Help - knees.
Replies
-
Do you have access to a stationary bicycle ? I had a lot of trouble with a painful / giving way / locking knee and find that doing 20 mins on the static bike daily really strengthened the muscles around my knee ( taking away need for a brace)1
-
Losing weight does help with knees, however if your knees are anything like mine (spend years in knee braces as a kid and now get cortisone injections every now and then), your knees may not be so forgiving. Knees can be jerks.
What has been helping me on top of actually losing weight was to build up muscle in the knee area and legs. 1 -
One side note: You mentioned trying tai chi. Generally, I'm a tai chi advocate (late husband was a tai chi teacher).
But tai chi may not be an ideal choice for those with certain knee problems - many forms have you turn while you have weight on the knee. I have a torn meniscus & arthritis, among other issues, and find this kind of motion aggravates my knee pain.
You may be able to gently experiment to see which types of motion cause problems. For me, impact & weighted twisting/torque are Bad Things. Ditto full range bends (like full squats). But straight-line hinge motions are doable, within a slightly limited range. So running & most dance aerobics type things are out, but rowing & biking work OK. Your problems are different, so your solutions will be, too.
For me, getting stronger leg muscles has definitely helped, but getting to a healthy weight has made a huge improvement.
Good luck!1 -
This content has been removed.
-
One side note: You mentioned trying tai chi. Generally, I'm a tai chi advocate (late husband was a tai chi teacher).
But tai chi may not be an ideal choice for those with certain knee problems - many forms have you turn while you have weight on the knee. I have a torn meniscus & arthritis, among other issues, and find this kind of motion aggravates my knee pain.
You may be able to gently experiment to see which types of motion cause problems. For me, impact & weighted twisting/torque are Bad Things. Ditto full range bends (like full squats). But straight-line hinge motions are doable, within a slightly limited range. So running & most dance aerobics type things are out, but rowing & biking work OK. Your problems are different, so your solutions will be, too.
For me, getting stronger leg muscles has definitely helped, but getting to a healthy weight has made a huge improvement.
Good luck!
Thanks for replying. It's interesting what you say about tai chi. Since September I've done a 10min gentle daily tai chi routine I found on you tube. But a couple of weeks ago I bought the tai cheng system which seems more difficult. It was after I'd done five days of this that I started getting knee twinges again so I did think it was probably linked. I quite enjoyed doing it so I was disappointed to have to stop but I do think it might have affected my knee.
0 -
k9education wrote: »As has already been said, excess weight can have a significant impact on your joints. My mother-in-law can barely walk at all due to the damage caused by being significantly overweight for so many years.
Now as far as having bad knees or any joint for that matter (and as someone who has bad knees), the best advice I can give is to lift weights. Building up the muscle around the joint will have a huge positive impact.
It often read about the results people get from lifting weights but I've never thought of doing them myself. I suppose it's me being wary about hurting my knee again. I'll definitely have to find out more about what I can do to strengthen my legs.0 -
cerise_noir wrote: »Losing weight does help with knees, however if your knees are anything like mine (spend years in knee braces as a kid and now get cortisone injections every now and then), your knees may not be so forgiving. Knees can be jerks. What has been helping me on top of actually losing weight was to build up muscle in the knee area and legs.
There definitely seems to be a common theme of building up muscles around my knees so that's the direction I think I need to go. Thanks for replying, hope your knees aren't too bad at the moment.0 -
Do you have access to a stationary bicycle ? I had a lot of trouble with a painful / giving way / locking knee and find that doing 20 mins on the static bike daily really strengthened the muscles around my knee ( taking away need for a brace)
I have a mini cycle thing where you just sit on an ordinary chair so I might use that for now. Sometimes when I use it i must sit in the wrong position and get a bad back so I'll have to be careful not to do that. I think I'll definitely have to look into getting a proper stationary bike, though as I put in my original post I struggle to find one where I can reach the pedals! I did wonder about a recumbent bike and whether that would be better for me so I'll have to have a think.
Has the bike stopped all your knee troubles?
Thanks for your reply, it's really helped me.0 -
Stationary bike will do wonder for you, while watching your favourite programme,10 to 20 minutes, will rienforce the muscle and tendons around your knee and help you in your weight loss journey. also a knee support during the day, will help you feel more stable.......I also have knee problems.....1
-
Stationary bike will do wonder for you, while watching your favourite programme,10 to 20 minutes, will rienforce the muscle and tendons around your knee and help you in your weight loss journey. also a knee support during the day, will help you feel more stable.......I also have knee problems.....
I'm beginning to realise that an exercise bike is definitely the way to go. I might use my mini one for now but need to look into whether a recumbent bike is better than an upright one in the long term. Thanks for you reply. Bad knees suck don't they?0 -
Bike is recommended as it's low impact.....my surgeon told me not to walk as an exercise, (bone on bone) only low impact exercise, bike or cross trainer.0
-
Bike is recommended as it's low impact.....my surgeon told me not to walk as an exercise, (bone on bone) only low impact exercise, bike or cross trainer.
