Many people experience joint clicking when doing certain body movements. If you’ve been asking yourself, ‘Why do my elbow pop when I do a push up?’, you’re not alone. Yet, the occasional knee pop when standing up, elbow crack when doing push ups, and knuckle cracks can have you wondering, why? Luckily it is incredibly common and we have found out the answers to many of your questions concerning joint noises.
Why are our joints making noise?
The main and simple answer is age. As we get older the cartilage within our joints begins to wear down, which then allows for the joints to rub together and make different noises, sometimes even a snapping sound. Orthopedics claim that this is very normal and a part of the aging process, so don’t be alarmed. However, if the noise is accompanied by pain or swelling this could be a sign of an injury and should be checked by a doctor.
Other reasons for joint noise are muscle tightness or tendons rubbing over the bone. A way to prevent this is by stretching those muscles before working out, and the noises should decrease or disappear all together.
Another thing to note is that despite the old wives’ tales, popping in your joints or fingers does not mean that you are developing arthritis. The cracking sounds in your fingers come from the natural nitrogen bubbles that occur in your joints. There have not been any studies that have proven the arthritis theories. Moral of the story: Although noises from our joints can be distracting when working out, it is totally normal.
Don’t worry that your elbows crack when doing push ups
A common question we get asked time and time again is about the sounds that elbows make when people are doing push ups. In fact, it’s something that can happen with any repetitive action. Although it might feel worrying to hear your elbow cracking during a push up, it’s nothing out of the ordinary. And again, it’s likely due to muscle tightness – alleviated by stretching out before you start your workout regime.
As with any type of exercise, if you feel swelling or pain accompanying the cracking or popping of your elbows, then it’s wise to get it check out by a doctor.
Work out with the best at The BXNG Club
Whether you’re a beginner or a pro, into martial arts, yoga or gym training, we’d love to see you at one of our gyms in San Diego. Our personal trainers are at the top of their game. And newcomers are welcome to a complimentary personal training session with us.
