Discover the Best Knee Braces for Working Out

Whether you are working out for fitness, fun or training for an event, you need the right support for your body. This includes everything from your workout clothes, footwear and joint support.

In this article we are going to be focusing on the knee joint and how you can find the perfect support aid for your unique purposes.

We will be exploring the best knee brace for working out, which includes looking at the best braces for different purposes, such as different activities, targeted support for knee injuries (like meniscus tears or ligament damage), all the way through to knee support for prevention (one of our favorite reasons at The Best Knee Braces).

Let’s get into it!

Best Knee Brace for Working Out

Different working out activities call for different knee support.

It is for this reason that In this section we are going to give our top recommendations for the best types of knee support (braces, sleeves and straps) for the various work out routines.

Knee Brace for Gym Workout Sessions

The style and type of knee brace is largely going to depend on your workout routine.

Light workouts, such as circuit training or a HIIT session will require a lightweight knee brace that provides a general all round support. If you are looking at a knee brace for support, the EziFit Knee Brace is a good option with its breathable neoprene material. This allows your knee to access air circulation and makes it more comfortable and cool to wear.

The EziFit also has a unique three strap anti-slip design that helps keep the brace in place while you are burning your calories.

Knee Brace for Running

If running is your thing and you are looking for the best knee support while you are hitting the track, then jump on over to our best knee braces for running round up article, where we provide you with the pros and cons of our favorite knee support for running.

Generally speaking, you are looking for a slimline and lightweight design in knee support while running. This usually includes your knee sleeves and knee wraps. We love these styles of knee support for running because they are extremely customizable. The wrapping design allows a one size fits all package, so you can apply the compression and support to where you need it the most.

We have performed extensive research on knee support for running, and we encourage you to explore running articles series so you can get the most out of your workouts.

Knee Brace for Heavy Weight Lifting

Weight lifting can place significant pressure on the knees – especially when you are looking to improve upon your last personal best weight clearance.

This is where knee braces and sleeves can provide much-needed support and assistance.

We personally think knee sleeves and wraps are perfect for supporting your knees during your weights session. They are flexible enough to allow you to squat down without feeling restricted. Yet dynamic enough to provide the support to the areas around the knee, so you are confident to clear the weights you are lifting.

For the best example of the type of knee brace we are recommending, check out our review on the Uflex Knee Sleeve.

Knee Brace for Runners Knee

Like we mentioned above, we have covered everything that we could find abut knee support and running – this includes the commonly experienced ailment called runners knee.

Without going into too much detail (because we already have an in depth article on runners knee here), if you have ever experienced knee pain while running, jogging or even walking up and down stairs, you may have runners knee. This usually involves the over use of your knee from a repetitive motion, causing inflammation around the patella.

It is for this reason why many people suffering from this ailment use patella straps and knee braces with open designed support specific for the patella.

Knee Brace for Injury Recovery

This, of course, will depend on the specific knee injury that you sustained. However, in general you will be looking for a knee brace that has a structured knee support design to relieve the pressure placed on particular areas of the knee.

Guide to Wearing a Knee Brace for Working Out

This section of the article is supposed to give you some guidelines for when you are working out with a knee brace. It is intended to answer any questions you may have surrounding the topic of knee braces while working out. If by chance you do not find the answer you are looking for in this section, please feel free to drop your question in the comments below or reach out to us via our contact page.

Is it OK to wear a Knee Brace for Working Out?

Yes – in fact we encourage wearing any kind of knee support while working out, even if you are not experiencing any discomfort or pain.

Knee braces can be a great aid for overall health. They can help brace and protect your knees from injury during sports and other activities like running or riding a bike. Another common use of knee braces is when people are injured and need knee protection prior to returning to activity.

Do Knee Supports Really Work?

This one is a tough question to answer. The answer to your question really depends on what your ailments are (if any), and what your intended goal is for using knee supports. Add this to the mix of the plethora of different types and designs of knee supports out there.

Broadly speaking, we encourage our readers to use knee support. It is an effective and budget friendly option to maintaining your knee health. Especially when compared with the other alternatives, such as surgery.

We suggest first examining your intentions for the knee support. If you are looking to recover from a sports injury, then there are most definitely options out there to support you through your rehabilitation process.

Alternatively, if you are looking for general support while you work out, such as strength and injury prevention, then we would suggest looking at possible alternatives to knee braces, such as knee sleeves or knee straps.

How Can I Protect My Knees While Exercising

Other than the obvious knee brace and other forms of knee support for working out, there are a couple of other things you can do to protect your knees while exercising.

Here is a list of steps we believe will help you maintain a positive knee health:

incorporating warm up and down exercises into your workout routine
scheduling rest days are important to allow your body to heal and regenerate any muscle and tissue that was damaged in your previous workout sessions
perform strengthening exercises for the leg muscles that support and surround the knee
use the right equipment – for protecting your knees, this generally means choosing the right footwear that provides custom support to your specific foot print

Should I Continue to Exercise if My Knee Hurts?

At the Best Knee Braces, we always advise if you ever experience pain you should STOP. However, when you stop there are certain questions you should ask yourself to better analyze the pain you are experiencing.

Questions such as:

ask yourself where exactly is your pain? Is it around the patella? is it hurting behind the knee? On the side of the knee – if so, which side?
Next analyze the type of pain. Do you feel a dull throbbing pain? Or is it at the other end of the spectrum with a sharp needle like pain?
The last question you need to determine is what action, movement or activity caused the pain? Did the pain occur directly after you made a sudden change in direction? Was your stride unexpectedly interrupted (such as stepping off a side walk)? Were you taken by surprise during your run? Did you have to stop suddenly?

Final Thoughts on The Best Knee Brace for Working Out

Knee support is an absolute must when working out.

The type of support you will need will depend on the type of work out you are doing and what specific outcome you need from the support aids.

Knee braces are great for those that need targeted support in specific areas of the knee. Knee braces for working out also help during recovery periods after sustaining an injury.

On the other hand, if you are into more agile workouts like running or low impact sports like pilates or yoga, we recommend checking out our round ups of knee sleeves or wraps.

Whatever workout you choose, wearing knee support is critical in maintaining your knee health.

Here’s to keeping up the calorie burn!