Help - Best exercises for knee injuries????

lyttmab
lyttmab Posts: 87 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I injured my left knee a while back - the MRI demonstrates torn ligaments and meniscus .. no bone is broken. I was layed off last year - no medical insurance = no repairs. Because I've been putting all my weight on my right leg, now my right hip and knee are tender.

I'm desperate to do some exercising. I've done some sit ups/arm stuff w/weights but nothing consistent, just stuff I've remembered doing in the past. Is there anything on-line/DVD/you-tube etc. that has a program I could follow for someone with damaged knees?

I walk but only can make it not even a quarter mile and need to return back home due to the pain.

I cannot afford to join a gym. I am 51 years old - so I'm dropping weight slowly, but it's still ugly when you're this old. I desperately need to firm up.

Thanks for any suggestions!!!

jean

Replies

  • chandanista
    chandanista Posts: 986 Member
    I damaged my knee similarly early this year. I was able to get a physical therapist, which really was the best thing for my knee. He kept telling me SLOW DOWN. I could do my leg lifts, but he reiterated not to go so high. He had me squeeze a ball between my knees, then release it, over and over again. And I was told to SLOW DOWN my biking. He suggested spending time in the pool, water walking. Also allowed me to do up to 10 minutes on an elliptical at a time.

    The big thing was when I felt pain, stinging pain, I was to STOP whatever I was doing instead of just slow down.
    I'm not 100% better, but he graduated me out of therapy and I was able to walk the Independence Day parade yesterday, so I'm nearly there.
    And anything arm weights/shoulder weights will help your upper half while allowing your knee to rest.
    Hope that helps a little?
  • knitwit0704
    knitwit0704 Posts: 376
    Same thing with my knee, and then I got a grade three sprain in my ankle. Both are acting up a lot now (and have been for the past six months to a year) so I need a lot of help finding exercises. I try to do 30 Day Shred and other stuff, but I need to severely modify them. I'd love to see what has been come up with.

    Edit: For my knee, the doctor said it was a bone chip, and the one of the ligaments it went into and tore was *probably* (he said) the ACL. He decided I didn't need surgery, though. Maybe he just didn't want to say that I did. I don't know.

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