I'm scared to walk much in case my knee gives way so I walk quite slowly now, which probably doesn't burn many calories! Last week I tried a few minutes on a gazelle exercise machine but could feel twinges in my knee so I stopped. I can't think that would be bad for my knee but then I suppose my weight is on my knee joints, whereas with a bike it's not. Stationary cycling is definitely the way to go!0 -
sparkymolly wrote: »Stationary bike will do wonder for you, while watching your favourite programme,10 to 20 minutes, will rienforce the muscle and tendons around your knee and help you in your weight loss journey. also a knee support during the day, will help you feel more stable.......I also have knee problems.....
I'm beginning to realise that an exercise bike is definitely the way to go. I might use my mini one for now but need to look into whether a recumbent bike is better than an upright one in the long term. Thanks for you reply. Bad knees suck don't they?
Try one out first. Bikes absolutely kill my knees and I'm very uncomfortable on them. Even recumbent bikes. Mileage really varies.0 -
GottaBurnEmAll wrote: »sparkymolly wrote: »Stationary bike will do wonder for you, while watching your favourite programme,10 to 20 minutes, will rienforce the muscle and tendons around your knee and help you in your weight loss journey. also a knee support during the day, will help you feel more stable.......I also have knee problems.....
I'm beginning to realise that an exercise bike is definitely the way to go. I might use my mini one for now but need to look into whether a recumbent bike is better than an upright one in the long term. Thanks for you reply. Bad knees suck don't they?
Try one out first. Bikes absolutely kill my knees and I'm very uncomfortable on them. Even recumbent bikes. Mileage really varies.
It's so hard to know what to do for the best regarding exercise. I enjoyed using the mini cycle I have but kept getting back pain. I'd love to try an aeropilates machine because theyre meant to be good for joints but they're really expensive. I'm hoping the physio will advise me about the best exercise I can do.0 -
I really think you need to see a specialist first to see what they recommend. for instance my PT says recumbent bike is best for me. Your doctor may say something else, depending on what is actually happening within your knee.1
-
I really think you need to see a specialist first to see what they recommend. for instance my PT says recumbent bike is best for me. Your doctor may say something else, depending on what is actually happening within your knee.
I think you're right. I'll not decide on anything til I've seen someone.1 -
sparkymolly wrote: »Stationary bike will do wonder for you, while watching your favourite programme,10 to 20 minutes, will rienforce the muscle and tendons around your knee and help you in your weight loss journey. also a knee support during the day, will help you feel more stable.......I also have knee problems.....
I'm beginning to realise that an exercise bike is definitely the way to go. I might use my mini one for now but need to look into whether a recumbent bike is better than an upright one in the long term. Thanks for you reply. Bad knees suck don't they?
The recumbent bike is better for my knees than an upright one, but I prefer to get my cardio from walking - in the woods on dirt trails rather than pavement. I started off at 20 minutes and am now up to 75 minutes, plus hills.
What kind of shoes do you wear? I wear Asics Gel sneakers even when just doing things around the house.0 -
sparkymolly wrote: »I've got pretty awful knees (3 major and 3 minor injuries) and losing weight (30lbs) did help.
Moderate knee arthritis in our 50's isn't unusual. Would be surprised if that is the cause of your knee buckling.
But more significant than weight loss was working really hard on getting and keeping my leg muscles strong.
Quad muscles in particular are really important for knee stability which in turn gives you confidence to do more - a beneficial circle if you like.
I had appalling knee stability after 3 months non-weight bearing and major muscle loss.
Rehab was first in a gym (straight leg lifts, resistance bands, pulleys, then progressed to stairs then to cycling.
If a brace gives you confidence your knee won't collapse then wearing one during exercise may help.
Would advise doing as much as you can (carefully!) to avoid losing more strength. Avoiding exercise may make things worse.
Hope your Physio appointment gives you the answer to your problem.
By the way I progressed from having to relearn to walk to playing 10 years of competitive squash and am now a 100 mile + cyclist. Keep on pushing, where you are now doesn't mean you can't improve. (Pushing sensibly & progressively of course!)
It sounds like you've had a fairly awful time with your knees. I do think I need to work at strengthening my leg but I'm just so fearful about hurting myself or making it worse. But I know I have to do something. I'm hoping when I see the physio they'll give me exercises I can do. When I had my one appointment with the NHS physio he only gave me a couple of exercises, including reverse lunges as he said I had mild ligament damage. But lunges make me very nervous with bad knees so I'm reluctant to do any more til I see another physio.
I'm thinking maybe an exercise bike will be my best option so I'll have to try and find one suitable for short people.
