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Everyone knows that exercise (especially outdoors) is great for strengthening the joints. And with the arrival of good weather, it's a crime not to take advantage of it!

So, here are the best summer activities that strengthen the knee joints.

Swimming
Swimming is probably the most pleasant summer activity. It is not traumatic, tones leg muscles without overloading them, and, as a consequence, strengthens the knee joints. And, of course, saves you from the heat.

Swimming on the back, butterfly and free style are very useful for the health of the knees. They activate the work of the quadriceps, hamstrings, glutes and calves - all these muscles play an important role in the mobility and strength of the knee joint.

The breaststroke, in turn, puts stress on the glutes and quadriceps to perform powerful "frog" kicks with the legs. Despite the fact that it is a low-traumatic exercise, if the technique is not correct, it poses a great risk of injury to the ligaments of the knee joint. It is therefore very important to practice good breaststroke technique.

Walking
Walking cross-country and forest trails is a great way to spend a summer day in a healthy way. According to thousands of health experts, walking is one of the best sports for improving overall health and joint health. First, it strengthens and tones the muscles responsible for knee movement. And secondly, walking is very effective in terms of supplying nutrients to the cartilage of the knee. Our cartilage is avascular - it has no blood vessels, so it gets its nutrients from joint fluid, not blood. During walking, knee cartilage periodically compresses, "pumping" fluid into and out of the joint.

For this reason, walking minimizes the risk of developing arthritis. And for those already suffering from the disease, it can reduce the rate of cartilage degeneration.

Riding a bicycle
Similar to walking and swimming, cycling promotes joint movement without undue stress. It also involves the quadriceps and hamstrings, which play a key role in the movement and strength of the knee joint.

But keep in mind: if you're going to get serious about cycling this summer, you need to combine it with exercises that work the other leg muscles. So be sure to do squats, leg extensions and calf raises.

Don't forget also that the bike should be well matched to your height so that your knees fit properly with the rest of your body. A bicycle seat that is too low or too high can cause unnecessary strain on the knee joint and even lead to knee pain.

Scientists estimate that a person spends about 22 to 25 years of his life sleeping. That's a pretty impressive number, isn't it? Sleep affects our well-being, mood, and all the processes going on in our body. Surely you have noticed: regular lack of sleep and insomnia deprive us of strength and energy, interest in any affairs, we are driven by one desire - to get home as quickly as possible to go to bed. But the problem of many people is not only in the lack of sleep, but that even after 7-8 hours of proper night rest, they wake up tired and broken. Why?
One of the main causes of poor sleep is the improperly organized sleeping place. The best place to start to solve this problem is with a pillow. But not all pillows will be useful, many can even do harm. An effective product that can cope with insomnia, relieve pain in the head and neck during sleep, as well as improve feelings after waking up, is an orthopedic pillow. This product affects not only the position of the shoulders, neck and head, it affects the position of the whole body.

Signs of an orthopedic pillow

1. Anatomic shape with one or two bolsters
The presence of a roll (or rolls) is an important criterion for finding an orthopedic pillow. The bolsters are not just part of the design, they allow you to fix the cervical spine in an anatomically correct, natural position, without the head tilted up or down. In this position the spine receives the necessary support, muscles are maximally relaxed and the blood circulation improves.
Specialists often recommend orthopedic pillows with a roll for those diagnosed with scoliosis or osteochondrosis, a properly selected pillow in such cases is especially necessary.

2. Proven Medical Effectiveness
You can check the effectiveness of the pillow! To do this, just ask when you buy it about the registration certificate (RU) - a special document that is issued by the ROSZDRAVNADZOR. If you have such a document, you can not worry, the pillow is proven effective. It is because of RU (registration certificate) pillow has the right to be called orthopedic, that is have a therapeutic effect. Products without an RU are usually called anatomical.

3. Pillow base material
Materials for making orthopedic pillows today are not few. Most often used latex or polyurethane foam. In general, when choosing the material greater attention should be paid to its density, the pillow should not easily squeeze and sink under the weight of the head and neck, otherwise the product will not provide the necessary support.

4. Hypoallergenic and safe
From the previous point smoothly follows that the material of the pillow must be safe and hypoallergenic. This is important because we are in direct contact with the pillow throughout the night. Materials that come into contact with the skin must contain natural or artificial fibers, so as not to cause irritation or, worse, an allergic reaction.

5. Hygienic
A good material will maintain the proper microclimate of the pillow. But no less important factor is the care of the pillow base and covers. That is why it is better to choose those products, where all fabric elements (inner and outer covers, pillowcase) would be removable. Do not neglect this point! The longevity of the product depends on proper care.

6. Size range (according to the height of the rollers)
Once you have made sure that on all counts orthopedic pillow meets high quality and certain standards, it is time to choose the size of the product. The presence of a size range is an important indicator. This means that you can choose a pillow directly under the parameters of a person. And correctly selected pillow will help to get the maximum orthopedic effect and provide a healthy and restful sleep.

