Kneezy Kneeling Pad and Ladder Accessory
What is Kneezy?
The Kneezy is a dense foam kneeling pad that clips onto any ladder, to protect knees and shins while you are working at height. It quickly unclips to provide a kneeling pad to use on the floor, and provides cushioning and insulation so your knee joints don’t get cold when kneeling on the floor.
DIY Doctor recently put Kneezy through a series of real-life site tests to find out how well it performed, and you can see the full product review in our reviews section here.
Kneezy was tested by tradesmen and DIYers for painting, cleaning gutters and facias, carpet laying and laminate flooring fitting, floor screeding and gardening. It passed all our tests with flying colours, and was adopted by our tradesmen. It also made its way into our vans as part of the DIY Doctor tool kit.
When you are transporting your ladders on the van roof, the pad can be turned around and clipped onto the end of the ladder, where it displays a ‘caution’ sign to warn other road-users that the ends of the ladder are sticking out beyond the roof. We received this verdict from our floor screeders:
For its thickness and weight it provides every bit as much comfort as the most expensive Gel knee pads.
The Kneezy is thin, light and durable and is much cheaper to buy than a decent pair of knee pads. Also where knee pads only protect the knee joint they don’t support the shins when kneeling, or leaning against the rungs of the a ladder.
Looking after your knees
Having well-fitting and supportive shoes or trainers can greatly reduce knee strain and pain in the knees. Good sports shops offer a service to have your footware professionally assessed before you buy them.
Many people find gentle exercises like yoga beneficial, although you should discuss any health challenges with your practitioner before you start. Alternatively you can opt for non weight-bearing exercises such as swimming or cycling to strengthen leg muscles and support your joints. Cycling may also stimulate the growth of cartilage. High impact sports like running, squash and tennis are best avoided.
Sarah Stanner writing in the Telegraph recommends that if you suffer from rheumatoid arthritis you could consider taking supplements such as Glucosamine and Chondroitin (which is found in joint cartilage) or fish oils. There are reports that fish oils can decrease pain and morning stiffness in rheumatoid arthritis sufferers. The omega-3 fatty acids in fish oils are said to stimulate the body to produce substances that can dampen the inflammatory response. Try taking the supplements for a month to see if they help, and always discuss taking supplements with your doctor first.
Consultant orthopaedic and trauma surgeon at Spire, The Glen Hospital, Bristol, John Hardy, advises in his article for the Express that early diagnosis is key to preventing more severe and irreversible damage to knees. He says
If you have a sharp, intermittent, localised pain you should get checked out sooner rather than later in order to stop some conditions getting worse. . . If you do suffer with knee pain, particularly after working out, an ice pack on the affected area can really help to ease discomfort.
He also advises suffers to make sure they are not overweight, because carrying extra weight puts unnecessary strain on the joints. Getting enough sleep is also important too, because the body enters into a ‘repair mode’ when we have sufficient, quality, deep sleep.
Exercises for Knee Health
These knee exercises can help keep the joints flexible and the surrounding muscles strong to support the joints:
Lie down on your back and slide your foot toward your bottom, bending the knee until your heel is as close to your buttock as possible. Hold for five seconds, and then slide the leg back until it is straight. Then do the same on the other side. Repeat five times each side.
Still lying on your back, flex your left foot so the toes pull slightly up towards you. Engage your core and abdominal muscles by slightly tensing them. Point your right toe slightly and then lift your right leg about a foot off the floor (30cm). Hold that for about ten seconds. Do the same on the other side. Repeat three times each side.
There are more knee strengthening exercises on the NHS website.
Video about Kneezy
See the Kneezy kneeling pad and ladder guard in action, with DIY Doctor, in this video review.
