According to Dr. Etty Griffin, staff orthopedist at Peachtree Orthopedic Clinic in Atlanta, “With knees you need to be careful not to overuse or abuse…doing too much too fast can be stressful for tissue around the knee."
It is easy to fall into the routine of everyday life—leaving out stretching and exercising—and watching a TV program or dropping the kids off at a friend’s house. But by making stretching and strengthening exercises a regular part of your day you are encouraging your brain to adopt healthier habits and to keep your joints in better shape.
According to Ilchi Lee, originator of the Brain Education System Training (BEST) and author of In Full Bloom: A Brain Education Guide for Successful Aging, “Knee problems are among the most common physical complaints as we get older.” Keeping your joints functioning smoothly is important for lifelong mobility.
To help prepare your knees for strenuous activity and to keep your joints fluid, Lee suggests practicing the following exercise, knee rotation.
From Ilchi Lee (Excerpted from In Full Bloom: A Brain Education Guide for Successful Aging)
• Bend your knees slightly and keep the bottoms of your feet flat on the floor. Rest your hands on your knees, but do not put any weight on your knees with your hands. Relax your upper body.
• Rotate your knees, together, in a circular motion toward the right. Do not raise the bottoms of your feet off the floor.
• Repeat the movement, circling in the opposite direction.
• Rotate your knees in little circles, inside to outside, allowing your knees to separate slightly.
• Repeat the movement in the opposite direction, outside to inside.
Popular Brain Tips 
There’s an expression: sometimes, you just can’t win. So it goes with your knees. Whether you are active or inactive, the basic routine of living your life—walking, exercise, stair climbing and/or lounging on the couch—can all take a toll on your knees. Your best defense? Take care of your whole body, and especially your knees.