But not all pillows will be useful, many can even be harmful. An orthopedic pillow is an effective product that can cope with insomnia, relieve head and neck pain during sleep, and improve well-being after waking up. This product affects not only the position of the shoulders, neck and head, it affects the position of the whole body.

We don't move enough.
Numbness in the neck, pain in the shoulders, tingling in the legs and lower back pain are not uncommon guests among those who spend a lot of time at the computer. This is often accompanied by another ailment, carpal tunnel syndrome, which is caused by constriction, swelling, or pinching of the median nerve in the carpal tunnel. The carpal tunnel is quite narrow, with nine muscle tendons and one median nerve running through it, which controls the sensation of the palm, thumb, index, and middle fingers. When you make monotonous movements, typing on a keyboard or touching a smartphone screen, your hands get tired from the constant strain. Your hands are not always in a comfortable position when you hold a mouse or a phone, and the same muscles are regularly subjected to static stress. This can lead to an increase in the volume of the carpal tunnel-forming tendons and nerve compression. Hence, carpal tunnel syndrome. The disease occurs in women 3-10 times more often than in men (according to different sources). Preventing it is much easier than treating it: in neglected cases, the nerve is damaged so badly that it is very difficult to restore its normal function afterwards.

When to sound the alarm?
The first symptom is numbness in the fingers. The discomfort is usually felt in the morning and subsides by noon. As the disease progresses, numbness is felt even at night, and pain, tingling, or burning in the fingers are added to it. If you don't take action when you first "ring the bell", the complaints will appear during the day, and the disease will continue to bother you for 24 hours a day. The hand may "lose weight" and there is weakness in the fingers. It becomes difficult to hold hands on the weight, there is awkwardness in movements and difficulties using small objects, for example, it turns out worse to write with a ballpoint pen. If you are dropping things more often because you cannot hold them in your hands, it is time to sound the alarm. Otherwise, in the neglected stage of the disease there is a fairly high probability of losing the sensitivity of the fingers, up to the loss of the sense of touch. And even if the pain suddenly receded suddenly, it does not always mean that everything has passed, and you have recovered. It is possible that the nerve is already damaged, and the disease will return with more serious consequences for you. That is why you should consult a neurologist or neurosurgeon when the first symptoms appear. You can also seek help from an orthopedic trauma surgeon at the first professional network of orthopedic salons.

How to avoid it?
With sedentary work and the absence of regular physical activity problems with the musculoskeletal system in the future are inevitable. Therefore, the simplest advice on how to prevent them lies on the surface - try to lead an active lifestyle, exercise. Exercise is what it is - you have to know the measure in everything! To relax the hands, do simple exercises during the day: clench and unclench the fingers into a fist, stretch them, make rotary motions with the hands and so on. Sometimes, in order to rest, it is enough just to relax the hands and shake them in the air. You can use special rubber balls with and without spikes for exercises. Twist them, squeeze them - in general, try to take active breaks from work during the day.

Choosing the right gadget
Computer mouse, phone should be chosen according to the size of your palm. When you use a mouse, your palm should rest firmly on your desk, not hanging in the air. Periodically use other tools, such as the touchpad. The phone should also lie comfortably in the hand, because there is a chance that carpal tunnel syndrome can provoke strain on the thumb. It has to be pulled and strained unnecessarily if the phone is not the right size for you. Now manufacturing companies offer a wide range of gadgets, so it's easy enough to find a comfortable device for yourself. But it is necessary to approach it responsibly to reduce the risk of problems in the future. You'd be surprised, but, for example, working on a "rough" mechanical keyboard, you can easily get arthritis of the joint, because in this case the phalanges of the fingers hit without cushioning and are injured.

Unlike the usual down-filled pillow, the orthopedic pillow is able to provide an effective level of support and comfort. An orthopedic pillow maintains the correct position of the spine during sleep and rest, reduces neck and back pain, and helps you get a good night's sleep.

However, if you have just purchased an orthopedic pillow and it gives you discomfort, do not rush to change it - your body must adapt to the new pillow.

Why might an orthopedic pillow seem uncomfortable?
Have you ever been unable to fall asleep for a long time in an unfamiliar environment, such as a guest or hotel?

Changing what we are used to changes the process of falling asleep and sleeping in general. The same applies to the pillow: when replacing it with an orthopedic pillow, you need to give your body time to get used to the product.

Incorrect posture, the habit of sleeping on too low or, conversely, too high a pillow leads to the fact that the body gets used to this position and cannot immediately "return" to the correct one. It takes time for the spine to change position from the usual to the physiologically correct position.

Already from the first day of use the pillow begins to work intensively on the body and correct it. Some discomfort during this period is completely normal: this is the adaptation process between the body and the orthopedic pillow.

How long does it take to get used to it?
In general, the process of getting used to an orthopedic pillow lasts a maximum of 10 days. The body stops feeling discomfort at 3 to 5 nights.

Remember: as with any orthopedic product, the body goes through a process of getting used to it, so it is completely normal to feel some discomfort at first. The main thing is not to refuse to use the pillow. After getting used to the product you will notice and appreciate the completely new quality of sleep.

Take care of yourself - trust your sleep to the experts!