Struggling with Knee Issues
Shadow87
Posts: 27 Member
I've been trying to lose weight for years, but normally one of my knees acts up and I give in to the pain. I know the cause (essentially a genetic version of runners knee I've suffered with since I was a kid), and of course he major way to help is always "lose weight," but it's very frustrating to always hear that, knowing that the only reason you GAINED was because of the very same problem. I've changed my diet (eating more veggies/real food, less frozen and junk food) and lost 20 lbs, but I'm starting to get to that point where I NEED to add exercise to keep going down, yet everything that I've tried so far throws my knee into a fit (with or without a brace). Even just walking or biking aggravates it, and I only work Part Time so don't have the money to join a water aerobics class or go to physical therapy or anything like that. Any tips on how to incorporate non knee heavy exercises to lose weight, and any good knee STRENGTHENING exercises to help finally break this cycle? I refuse to let it beat me, again, for the 3002nd time 
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Replies
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OK, First. Runner's knee isn't a real thing.
Second: "Runner's knee" is any of 100 different conditions caused by weakness or strength imbalance occurring somewhere between the ankle and the neck.
So, If possible, see a doctor. Then a PT(physical therapist), because without knowing exactly what/where you aren't strong enough or are too strong, any tips here aren't going to actually lead you to a solution. Your insurance should cover the PT.8 -
I found some good knee strengthening exercises for my knees by just googling it. I have condromalacia patella, so I've been trying to do some exercises to help the alignment of my knee cap. Some of them are supposed to strengthen the muscles on the inside of my knee to help with that. Also any exercises that strengthen the quads, backs of legs, etc., should help with alignment, which could help some knee issues.0
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I had knee issues for the past several years and will forever have knee issues. I have in the past used resistance bands to strengthen the upper and lower leg to put less strain on my actual knee. I use a knee brace and go walking every day. Unless I go too far, that doesn't hurt me. Maybe start with just a little walk a few times a day?1
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i suppose it would have to do with what the particular knee issue is.
to strengthen my knees and ankles i do squats, lunges, hike, trail run
but you should discuss with your dr or pt what the best plan is to help with your particular knee issue2 -
I've been trying to lose weight for years, but normally one of my knees acts up and I give in to the pain. I know the cause (essentially a genetic version of runners knee I've suffered with since I was a kid), and of course he major way to help is always "lose weight," but it's very frustrating to always hear that, knowing that the only reason you GAINED was because of the very same problem. I've changed my diet (eating more veggies/real food, less frozen and junk food) and lost 20 lbs, but I'm starting to get to that point where I NEED to add exercise to keep going down, yet everything that I've tried so far throws my knee into a fit (with or without a brace). Even just walking or biking aggravates it, and I only work Part Time so don't have the money to join a water aerobics class or go to physical therapy or anything like that. Any tips on how to incorporate non knee heavy exercises to lose weight, and any good knee STRENGTHENING exercises to help finally break this cycle? I refuse to let it beat me, again, for the 3002nd time
the only reason you gained was that you consumed more calories that you burned. If a physical injury or condition results in a lower bur, you must lower consumption to compensate. there is no point at which you need to add exercise. You can lose weight without any exercise. It takes discipline at the table not to exceed your burn.6 -
CarvedTones wrote: »I've been trying to lose weight for years, but normally one of my knees acts up and I give in to the pain. I know the cause (essentially a genetic version of runners knee I've suffered with since I was a kid), and of course he major way to help is always "lose weight," but it's very frustrating to always hear that, knowing that the only reason you GAINED was because of the very same problem. I've changed my diet (eating more veggies/real food, less frozen and junk food) and lost 20 lbs, but I'm starting to get to that point where I NEED to add exercise to keep going down, yet everything that I've tried so far throws my knee into a fit (with or without a brace). Even just walking or biking aggravates it, and I only work Part Time so don't have the money to join a water aerobics class or go to physical therapy or anything like that. Any tips on how to incorporate non knee heavy exercises to lose weight, and any good knee STRENGTHENING exercises to help finally break this cycle? I refuse to let it beat me, again, for the 3002nd time
the only reason you gained was that you consumed more calories that you burned. If a physical injury or condition results in a lower bur, you must lower consumption to compensate. there is no point at which you need to add exercise. You can lose weight without any exercise. It takes discipline at the table not to exceed your burn.