Thank you so much for your reply, it really has helped.
My diagnosis is "pain with activity" and an x-ray showed mild arthritis. The MRI didn't show anything of note.
My medical team told me no lunges or squats. I've recently moved, and as part of packing and unpacking have been doing more squats than I normally do and my knee is bothering me.
Here are the knee exercises they gave me. I've incorporated them into my yoga routine and do them several times a week:
I do these standing knee strengthening exercise between upper body sets at the gym (I haven't figured out a lower body workout that I can do.) The first time I did them I did the whole routine straight through which was too much for my knees. Doing them between sets works out much better for me.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yLoMA7I7HOQ&list=PLUXvX9BaxgqG9yO5XWB3gA_QshvrrcjVr 0 -
Most knee issues revolve around a couple of reasons: Too much weight to carry and lack of muscle strength. You can address both at the same time with correct guidance.
A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
1 -
kshama2001 wrote: »sparkymolly wrote: »Stationary bike will do wonder for you, while watching your favourite programme,10 to 20 minutes, will rienforce the muscle and tendons around your knee and help you in your weight loss journey. also a knee support during the day, will help you feel more stable.......I also have knee problems.....
I'm beginning to realise that an exercise bike is definitely the way to go. I might use my mini one for now but need to look into whether a recumbent bike is better than an upright one in the long term. Thanks for you reply. Bad knees suck don't they?
The recumbent bike is better for my knees than an upright one, but I prefer to get my cardio from walking - in the woods on dirt trails rather than pavement. I started off at 20 minutes and am now up to 75 minutes, plus hills.
What kind of shoes do you wear? I wear Asics Gel sneakers even when just doing things around the house.
The last few months I've worn nothing but skechers shoes because they're so comfortable and feel like they're supporting me. I never wear heels, always just flat shoes. I don't know if that's a good thing or not!0 -
kshama2001 wrote: »sparkymolly wrote: »I've got pretty awful knees (3 major and 3 minor injuries) and losing weight (30lbs) did help.
Moderate knee arthritis in our 50's isn't unusual. Would be surprised if that is the cause of your knee buckling.
But more significant than weight loss was working really hard on getting and keeping my leg muscles strong.
Quad muscles in particular are really important for knee stability which in turn gives you confidence to do more - a beneficial circle if you like.
I had appalling knee stability after 3 months non-weight bearing and major muscle loss.
Rehab was first in a gym (straight leg lifts, resistance bands, pulleys, then progressed to stairs then to cycling.
If a brace gives you confidence your knee won't collapse then wearing one during exercise may help.
Would advise doing as much as you can (carefully!) to avoid losing more strength. Avoiding exercise may make things worse.
Hope your Physio appointment gives you the answer to your problem.
By the way I progressed from having to relearn to walk to playing 10 years of competitive squash and am now a 100 mile + cyclist. Keep on pushing, where you are now doesn't mean you can't improve. (Pushing sensibly & progressively of course!)
It sounds like you've had a fairly awful time with your knees. I do think I need to work at strengthening my leg but I'm just so fearful about hurting myself or making it worse. But I know I have to do something. I'm hoping when I see the physio they'll give me exercises I can do. When I had my one appointment with the NHS physio he only gave me a couple of exercises, including reverse lunges as he said I had mild ligament damage. But lunges make me very nervous with bad knees so I'm reluctant to do any more til I see another physio.
I'm thinking maybe an exercise bike will be my best option so I'll have to try and find one suitable for short people.
Thank you so much for your reply, it really has helped.
My diagnosis is "pain with activity" and an x-ray showed mild arthritis. The MRI didn't show anything of note.
My medical team told me no lunges or squats. I've recently moved, and as part of packing and unpacking have been doing more squats than I normally do and my knee is bothering me.
Here are the knee exercises they gave me. I've incorporated them into my yoga routine and do them several times a week:
I do these standing knee strengthening exercise between upper body sets at the gym (I haven't figured out a lower body workout that I can do.) The first time I did them I did the whole routine straight through which was too much for my knees. Doing them between sets works out much better for me.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yLoMA7I7HOQ&list=PLUXvX9BaxgqG9yO5XWB3gA_QshvrrcjVr
That's great, thank you! I'll definitely give these a go.0 -
Most knee issues revolve around a couple of reasons: Too much weight to carry and lack of muscle strength. You can address both at the same time with correct guidance.
A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
As I didn't injure my knee in an accident or anything I think you're probably right about the causes. I definitely need to work on strengthening my legs to hopefully benefit my knees. And as I lose the rest of my wait I'm hoping that will make a difference too.0 -
sparkymolly wrote: »Most knee issues revolve around a couple of reasons: Too much weight to carry and lack of muscle strength. You can address both at the same time with correct guidance.
