Knees, as every runner, sprinter, athlete and aspiring weight loss enthusiast knows, are one of the most crucial parts of the body which play a major role in your daily fitness regime. Without the power of powerful and flexible knees, it is quite impossible to run properly and perform most of the common health and fitness exercises. How does one keep the knees fit?

Australian Scientists, after studying the diet plans and knees and the daily exercise schedule of about 300 adults for 10 years found out that eating papaya can help a lot in keeping the knees healthy. People can prevent the common wear and tear of knees by having vitamin c enriched foods and fruits such as oranges, lemons etc. Not only this, but even osteoarthritis is prevented to a large extent. The reason begin this is that the antioxidants present in the fruits help to avoid cartilage damage by keeping them well nourished while the vitamin C helps to keeps the bones strong and fit, says Flavia Cicuttini, a knee specialist and a member of this research group.

So if you are an active runner, or anyone running to lose weight, make sure to add large amounts of oranges apricots and papayas to your diet as they are all rich in vitamin C. Extra weight in the body means extra pressure and weight on the knees and this more than doubles the wear and tear.

Another strategy to prevent knee injury is to practise abrupt body stoppages. Most sports persons who work out daily or play hard court sports such as basketball and tennis tend to put more pressure on their knees. The hard pressure from the ground increases the wear and tear and therefore, these guys have to be more cautious. One on court strategy to prevent knee injury is to practise adept movements, stopping abruptly and running again. Short sprints also work out well in this respect. Over a period of time, the knees and legs get used to the hard knocking know and then and so are much better equipped to encounter any shocks. These quick movements also strengths the knee muscles and bones, keeping them secure in their sockets.

A combination of the above two strategies can work out very well in preventing any sort of knee damage and helping you to keep away from undesirable knee damages and thus making you consistent at your fitness regimes.