SPRINGER: Fitness: Be sure to protect your knees

One of the most frequently injured body parts in both athletes and everyday exercisers is the knee.

A knee injury does not have to put an end to your exercise "career." Consider adding to your workout a prevention program targeted at one of the most common knee ailments -- anterior cruciate ligament injuries.

There are about 80,000 ACL injuries each year in the United States, with the majority occurring in active people 15 to 45 years old.

More men tend to participate in sports and so they have a higher ACL injury rate compared to women. However, the National Collegiate Athletic Association shows that when men and women participate equally in the same activities, women are two- to eight-times more likely to sustain an ACL injury.

Considering that about $1 billion is spent each year on ACL reconstructive surgery, shows that this is one injury that cannot be taken lightly. In fact, this dollar amount does not include after care, rehabilitation, time lost from work or the emotional toll that an injury takes on a person.

The ACL lies deep in the knee and connects the tibia to the femur. Approximately 70 percent of ACL injuries result from noncontact mechanisms.

Stretched or torn in most knee injuries, the ACL is especially vulnerable to such athletic movements as landing, stopping or planting the feet to change directions. Sports like football and soccer that are played on grass surfaces have a high rate of these injuries. The foot is planted, the cleats "grip" the grass and then the body tries to quickly move in a different direction.

Instead of giving up your favorite sport or activity, look at ways to lower your risks.

A project called PEP (Prevent injury and Enhance Performance) has proposed the following strategies to help reduce knee injuries: Avoid vulnerable positions by learning correct movement techniques. Improve your flexibility and strength. Incorporate plyometric exercises into your training program. Increase proprioception through agility exercise.

Although you might not participate in sports, your workout routine could be putting you at risk for an injury.

First, most people are injured when after years of sedentary behavior they jump full-tilt into a workout program. If it has been awhile since you have been to the gym, start back slowly. If you used to run in high school, which was 20-plus years ago, start with a simple walking program. It is surprising that a quick-paced power walk can be a challenge and is also much gentler on the knees.

Any type of repetitive movement can also lead to injury. Classes like cycling, kickboxing, and step are all wonderful for burning calories and raising the heart rate. However, you should try to round-out your routine by switching from one to the other occasionally. Repeating the same movement over and over leads to strain and puts wear and tear on the joints.

Most ACL injuries start with a nagging pain in the back of the knee. If after, rest, ice and elevation this pain is still prevalent, see a doctor.

Most experts agree that after surgery, the knee may only return to 90 percent capacity. Of course, you will give yourself the highest chances for a quick recovery by following after-care therapy.

Once you have recovered, do not neglect the exercises that were taught to you in therapy as they may keep the knee from being re-injured.

Kim Springer and her husband, Mike, are Certified Personal Trainers and owners of Springer Training. They can be reached at 233-9442 or at their Web site www.springertraining.com.