My knee has hurt since I started exercising. What am I doing wrong?

Why new exercise hurts knees

Muscles and fitness improve in weeks, but tendons, cartilage and bone adapt more slowly, over months. Enthusiastic beginners often feel fit enough to do more before their knees are ready. The result is typically pain around or below the kneecap, or on the outside of the knee in runners.

In Qatar this pattern is common with padel, which many people take up as adults, with new running groups when the weather cools, and with gym challenges that ramp up quickly.

Common culprits

• Increasing running distance or padel hours by too much each week
• Deep, heavy squats, lunges or jumping before building basic strength
• High-intensity classes every day without rest days
• Running on sand or hard surfaces without a gradual transition
• Worn or unsuitable shoes
• Training in heat and dehydration, which leads to fatigue and poorer technique

How to adjust and keep going

• Cut back the volume by about a third to a half for two weeks, rather than stopping
• Increase training by small steps each week once the pain settles
• Leave at least one easy day between hard sessions
• Add two sessions a week of thigh, hip and calf strengthening
• For padel, play shorter sessions and work on footwork; for running, mix walking intervals into runs
• Train early or in air-conditioned spaces in the hotter months

A physiotherapist or a qualified coach can check technique and help plan the progression.

When it is more than overload

See a knee specialist if the knee swelled, gave way, locked, or if pain started suddenly with a twist or a pop rather than building up gradually. Also book if pain is not improving after four to six weeks of reduced load.

At Aman Hospital in Doha, Dr. Gelber sees many new padel players, runners and gym-goers, and the aim is almost always to keep them exercising safely.