Knee pads can be found in every sport. As one of the most vulnerable areas on the body, athletes have a duty to protect their knees and reduce recovery time. Bad knees have cut promising professional careers short, and in some cases have prevented collegiate superstars from going to the next level. Like a compression sleeve, knee pads aren’t a miracle cure. However, their fundamental benefits make them a no brainer for injury prevention.
Stability During Erratic Movements
Players that need to maintain quick lateral movement can avoid awkward stances. A knee pad uses high quality materials to keep joints aligned to their natural positions while moving. The quick jerk in movement feels natural, and doesn’t slow down when wearing knee pads.
For high impact sports like football and wrestling, stability also refers to knee pads that stay in place. Players hide a lot of fierce injuries under a knee pad like muscle tears, rips, bruises and soreness. Any one of these things can get reaggravated without the help of a knee pad. Even with hours of running and jumping, a knee pad should remain fairly stable when it’s applied properly.
Heat Preservation to Heal Injuries
Joints that are in pain take time to warm up. Stretching is a good way to get the body going, but during lulls in playtime the joints can easily lock up. Knee pads prevent the area from getting cold, while simultaneously preserving heat. This keeps joints loose longer without any additional medicine or wraps. It’s an all in one solution to provide the best environment possible for a joint to heal while still being active.
Protection from Repetition
Even with limited court space, tennis players cover a lot of ground during a match. Many players run more in a single match than the average person will run in a week. That amount of running combined with quick lateral shifts is a disaster for the knees. Rafael Nadal is the king of clay courts, but eventually had to retire due to knee pain. Left and right movements are natural, but not when they’re done at a high capacity in a short amount of time.
The protection knee pads offer go beyond the handling of outside impacts. Repetitive motions builds a joints strength while weakening it during the healing process. The tearing and re-tearing of muscles that athletes deal with is helped by wearing knee pads. With a combination of temperature preservation and stability, athletes gain a better advantage during prolonged play times or workout routines.
Volleyball players are a good example of athletes that go through repetitive motions. Diving for a volleyball is a lot less severe when you have protection for your joints. Without knee pads, a volleyball player is one wrong move away from a catastrophic career injury.
Wrap Up
When too many injuries are inflicted to the same area, there is a point of no return. Knee pads are the best preventative equipment measure available to ensure healthy joints. No matter how physically demanding the sport is, wearing a knee pad will always be beneficial.