A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
As I didn't injure my knee in an accident or anything I think you're probably right about the causes. I definitely need to work on strengthening my legs to hopefully benefit my knees. And as I lose the rest of my wait I'm hoping that will make a difference too.
11 months ago my knees and hips were killing me, even after hiking a lot over the summer and fall (I had the false impression that I could outhike my excess calorie intake). The culprit: 50 pounds of extra weight that I've been carrying for over 30 years. I've shed those 50 pounds and am now hiking 12-15 miles/week in the mountains by my home. My knees love me again and I'm looking forward to a pain free winter of skiing and snow shoeing. Do make sure there is not something serious going on that will impede your progress and congratulations on your progress so far.1 -
sparkymolly wrote: »Most knee issues revolve around a couple of reasons: Too much weight to carry and lack of muscle strength. You can address both at the same time with correct guidance.
A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
As I didn't injure my knee in an accident or anything I think you're probably right about the causes. I definitely need to work on strengthening my legs to hopefully benefit my knees. And as I lose the rest of my wait I'm hoping that will make a difference too.
'Weight' even, not wait!0 -
sparkymolly wrote: »Most knee issues revolve around a couple of reasons: Too much weight to carry and lack of muscle strength. You can address both at the same time with correct guidance.
A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
As I didn't injure my knee in an accident or anything I think you're probably right about the causes. I definitely need to work on strengthening my legs to hopefully benefit my knees. And as I lose the rest of my wait I'm hoping that will make a difference too.
11 months ago my knees and hips were killing me, even after hiking a lot over the summer and fall (I had the false impression that I could outhike my excess calorie intake). The culprit: 50 pounds of extra weight that I've been carrying for over 30 years. I've shed those 50 pounds and am now hiking 12-15 miles/week in the mountains by my home. My knees love me again and I'm looking forward to a pain free winter of skiing and snow shoeing. Do make sure there is not something serious going on that will impede your progress and congratulations on your progress so far.
Thank you so much for replying. It's good to hear that losing weight can make a big difference to bad knees. I'll be checking with the physio/doctor to make sure it's nothing else but hopefully it is my weight then at least it's down to me to sort it.1 -
sparkymolly wrote: »sparkymolly wrote: »Most knee issues revolve around a couple of reasons: Too much weight to carry and lack of muscle strength. You can address both at the same time with correct guidance.
A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
As I didn't injure my knee in an accident or anything I think you're probably right about the causes. I definitely need to work on strengthening my legs to hopefully benefit my knees. And as I lose the rest of my wait I'm hoping that will make a difference too.
'Weight' even, not wait!
You can edit your posts for up to an hour
0 -
kshama2001 wrote: »sparkymolly wrote: »sparkymolly wrote: »Most knee issues revolve around a couple of reasons: Too much weight to carry and lack of muscle strength. You can address both at the same time with correct guidance.
A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
As I didn't injure my knee in an accident or anything I think you're probably right about the causes. I definitely need to work on strengthening my legs to hopefully benefit my knees. And as I lose the rest of my wait I'm hoping that will make a difference too.
'Weight' even, not wait!
You can edit your posts for up to an hour
Good to know, thanks!!0 -
Just wanted to thank everyone who replied to my original post. I very much appreciated the advice, good wishes and similar stories from everyone.
I saw a physio yesterday and she was really good. She says it doesn't seem to be anything structurally in my knee causing the instability. She thinks it's just my muscles very weak from almost a year of not much activity and not walking properly because I was so scared of my knee giving way. (Which is what some of you lovely people said!)
She's given me exercises and recommended I use an exercise bike and I go back to see her next week and for another session after that.
She has definitely restored my confidence just in that one meeting so I'm hoping in the next few weeks that my knee just gets stronger and stronger.
Thanks again for all your supportive posts.4 -
So glad to had the chance to see your pt. I'm going again 2x next week then we shall see. She said she will give me excursive I can do at gym. Another pt came by, the one in charge and he told me this may help a little to make my hips stronger but my knees are so turned I should understand that an orthopedic doctor is in my future.
I hope I'm not wasting my time but hopefully it will make me a bit stronger even if I do end up at doctor. 1
Categories
- All Categories
- 1.4M Health, Wellness and Goals
- 393.4K Introduce Yourself
- 43.8K Getting Started
- 260.2K Health and Weight Loss
- 175.9K Food and Nutrition
- 47.4K Recipes
- 232.5K Fitness and Exercise
- 426 Sleep, Mindfulness and Overall Wellness
- 6.5K Goal: Maintaining Weight
- 8.5K Goal: Gaining Weight and Body Building
- 153K Motivation and Support
- 8K Challenges
- 1.3K Debate Club
- 96.3K Chit-Chat
- 2.5K Fun and Games
- 3.7K MyFitnessPal Information
- 24 News and Announcements
- 1.1K Feature Suggestions and Ideas
- 2.6K MyFitnessPal Tech Support Questions