If you are a passionate longboarder, nothing can be more painful for you than getting into severe knee pain after longboarding. It does not matter whether you are a seasoned pro rider or a newbie rider; no one can avoid the propensity for knee or ankle injury. The most common case, as a rider, you are going to face is that your knees are injured to some extent. So, naturally, you may ask that is longboarding bad for knees?
In brief, we can tell you, longboarding would be harmful or dangerous for your knees if you over-ride it. It seems to be notorious for sports for you if you don’t wear proper protection, or have a perfect gear, or have a bad balanced board.
If you have a preceding history of leg injury or have arthritic diseases would be a discussion of other aspects. But, I think these mentioned deterring factors will not prevent you from enjoying the sport. There are many ways to put a stop to and/or lessen your knee pain so you can go cruising to get around.
Who Are More Exposed to Knee Injury?
You can never avoid longboard injury in any way if you are lazy and careless about the required adequate steps that very essential to prevent longboard accidents as well. It also depends on the genre as a longboarder. What is your riding style? Are you crazy to ride downhill? Do you show off longboard tricks, like how to slide on a board?
However, in the case of a riding habit of daily commuting to your workplace, college, or just to ride around the city, then you are at a lower risk of falling, colliding, or injuring yourself compared to those riders who ride downhill at crazy speeds like Chita.
How Does Longboarding Cause Injury to Knees?
As I said before, if you don’t use enough protective measures, like not having gear like knee pads that protect you mostly from injuries from falls. But you could easily protect the physique in your knee/lower leg in a couple of ways.
- Don’t over-push with a huge force all of a sudden.
- Before going for longboarding, do some warm-up exercises and prepare your leg muscles.
- Stop riding for a while when you are already injured.
- Longboarding dancing is an artistic style of riding if you want to show off to others. You have to learn this exceptional style of riding from an expert instructor.
Way to Prevent Knee Injury While Longboarding:
“It is much easier to prevent injuries than to revitalize them”. A careful, cautious prep could easily lend a hand to help you stay on the board and out of knee support.
The easiest and most obvious means to avoid any sort of knee injuries is having enough protective gear. The following gear you must get equipped with:
Knee and Elbow pads:
In a recent study, it was found that injuries to upper limbs, like hands and arms, are the most common injuries longboarders get. In most of these cases, longboarders said they had fallen with their arms and hands outspread, causing road rash and broken wrists. That is why I tell you that Knee and elbow pads are significantly essential for protecting your knees from injuries.
Helmet:
Most studies said that head and neck injuries, other than knee injuries, are the second most common injury for longboarders. You just wear a helmet for your safe ride, not necessary that your helmet should be an excellent one. You just wear one.
Hand gloves:
If you are a pro rider and dare to go for a downhill ride, the best quality pair of hand gloves is mandatory for a safe ride. These gloves do not merely serve you protect your hands and fingers from injury, at the same time, they will give you an extra spin around the point to allocate for greater balance, capacity to have power over speed, and twirl more easily.
Best Warm-up to lessen Your Knee Pain from Longboarding:
Here, I don’t hesitate to suggest that you warm up enough both before and after riding. Make it your regular habit. It is better not to center your attention on just your legs, but rather stretch your whole body as well. This effective habit will give you a greater elasticity to ride safely and sound.
- Ok. What first? Begin with your neck and shoulders with some arm movements. Go after that by pulling your elbow across your neck and stretching it parallel.
- Now, after that, shift onto your hips by doing some hip rotations in both directions.
- Mind it, your calves are the main part for warming up; they assist you in balancing on the board. Let’s start-lift the front part of your foot off the earth, keeping your heel on the ground. Repeat this exercise in a sloppy place and widen your calf muscle by gently moving your whole body load forward to further extend.
- Perfect. Here you are! You should also do extensive lunges for both of your legs to work your pelvis and thighs properly when you ride. It works nicely.
- Last of all, you never forget to stretch your ankles. If they are rigid, you might injure them. Get some trouble-free ankle rotations on both sides, in both orders.
Finally, after completing your warm-up, take some rest and be relaxed. Performing some stretching activities after a long ride will obviously help your muscles stay in a healthy condition and prevent muscle injuries.
Suggestions if You Experience Knee Pain:
First of all, if you get acquainted with knee pain after riding, just stop riding for that moment.
With knee pain, if you continue your longboard riding, that might devastatingly damage your lower limbs. So, be patient and take care of your existing injury first.
If you find your injury is serious enough. You are unable to walk. Pain is unbearable. Don’t delay. Try to contact a physician immediately.
If your pain remains for a longer period, the right way to visit a doctor or physical therapist to get professional advice and follow their prescribed instructions.
Wrapping up:
Is longboarding bad for knees? Never be pessimistic! All sporting activities have some risk to be injury. That does not mean that you will refrain from that. Any kind of sport has immense health benefits. Longboarding health benefits have a tremendous impact on your body and mind as well. It’s true that while riding a longboard, there is a risk of a knee injury. But that does not mean you will stop riding. Obviously, longboarding is great fun in all respects. Only the people with a pessimistic view will ask Is longboarding bad for knees?
