Be nice to your knees now, avoid surgery later.

Whether you’re dashing up the stairs, saying your prayers or strutting your best Michael Jackson move, a sudden “OUCH!” from your knees can stop the action faster than a goalie.

I told my knee surgeon when I was a girl I did too much kneeling on hard, wooden benches in Church. All joking aside arthritic knees are painful.

Ignore persistent ouches, and getting to  know a knee surgeon may be next. Don’t want to go there?

Take this fast new knee health test. It can predict your future.

1. Have you ever had a knee injury?
2. Have x-rays spotted knee osteoarthritis? I have had a cat scan and an MRI done on my left knee and yes I do have arthritis under the knee cap. I also have a benign tumor on the same knee.
3. Is your body mass index 25 or higher? (Not sure? Use the BMI calculator at Realage.com)

If you’re a female over 50, even one “yes” means you need to do something now to prevent knee problems later.

Three “yeses” and you’ll know that surgeon’s office hours by heart if you don’t get serious. What to do:

• Abandon the couch. Regular exercise strengthens your leg muscles, giving your knees vital support. Focus on low-impact activities that build stamina, strength and flexibility: Walking, biking, swimming, weightlifting.

• This is one of the many reasons I am so committed to my gym workouts and walking activities.I can only try to do the best I can for my knee as I have been told I am looking at a knee cap replacement surgery in the near future. I am hoping that I can put it off. My Momma had severe arthritis in her left knee so it can also be genetic.

• Eat like a knee doc. These DHA-rich foods stifle joint damaging inflammation: walnuts, avocado, flax seeds, salmon and trout. To be sure you get enough, take 900 mg a day of DHA omega-3.

• Don’t go back for seconds. Obesity almost guarantees osteoarthritis because it speeds cartilage breakdown. Every extra pound puts 3 pounds of pressure on your knees when you walk. Dropping even 10 pounds or so can cut your risk of osteoarthritis in half. Good for it! Bum knees are a bummer, and most knee surgeons aren’t that much fun. I work hard to keep a good weight for my body size.

“You’re only as old as you feel. Age is only a number. You don’t have to act old.  You can be “young” at any age! “

Source: Health Tips