To elaborate on this, if you're having trouble hitting a particular calorie goal without exercise, you may need to play more with macro ratios and meal timings in order to be more satisfied. Usually that involves increasing bulk and fat and protein, but everyone is different.2 -
stanmann571 wrote: »OK, First. Runner's knee isn't a real thing.
Second: "Runner's knee" is any of 100 different conditions caused by weakness or strength imbalance occurring somewhere between the ankle and the neck.
So, If possible, see a doctor. Then a PT(physical therapist), because without knowing exactly what/where you aren't strong enough or are too strong, any tips here aren't going to actually lead you to a solution. Your insurance should cover the PT.
I have seen a doctor, several times, and I know what I have...it's just to complicated to spell so I used the generic term he told me as well...and I point back to the part time sentence as sadly that means I don't HAVE any insurance to go back to a dr or PT (which even when I had it, I still had to pay a crazy amount out of pocket outside of insurance so didn't do that for long even when I could...0 -
stanmann571 wrote: »OK, First. Runner's knee isn't a real thing.
Second: "Runner's knee" is any of 100 different conditions caused by weakness or strength imbalance occurring somewhere between the ankle and the neck.
So, If possible, see a doctor. Then a PT(physical therapist), because without knowing exactly what/where you aren't strong enough or are too strong, any tips here aren't going to actually lead you to a solution. Your insurance should cover the PT.
I have seen a doctor, several times, and I know what I have...it's just to complicated to spell so I used the generic term he told me as well...and I point back to the part time sentence as sadly that means I don't HAVE any insurance to go back to a dr or PT (which even when I had it, I still had to pay a crazy amount out of pocket outside of insurance so didn't do that for long even when I could...
If you know what you have, and what you need to do, Do that.
Or spell it out here, and maybe someone with the same thing can give you some additional tips for exercises.
For example. MY runner's knee, is a glute/quad imbalance with hypermobility in my knee and tightness in my hip flexors.1 -
Swimming, swimming, swimming. Find a pool with a water bike and strengthen the muscles/tendons around your knee cap. Use water weights for your arms while your pedaling away. Then walk backwards in the pool and step up and down on the injured knee on a step in the pool if you can find one...usually in the therapy pool. Start slowly and gently work up. I have a bum knee that I rehabbed this way. You've got to stop the impact before you do more damage. I also use unflavored collagen peptides in my morning coffee and evening tea. I think they help. They've certainly helped my hair and skin, too.2
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CarvedTones wrote: »I've been trying to lose weight for years, but normally one of my knees acts up and I give in to the pain. I know the cause (essentially a genetic version of runners knee I've suffered with since I was a kid), and of course he major way to help is always "lose weight," but it's very frustrating to always hear that, knowing that the only reason you GAINED was because of the very same problem. I've changed my diet (eating more veggies/real food, less frozen and junk food) and lost 20 lbs, but I'm starting to get to that point where I NEED to add exercise to keep going down, yet everything that I've tried so far throws my knee into a fit (with or without a brace). Even just walking or biking aggravates it, and I only work Part Time so don't have the money to join a water aerobics class or go to physical therapy or anything like that. Any tips on how to incorporate non knee heavy exercises to lose weight, and any good knee STRENGTHENING exercises to help finally break this cycle? I refuse to let it beat me, again, for the 3002nd time
the only reason you gained was that you consumed more calories that you burned. If a physical injury or condition results in a lower bur, you must lower consumption to compensate. there is no point at which you need to add exercise. You can lose weight without any exercise. It takes discipline at the table not to exceed your burn.
