Answers from Expert: Michelle Cederberg

It's always a bit of a challenge to make such bold statements as "Step aerobics is hard on the joints for everyone," and paint all steppers with that same brush. We are all biomechanically unique. Some of us can run forever without pain while others only walk because their knees or hips can't handle the pounding. Some of us could step for hours with three risers on each side while others would have difficulty completing one class with no risers. When an individual complains of specific joint pain it's necessary to review their current activities but it's equally important to consider the shoes they wear, the technique they embrace, whether they warm up properly or stretch afterwards, whether there are pre-existing injuries, what their day-to-day job entails (i.e. does their job as a grocery clerk impact their shoulder pain?), whether other activities cause the same pain, how they sleep, etc. If you enjoy step classes and are not experiencing any problems then I say step away. Every physical activity that requires us to repeatedly weight bear(walking, running, cycling, dancing, aerobics classes, soccer, squash, hiking) has the potential to cause joint pain, but the benefits far outweigh the risks, which can be minimized with a few precautions: 1. Ensure that your athletic shoes provide the right kind of support for your activity and replace them every six to 12 months (depending on how frequently you exercise). You can increase the life of your gym shoe by not wearing them for anything but your workouts. Many people will have two pairs –- an inside pair and an outside pair. 2. Keep your workouts well balanced by including some weight training and regular stretching along with your cardio routines. Joint pain or instability can be greatly minimized or eliminated with resistance training (to strengthen muscles around joints) and stretching (to decrease tightness that may impact joint mobility). 3. Work on your core stability. If the muscles of your abdominals and low back are doing their job to stabilize while you move, you will stand taller and move with greater ease while minimizing stress on the hips and low back. 4. Every now and then try something different. Joint pain becomes more prevalent when we repeat similar movements over and over again. Cross training means that once a week you switch to another form of cardio training (i.e. cycling, elliptical machine or swimming) that changes how you move and perhaps takes some of the impact off the joints. The day of change will allow for recovery of some of the muscles you're regularly 'pounding' in your step classes. And besides, variety in your fitness program ensures your body will continue to be challenged –- a scenario that means you're optimizing calorie burning. Keep moving! Michelle Cederberg, MKin, PFLC www.liveoutloud.ca