Is exercise bad for you?

hunniehottie007

Walking and running is probably the most natural exercise, as our species has relied on it since the dawn of our existance. There were no bicycles on the savannah. Walking and running also don't require any special equiptment, outside of shoes.

I have had some knee and sciatic issues and the eliptical was what was recommended by my orthopedic surgeon, physical therapist, exercise physiologist, and my internist. They said it is the best thing at the gym for a good workout with low impact on the joints.

WOW! I guess they weren't kidding when they said ya better get a second opinion. ha

alantin

The people on the savannah did a lot of walking and running and so were rarely very big..
For a larger person of this era, minding one's joints is extremely important when beginning exercising. Overstraining a knee isn't a very fruitful way to begin..

Swimming is low impact on the joints and I can really recommend it! So is driving a bike.
Still, I wouldn't forget walking (or any other exercise) just because of the weight. Just don't overdo it and listen to your body!
I find that overdoing it is just too easy.. O_o

leavinglasvegas

Actually, the people in the days that I am speaking were the size of modern day body builders. They were pure muscle, no fat because they were physically active because they were constantly on the move. I was just stating an exapmle referring to natural movement. Theres nothing wrong with taking a walk and increasing intensity as you can tolerate it. That being said, swimming is also great advice.

glfprncs2

So here's the thing. Are some exercises worse for your joints and cartilage? Yes. We've know that for decades. But there are some huge things to note about that particular way of thinking.

1) When you're talking about low impact stuff (I.E. elliptical and such), you need to spend an awful lot of time doing it before it really becomes a serious problem.

2) Arthritis and joint issues are annoying, painful, and even possibly debilitating. But they are NOT life threatening. Obesity is, so if you were to have to choose between keeping off the weight and stemming joint issues, I'd choose the weight. You can treat arthritis if it's caught relatively early, you can't really treat death.

3) There are plenty of programs and exercise routines out there that mimic natural body movement. Pilates, weight training, jogging, swimming, bicycle riding, aerobics... etc. etc. Worrying about joint issues is not a good reason to limit your exercise, if something hurts, just find a different routine.

YES! This!

Not to mention that caring around more weight than your body was designed to carry around all day, every day can also cause you joint pain!

I have a long history of knee problems. When I weighed 160 lbs and my knees would hurt terribly just standing for too long. After losing just 10 lbs I remember thinking about how much better my knees felt. I was also exercising during this time and strengthening the muscles around my knees, so that may have also helped them to feel better. Point being, my knees feel a whole lot better NOW (lighter and more active) than they ever did while I was heavier and mostly sedentary.

I used to think that I couldn't do squats and lunges because I had a bum left knee from years as a ski instructor. Amazingly, after 6 months of exercise and a loss of 30 pounds, my knees didn't hurt anymore. Go figure!

When I first went to my orthopedic surgeon because of my knee pain, I was informed that the tears really weren't bad enough to do surgery and that he wasn't going to limit what activities I wanted to do (like continuing to ski, etc.) because becoming obese and sedentary would be far worse than doing my exercise activities on a bum wheel.

Nina74

Ironically, for people who have arthritis, they tell them to get out and MOVE and exercise regularly to combat the pain. Although you are in pain, exercise lessens the pain over the long term, so I'm not sure what your doctor is going on about. Yes, high impact exercise definitely puts pressure on your joints and it is all personal.

I've watched my mom (weighs about 210) suffer from debilitating rheumatic & osteo arthritis. At 65 she has had 2 knee replacements and a shoulder replacement. I try to get her to move when she's in pain, but it is hard. This is a big motivator for me to get in shape NOW rather than suffer later. I'll take my chances on arthritis in my knees, because I would rather "get" it because of predisposed genetics than by not exercising.

arewethereyet

Walking and running is probably the most natural exercise, as our species has relied on it since the dawn of our existance. There were no bicycles on the savannah. Walking and running also don't require any special equiptment, outside of shoes.

I have had some knee and sciatic issues and the eliptical was what was recommended by my orthopedic surgeon, physical therapist, exercise physiologist, and my internist. They said it is the best thing at the gym for a good workout with low impact on the joints.

WOW! I guess they weren't kidding when they said ya better get a second opinion. ha

add chiropractor and podiatrist and you can ditto this for me! I switch up exercise to keep from getting bored and to keep my body guessing.

Which ever exercise you choose do it for at least 30-45 minutes and get your heart rate up to 70-80%!

Your doing a great job keep it up!

brwneyes71

Try swimming it has less of an impact on your body and you will burn twice as many calories. I have a heart problem and i love to run but i am unable to run because of my heart so i swim laps everyday.I also take water aerobics. good luck