that's not always the case actually. I've struggled with eating ENOUGH calories at times (I can go a day or more without eating at all), or eating 1200-1400 calories to compensate for being less active for months now (I'm 5'11" and 237 lbs...my maintain weight calories according to MFP is around 22-2500) and still gain weight- a lovely trait I got from my dad and his side of the family- so I do in fact need to be active and exercise to lose weight, and my knee so far has kept me from doing that, hence my saying that I gained due to my bad knee4 -
CarvedTones wrote: »I've been trying to lose weight for years, but normally one of my knees acts up and I give in to the pain. I know the cause (essentially a genetic version of runners knee I've suffered with since I was a kid), and of course he major way to help is always "lose weight," but it's very frustrating to always hear that, knowing that the only reason you GAINED was because of the very same problem. I've changed my diet (eating more veggies/real food, less frozen and junk food) and lost 20 lbs, but I'm starting to get to that point where I NEED to add exercise to keep going down, yet everything that I've tried so far throws my knee into a fit (with or without a brace). Even just walking or biking aggravates it, and I only work Part Time so don't have the money to join a water aerobics class or go to physical therapy or anything like that. Any tips on how to incorporate non knee heavy exercises to lose weight, and any good knee STRENGTHENING exercises to help finally break this cycle? I refuse to let it beat me, again, for the 3002nd time
the only reason you gained was that you consumed more calories that you burned. If a physical injury or condition results in a lower bur, you must lower consumption to compensate. there is no point at which you need to add exercise. You can lose weight without any exercise. It takes discipline at the table not to exceed your burn.
that's not always the case actually. I've struggled with eating ENOUGH calories at times (I can go a day or more without eating at all), or eating 1200-1400 calories to compensate for being less active for months now (I'm 5'11" and 237 lbs...my maintain weight calories according to MFP is around 22-2500) and still gain weight- a lovely trait I got from my dad and his side of the family- so I do in fact need to be active and exercise to lose weight, and my knee so far has kept me from doing that, hence my saying that I gained due to my bad knee
What you need to do is maintain a deficit.
Without knowing how you're tracking your calories, it's impossible to give more advice.I've been trying to lose weight for years, but normally one of my knees acts up and I give in to the pain. I know the cause (essentially a genetic version of runners knee I've suffered with since I was a kid), and of course he major way to help is always "lose weight," but it's very frustrating to always hear that, knowing that the only reason you GAINED was because of the very same problem. I've changed my diet (eating more veggies/real food, less frozen and junk food) and lost 20 lbs, but I'm starting to get to that point where I NEED to add exercise to keep going down, yet everything that I've tried so far throws my knee into a fit (with or without a brace). Even just walking or biking aggravates it, and I only work Part Time so don't have the money to join a water aerobics class or go to physical therapy or anything like that. Any tips on how to incorporate non knee heavy exercises to lose weight, and any good knee STRENGTHENING exercises to help finally break this cycle? I refuse to let it beat me, again, for the 3002nd time
Your original comment suggests that you're probably not tracking all that accurately, since you made no mention of using a scale to track intake.
There's nothing wrong with frozen food. Veggies are good, as far as that goes, but you can overeat on "good food" just as easily as on "bad food"
So, get a handle on what you're actually eating, and you should drop the weight quite easily. And unless you're literally bedridden, your maintain calories are way higher than 2500.2 -
as @Mari22na said, swimming is the one basically ZERO impact activity that you can do.
Also as said a couple of times already, exercise and weight loss have nothing to do with each other. You eat less to lose weight, exercise to achieve health/fitness goals. You can and will lose weight by eating at a deficit. Exercise can give you a little cushion and a few extra calories to use if you want to eat more but you still have to eat less than you burn regardless of your activity level.
Don't feel like you have to exercise. If the extra weight is holding you back right now, why not wait until you lose enough so the knee problem isn't exacerbated by walking or whatnot?2 -
Swimming. Ayup, low impact. You can run in place in the pool but still feel it in your joints if you overdo. Jumping up and down, ditto. Swimming and the therapy pool turned everything around for me. Someone here asked me if I wrestled men. No, but I swim for about 2 hours almost every day. It's one of the best exercises for replacing body fat with muscle. I lift heavy things, too.1
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stanmann571 wrote: »CarvedTones wrote: »I've been trying to lose weight for years, but normally one of my knees acts up and I give in to the pain. I know the cause (essentially a genetic version of runners knee I've suffered with since I was a kid), and of course he major way to help is always "lose weight," but it's very frustrating to always hear that, knowing that the only reason you GAINED was because of the very same problem. I've changed my diet (eating more veggies/real food, less frozen and junk food) and lost 20 lbs, but I'm starting to get to that point where I NEED to add exercise to keep going down, yet everything that I've tried so far throws my knee into a fit (with or without a brace). Even just walking or biking aggravates it, and I only work Part Time so don't have the money to join a water aerobics class or go to physical therapy or anything like that. Any tips on how to incorporate non knee heavy exercises to lose weight, and any good knee STRENGTHENING exercises to help finally break this cycle? I refuse to let it beat me, again, for the 3002nd time
the only reason you gained was that you consumed more calories that you burned. If a physical injury or condition results in a lower bur, you must lower consumption to compensate. there is no point at which you need to add exercise. You can lose weight without any exercise. It takes discipline at the table not to exceed your burn.
