether there were very simple, clear bullet points or instructions on things to be wary of in Yoga.❞
That’s quite a large topic, and not one that lends itself well to being conveyed in bullet points, but first we’ll share the article you sent us when sending this question:
Tips for Avoiding Yoga Injuries
…and next we’ll recommend the YouTube channel @livinleggings, whose videos we feature here from time to time. She (Liv) has a lot of good videos on problems/mistakes/injuries to avoid.
Here’s a great one to get you started:
! Share This Post
-
Mastering Diabetes – by Dr. Cyrus Khambatta & Robby Barbaro
10almonds is reader-supported. We may, at no cost to you, receive a portion of sales if you purchase a product through a link in this article.
There are many competing diets out there, for dealing with diabetes. Most focus on different strategies for keeping blood sugar levels even, but that’s only part of the story, and that approach will run into problems if undertaken in isolation, because insulin sensitivity—or as the case may be, insulin resistance—is ultimately the more important factor, and contrary to popular belief, the two things (insulin sensitivity and blood sugar levels) are not so perfectly linked as many might think.
For this reason, this book focuses on reducing insulin resistance, by minimizing how much insulin-triggering food we consume in favor of foods that help rather than harm. Based on extensive research (discussed in detail in the book), this doesn’t mean “low-carb at all costs”, but rather, sensible carbs (a lot of whole fruits and vegetables) while avoiding insulin triggers (refined carbs, animal products, especially fatty ones, because yes, that triggers insulin too).
However, this is a lot more than 400 pages to say “eat some fruit”.
Rather, the authors (Type 1 Diabetics themselves) discuss the different tiers of foods with respect to insulin response, various tests that can and should be done (this is not a “just trust us” approach), and flowcharts to personalize one’s own ideal diet.
The style is a good balance of being to-the-point and yet comprehensive, with a very heavy weight of evidence and many studies to back every claim. It’s also very easy to read as a reference guide, with many tables of information, callout boxes of key points, and the like.
Bottom line: if you have any kind of diabetes, or just want to take care of your metabolic health, this book provides not only a blueprint for doing so, but also for personalizing it to your own physiology as you go, so that you can be sure of the results and ongoing beneficial effects, without guesswork.
Click here to check out Mastering Diabetes, and take control of your insulin sensitivity!
Share This Post
-
HIIT, But Make It HIRT
10almonds is reader-supported. We may, at no cost to you, receive a portion of sales if you purchase a product through a link in this article.
This May HIRT A Bit
This is Ingrid Clay. She’s a professional athlete, personal trainer, chef*, and science writer.
*A vegan bodybuilding chef, no less:
Click Here If The Embedded Video Doesn’t Load Automatically!
For those who prefer reading…
This writer does too 😉
We’ve previously reviewed her book, “Science of HIIT”, and we’re going to be talking a bit about High Intensity Interval Training today.
If you’d like to know a little more about the woman herself first, then…
Centr | Meet Ingrid: Your HIIT HIRT trainer
Yes, that is Centr, as in Chris Hemsworth’s personal training app, where Clay is the resident HIIT & HIRT expert & trainer.
What’s this HIIT & HIRT?
“HIIT” is High Intensity Interval Training, which we’ve written about before:
How To Do HIIT (Without Wrecking Your Body)
Basically, it’s a super-efficient way of working out, that gets better results than working out for longer with other methods, especially because of how it raises the metabolism for a couple of hours after training (this effect is called EPOC, by the way—Excessive Post-exercise Oxygen Consumption), and is a good thing.
You can read more about the science of it, in the above-linked main feature.
And HIRT?
“HIRT” is High Intensity Resistance Training, and is resistance training performed with HIIT principles.
See also: Chris Hemsworth’s Trainer Ingrid Clay Explains HIRT
An example is doing 10 reps of a resistance exercise (e.g., a dumbbell press) every minute on odd-numbered minutes, and 10 reps of a different resistance exercise (e.g. dumbbell squats) on even-numbered minutes.
If dumbbells aren’t your thing, it could be resistance bands, or even the floor (press-ups are a resistance exercise!)
For HIRT that’s not also a cardio exercise, gaps between different exercises can be quite minimal, as we only need to confuse the muscles, not the heart. So, effectively, it becomes a specially focused kind of circuit training!
If doing planks though, you might want to check out Clay’s troubleshooting guide:
Want more from Clay?
Here she gives a full 20-minute full-body HIIT HIRT workout:
Click Here If The Embedded Video Doesn’t Load Automatically!
Enjoy!
Share This Post
Related Posts
-
7 Fruits Every Senior Should Eat Today (And Why)
10almonds is reader-supported. We may, at no cost to you, receive a portion of sales if you purchase a product through a link in this article.
What will you prioritize in the new year?
Fruits to enjoy regularly
The 7 fruits recommended for seniors in this video are:
Apples
- Rich in soluble fiber (pectin) for lowering LDL cholesterol.
- Contains phytochemicals such as quercetin and other polyphenols that reduce inflammation and support heart health.
- High in vitamin C for immunity, skin elasticity, and joint health.
