Best exercises for someone with bad knees

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p_andrews10
p_andrews10 Posts: 6 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Hello,
Looking for advice for exercise I can do with bad knees.
Thanks for any advice, I am work with a trainer 3 times a week but on the off days would like to do exercise at home.

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  • Need2Exerc1se
    Need2Exerc1se Posts: 13,575 Member
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    The best advice I have is to check with your doctor, especially if the pain is from an injury or disease.

    Swimming might be a good option if you access to water. Also, things like non-standing calisthenics like pushups, crunches, leg lifts, etc. Walking is usually good. You might try a knee brace to help lessen pain. Yoga or Pilates.

    It's really hard to advise without knowing what is causing the knee pain and how severe it is, but basically I think you'd want to stick to low/no impact exercises.
  • gaelicstorm26
    gaelicstorm26 Posts: 589 Member
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    Along with what @Need2Exerc1se said, biking might be a good alternative. If you are already at the gym three days a week, yoga or pilates might be a perfect fit for you.
  • NotSoPerfectPam
    NotSoPerfectPam Posts: 114 Member
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    Biking is a great exercise. My knees are iffy and I bike all the time. But the caveat is you need to make sure that you are seated properly on your bike so you're not stressing your knees. If you go to a spinning class the spinning instructor can set you up properly also
  • whmscll
    whmscll Posts: 2,254 Member
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    Upper body weight training.
  • mommyof4cpa
    mommyof4cpa Posts: 82 Member
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    NotSoPerfectPam wrote: »
    Biking is a great exercise. My knees are iffy and I bike all the time. But the caveat is you need to make sure that you are seated properly on your bike so you're not stressing your knees. If you go to a spinning class the spinning instructor can set you up properly also

    +1, especially being seated properly. I hurt my knee hiking this summer and was able to use the stationary bike while that healed as long as the seat wasn't too high.
  • Sam_I_Am77
    Sam_I_Am77 Posts: 2,093 Member
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    p_andrews10 wrote: »
    Hello,
    Looking for advice for exercise I can do with bad knees.
    Thanks for any advice, I am work with a trainer 3 times a week but on the off days would like to do exercise at home.

    If your knees are bad to the point where your exercise options are limited, you should see your doctor. Also, if you trust your trainer and if he/she is worth a darn, why not get some recommendations from them for that one home-exercise day?
  • fannyfrost
    fannyfrost Posts: 756 Member
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    My doctor and physical therapist suggested exercises for my bad knees. Building strength around the area does help with the pain. However, you have to make sure you are doing the right exercises. Some of the machines at the gym can actually hurt your knees.

    Talk to an orthopedist about the best thing to do for your situation. There are many different types of knee problems and any advice you get about knees might not be the right advice for your circumstance. Bad knees could be arthritis, an ACL problem, tight IT band, meniscus problem.

    I have arthritis, tight IT band on left leg and Meniscus problem on right leg. The exercises for each injury are different. Only consistency is to add strength to help support the knee.

    As for exercises that I would recommend:

    Swimming
    Water Aerobics
    Pilates on the mat

    I found Pilates, Yoga and Ballet taught me how to control and pay attention to my body. If you do try Yoga, make sure its with an instructor and you tell them you have a knee problem so they modify accordingly.

  • Fuzzipeg
    Fuzzipeg Posts: 2,300 Member
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    Can I suggest you give yourself a couple of rest days in your week. Rest is a valuable part of exercise. It gives the body time to recover from your beneficial exercise and enables you to be ready to do similar again or try something else. Keep up the good work.
  • kimiuzzell
    kimiuzzell Posts: 611 Member
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    Swimming can be dangerous. Properly executed freestyle kicks should be OK as the knee stays stable but most people do a "lazier" breaststroke/frog kick which pushes the knees out and, depending on the knee issue of course, can make it worse. People assume that because the water acts as a support it is ok, but it's not always the case at all.

    I had ACL reconstruction and swimming was the very last form of exercise I could get back into other than high impact stuff.
  • fannyfrost
    fannyfrost Posts: 756 Member
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    Kimiuzzell - wow did not know that. It makes sense because water does act as resistance.
  • kimiuzzell
    kimiuzzell Posts: 611 Member
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    I was surprised when the physio told me, so I went against the advice, gave it a go, realised he was absolutely right and learned my lesson! It was them some time until I went back in the pool and just focused on the bike instead, even though it bored me to tears!

    2 years later and my knees are as strong as ever...the patience and perseverance paid off.
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
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    p_andrews10 wrote: »
    Hello,
    Looking for advice for exercise I can do with bad knees.
    Thanks for any advice, I am work with a trainer 3 times a week but on the off days would like to do exercise at home.

    It depends what's 'bad' about them?

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