that's not always the case actually. I've struggled with eating ENOUGH calories at times (I can go a day or more without eating at all), or eating 1200-1400 calories to compensate for being less active for months now (I'm 5'11" and 237 lbs...my maintain weight calories according to MFP is around 22-2500) and still gain weight- a lovely trait I got from my dad and his side of the family- so I do in fact need to be active and exercise to lose weight, and my knee so far has kept me from doing that, hence my saying that I gained due to my bad knee
What you need to do is maintain a deficit.
Without knowing how you're tracking your calories, it's impossible to give more advice.I've been trying to lose weight for years, but normally one of my knees acts up and I give in to the pain. I know the cause (essentially a genetic version of runners knee I've suffered with since I was a kid), and of course he major way to help is always "lose weight," but it's very frustrating to always hear that, knowing that the only reason you GAINED was because of the very same problem. I've changed my diet (eating more veggies/real food, less frozen and junk food) and lost 20 lbs, but I'm starting to get to that point where I NEED to add exercise to keep going down, yet everything that I've tried so far throws my knee into a fit (with or without a brace). Even just walking or biking aggravates it, and I only work Part Time so don't have the money to join a water aerobics class or go to physical therapy or anything like that. Any tips on how to incorporate non knee heavy exercises to lose weight, and any good knee STRENGTHENING exercises to help finally break this cycle? I refuse to let it beat me, again, for the 3002nd time
Your original comment suggests that you're probably not tracking all that accurately, since you made no mention of using a scale to track intake.
There's nothing wrong with frozen food. Veggies are good, as far as that goes, but you can overeat on "good food" just as easily as on "bad food"
So, get a handle on what you're actually eating, and you should drop the weight quite easily. And unless you're literally bedridden, your maintain calories are way higher than 2500.
I use MFP to track and put everything I eat on here, and I weigh myself every day-though I know weight fluctuates so only focus on Tuesday to see overall weight loss/gain, and measure inches once a week to track what weight doesn't show. And in regards to the frozen food I was talking about, I was more talking about the Gluten Free frozen foods I was eating before-I hate cooking and being GF makes it that much more expensive to buy all the weird flours and such. I've only just started eating vegetables as of April, and am still getting acclimated to them honestly, and TRYING to cut back on how much meat I eat, as hard as it is... and according to another calorie calculator I just looked at (and put in sedentary for lifestyle):
"You need 2,263 Calories/day to maintain your weight.
You need 1,763 Calories/day to lose 1 lb per week.
You need 1,263 Calories/day to lose 2 lb per week."
so this is what I've been going off of for the most part-and I eat waaaay below the first 2 unless I force myself to eat more cause I worry I'm not getting enough0 -
stanmann571 wrote: »
If you know what you have, and what you need to do, Do that.
Or spell it out here, and maybe someone with the same thing can give you some additional tips for exercises.
For example. MY runner's knee, is a glute/quad imbalance with hypermobility in my knee and tightness in my hip flexors.
For example. My patellofemoral pain and bone-on-bone grinding is due to patellar tracking syndrome. I find that consistent cycling strengthens the musculature surround my knee cap, stabilizes the knee and alleviates the pain.3 -
stanmann571 wrote: »CarvedTones wrote: »I've been trying to lose weight for years, but normally one of my knees acts up and I give in to the pain. I know the cause (essentially a genetic version of runners knee I've suffered with since I was a kid), and of course he major way to help is always "lose weight," but it's very frustrating to always hear that, knowing that the only reason you GAINED was because of the very same problem. I've changed my diet (eating more veggies/real food, less frozen and junk food) and lost 20 lbs, but I'm starting to get to that point where I NEED to add exercise to keep going down, yet everything that I've tried so far throws my knee into a fit (with or without a brace). Even just walking or biking aggravates it, and I only work Part Time so don't have the money to join a water aerobics class or go to physical therapy or anything like that. Any tips on how to incorporate non knee heavy exercises to lose weight, and any good knee STRENGTHENING exercises to help finally break this cycle? I refuse to let it beat me, again, for the 3002nd time
the only reason you gained was that you consumed more calories that you burned. If a physical injury or condition results in a lower bur, you must lower consumption to compensate. there is no point at which you need to add exercise. You can lose weight without any exercise. It takes discipline at the table not to exceed your burn.