Bananas
- Natural energy boost from carbohydrates.
- High in potassium for regulating blood pressure, fluid balance, and preventing muscle cramps.
- Supports cardiovascular health and muscle function.
Avocados
- Rich in monounsaturated fats to improve cholesterol levels.
- High in potassium for blood pressure regulation.
- Contains vitamins E and K for brain health and bone density.
Grapes
- Hydrating and rich in antioxidants like resveratrol, which supports circulation and reduces inflammation.
- Contain vitamins C and K for immunity and bone health.
Plums
- Natural laxative with high fiber and sorbitol for digestive health.
- Rich in potassium and vitamin K for bone density and reducing osteoporosis risk.
- Contain polyphenols for reducing inflammation and supporting cognitive health.
Pomegranates
- Anti-inflammatory and antioxidant-rich (especially punicalagins and anthocyanins).
- Supports heart health, improves cholesterol levels, and promotes brain health.
- May help inhibit cancer cell growth in specific types.
Kiwi
- High in vitamin C to boost immunity.
- Rich in fiber and enzymes for digestive health.
- Low glycemic index, suitable for blood sugar management.
10almonds note: a lot of those statements can go for a lot of fruits, but those are definitely high on the list for the qualities mentioned!
For more on all the above, enjoy:
Click Here If The Embedded Video Doesn’t Load Automatically!
Want to learn more?
You might also like to read:
Top 8 Fruits That Prevent & Kill Cancer ← there are two fruits that appear on both lists!
Take care!
Don’t Forget…
Did you arrive here from our newsletter? Don’t forget to return to the email to continue learning!
Learn to Age Gracefully
Join the 98k+ American women taking control of their health & aging with our 100% free (and fun!) daily emails:
-
The Insomnia Breakthrough – by Katherine Coleman
10almonds is reader-supported. We may, at no cost to you, receive a portion of sales if you purchase a product through a link in this article.
The author, a massage therapist, knows plenty about relaxation. But how to put that to use when it comes to getting good quality sleep?
She takes a holistic approach, and yes, does start by covering all the things you’d expect to find in any guide to better sleep (aim for regular schedule, have darkness when you sleep, cool room, clean sheets, no alcohol or caffeine before bed, etc).
What she offers in particular beyond that, is the integration of calming routines, building in mindfulness for sleep (when very often people will go for the opposite!), and small cumulative lifestyle adjustments that are conducive to getting a better night’s rest every night.
The style is very light pop-science (as one might expect from someone who is not, in fact, a scientist), and while we do get a bibliography at the back, it’s a meagre 4 pages. Nevertheless, there’s a lot of interdisciplinary knowledge here, explained well.
Bottom line: if improving your sleep is something you’d like to do, this book can almost certainly get you on the right track.
Click here to check out The Insomnia Breakthrough, and don’t stay up too late reading it!
Don’t Forget…
Did you arrive here from our newsletter? Don’t forget to return to the email to continue learning!
Learn to Age Gracefully
Join the 98k+ American women taking control of their health & aging with our 100% free (and fun!) daily emails:
-
Steps vs Cardio | Which is Best for Fat Loss, Health, & Performance?
10almonds is reader-supported. We may, at no cost to you, receive a portion of sales if you purchase a product through a link in this article.
“Move more”, they say; but does it matter how quickly?
Use it or lose it
For general performance:
- More steps per day do offer slight aerobic benefits but do not significantly improve endurance.
- Higher-intensity cardio (ideally, HIIT) is essential for improving aerobic fitness.
- Training should match endurance goals (e.g. long-distance running vs team sports vs whatever it is that you care about for you).
For general health:
- Both cardio and step tracking reduce mortality risk and improve longevity.
- 2–3 hours of cardio per week provides most health benefits, with diminishing returns after 8 hours per week.
- 10,000+ steps/day is optimal, but 5,000+ steps/day still benefits health. And, not mentioned in this video, but really (per science) there seem to be diminishing returns after about 8,000 steps per day.
Fun fact: the reason it’s 10,000 steps per day that everyone talks about as the default goal, is just because the Japanese person who popularized it noted that the kanji for 10,000 looks a bit like a walking person: 万
For fat loss:
- Both step tracking and cardio do help.
- Step tracking better reflects total daily movement, while cardio burns calories in sessions—but if it’s not HIIT, there is likely to be a compensatory metabolic slump afterwards.
- High-intensity cardio increases fatigue, which may impact resistance training and diet adherence.
- Excessive endurance training can slightly inhibit muscle growth, but low-intensity steps have minimal interference.
So for fat loss, it’s best to get those steps in, and throw in a few HIIT sessions per week, with adequate recovery time between them.
For more on all of these things, enjoy:
Click Here If The Embedded Video Doesn’t Load Automatically!
Want to learn more?
You might also like to read:
How To Do HIIT (Without Wrecking Your Body)
Take care!
Don’t Forget…
Did you arrive here from our newsletter? Don’t forget to return to the email to continue learning!
Learn to Age Gracefully
Join the 98k+ American women taking control of their health & aging with our 100% free (and fun!) daily emails:
