Most people undergo a knee replacement due to osteoarthritis in the joint, which can cause pain, swelling and less knee mobility. “We’ve always had this idea that muscle mass matters and helps protect joints,” said Miller, who was not involved with the study. The data that van Meurs and her colleagues studied came from people with an average body mass index of 26. “Before engaging in a lot of weight-bearing activity, do some training in the gym to strengthen your leg muscles,” van Meurs said. And if you’re going to take up a weight-bearing activity such as running, start slowly.

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Persons: ”, Joyce van Meurs, ” van Meurs, “, Oleg Breslavtsev, Kathryn Miller, “ We’ve, Miller, van Meurs, Meurs, ” Miller, “ It’s, you’ll, Melanie Radzicki McManus Organizations: CNN, Therapeutic Medicine, JAMA, Erasmus Medical Center, Getty, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine, Public Health, BMI, CNN’s Locations: United States, Netherlands, Rotterdam , Netherlands, Madison, ”