that's not always the case actually. I've struggled with eating ENOUGH calories at times (I can go a day or more without eating at all), or eating 1200-1400 calories to compensate for being less active for months now (I'm 5'11" and 237 lbs...my maintain weight calories according to MFP is around 22-2500) and still gain weight- a lovely trait I got from my dad and his side of the family- so I do in fact need to be active and exercise to lose weight, and my knee so far has kept me from doing that, hence my saying that I gained due to my bad knee
What you need to do is maintain a deficit.
Without knowing how you're tracking your calories, it's impossible to give more advice.I've been trying to lose weight for years, but normally one of my knees acts up and I give in to the pain. I know the cause (essentially a genetic version of runners knee I've suffered with since I was a kid), and of course he major way to help is always "lose weight," but it's very frustrating to always hear that, knowing that the only reason you GAINED was because of the very same problem. I've changed my diet (eating more veggies/real food, less frozen and junk food) and lost 20 lbs, but I'm starting to get to that point where I NEED to add exercise to keep going down, yet everything that I've tried so far throws my knee into a fit (with or without a brace). Even just walking or biking aggravates it, and I only work Part Time so don't have the money to join a water aerobics class or go to physical therapy or anything like that. Any tips on how to incorporate non knee heavy exercises to lose weight, and any good knee STRENGTHENING exercises to help finally break this cycle? I refuse to let it beat me, again, for the 3002nd time
Your original comment suggests that you're probably not tracking all that accurately, since you made no mention of using a scale to track intake.
There's nothing wrong with frozen food. Veggies are good, as far as that goes, but you can overeat on "good food" just as easily as on "bad food"
So, get a handle on what you're actually eating, and you should drop the weight quite easily. And unless you're literally bedridden, your maintain calories are way higher than 2500.
I use MFP to track and put everything I eat on here, and I weigh myself every day-though I know weight fluctuates so only focus on Tuesday to see overall weight loss/gain, and measure inches once a week to track what weight doesn't show. And in regards to the frozen food I was talking about, I was more talking about the Gluten Free frozen foods I was eating before-I hate cooking and being GF makes it that much more expensive to buy all the weird flours and such. I've only just started eating vegetables as of April, and am still getting acclimated to them honestly, and TRYING to cut back on how much meat I eat, as hard as it is... and according to another calorie calculator I just looked at (and put in sedentary for lifestyle):
"You need 2,263 Calories/day to maintain your weight.
You need 1,763 Calories/day to lose 1 lb per week.
You need 1,263 Calories/day to lose 2 lb per week."
so this is what I've been going off of for the most part-and I eat waaaay below the first 2 unless I force myself to eat more cause I worry I'm not getting enough
What condition do you have that requires GF?
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stanmann571 wrote: »stanmann571 wrote: »CarvedTones wrote: »I've been trying to lose weight for years, but normally one of my knees acts up and I give in to the pain. I know the cause (essentially a genetic version of runners knee I've suffered with since I was a kid), and of course he major way to help is always "lose weight," but it's very frustrating to always hear that, knowing that the only reason you GAINED was because of the very same problem. I've changed my diet (eating more veggies/real food, less frozen and junk food) and lost 20 lbs, but I'm starting to get to that point where I NEED to add exercise to keep going down, yet everything that I've tried so far throws my knee into a fit (with or without a brace). Even just walking or biking aggravates it, and I only work Part Time so don't have the money to join a water aerobics class or go to physical therapy or anything like that. Any tips on how to incorporate non knee heavy exercises to lose weight, and any good knee STRENGTHENING exercises to help finally break this cycle? I refuse to let it beat me, again, for the 3002nd time
the only reason you gained was that you consumed more calories that you burned. If a physical injury or condition results in a lower bur, you must lower consumption to compensate. there is no point at which you need to add exercise. You can lose weight without any exercise. It takes discipline at the table not to exceed your burn.
that's not always the case actually. I've struggled with eating ENOUGH calories at times (I can go a day or more without eating at all), or eating 1200-1400 calories to compensate for being less active for months now (I'm 5'11" and 237 lbs...my maintain weight calories according to MFP is around 22-2500) and still gain weight- a lovely trait I got from my dad and his side of the family- so I do in fact need to be active and exercise to lose weight, and my knee so far has kept me from doing that, hence my saying that I gained due to my bad knee
What you need to do is maintain a deficit.
Without knowing how you're tracking your calories, it's impossible to give more advice.I've been trying to lose weight for years, but normally one of my knees acts up and I give in to the pain. I know the cause (essentially a genetic version of runners knee I've suffered with since I was a kid), and of course he major way to help is always "lose weight," but it's very frustrating to always hear that, knowing that the only reason you GAINED was because of the very same problem. I've changed my diet (eating more veggies/real food, less frozen and junk food) and lost 20 lbs, but I'm starting to get to that point where I NEED to add exercise to keep going down, yet everything that I've tried so far throws my knee into a fit (with or without a brace). Even just walking or biking aggravates it, and I only work Part Time so don't have the money to join a water aerobics class or go to physical therapy or anything like that. Any tips on how to incorporate non knee heavy exercises to lose weight, and any good knee STRENGTHENING exercises to help finally break this cycle? I refuse to let it beat me, again, for the 3002nd time
Your original comment suggests that you're probably not tracking all that accurately, since you made no mention of using a scale to track intake.
There's nothing wrong with frozen food. Veggies are good, as far as that goes, but you can overeat on "good food" just as easily as on "bad food"
So, get a handle on what you're actually eating, and you should drop the weight quite easily. And unless you're literally bedridden, your maintain calories are way higher than 2500.
I use MFP to track and put everything I eat on here, and I weigh myself every day-though I know weight fluctuates so only focus on Tuesday to see overall weight loss/gain, and measure inches once a week to track what weight doesn't show. And in regards to the frozen food I was talking about, I was more talking about the Gluten Free frozen foods I was eating before-I hate cooking and being GF makes it that much more expensive to buy all the weird flours and such. I've only just started eating vegetables as of April, and am still getting acclimated to them honestly, and TRYING to cut back on how much meat I eat, as hard as it is... and according to another calorie calculator I just looked at (and put in sedentary for lifestyle):
"You need 2,263 Calories/day to maintain your weight.
You need 1,763 Calories/day to lose 1 lb per week.
You need 1,263 Calories/day to lose 2 lb per week."
so this is what I've been going off of for the most part-and I eat waaaay below the first 2 unless I force myself to eat more cause I worry I'm not getting enough
What condition do you have that requires GF?
I'm Celiac0 -
Calliope610 wrote: »stanmann571 wrote: »
If you know what you have, and what you need to do, Do that.
Or spell it out here, and maybe someone with the same thing can give you some additional tips for exercises.
For example. MY runner's knee, is a glute/quad imbalance with hypermobility in my knee and tightness in my hip flexors.
For example. My patellofemoral pain and bone-on-bone grinding is due to patellar tracking syndrome. I find that consistent cycling strengthens the musculature surround my knee cap, stabilizes the knee and alleviates the pain.
I've tried what the the PT I went to for a short while showed me for almost a year now and it's gotten worse. Any bend at all in my left knee for the past few months causes a sharp pain just under the kneecap, and I don't have insurance to go see a doctor as to why the previous exercises never helped, thus turning to the interwebs in hopes of someone sparking an "oh I haven't tried that" moment...Desperate times and all that...0 -
as @Mari22na said, swimming is the one basically ZERO impact activity that you can do.
However, dispensing on the actual condition swimming might exacerbate it. The issue about terminology is a very useful point. Random advice about what to do could easily make the problem worse. The right mediation for anterior issues can make posterior worse, and vice versa.0 -
MeanderingMammal wrote: »as @Mari22na said, swimming is the one basically ZERO impact activity that you can do.
However, dispensing on the actual condition swimming might exacerbate it. The issue about terminology is a very useful point. Random advice about what to do could easily make the problem worse. The right mediation for anterior issues can make posterior worse, and vice versa.
Generally speaking, strengthening the entire chain from ankles to shoulders with multijoint exercises isn't a bad idea, but depending on where the imbalance is, ATG squats may be recommended or contraindicated. Ditto quarter squats, or band walks or unilateral foot raises.
IF you KNOW that there's not an underlying issue/injury and you're only dealing with an imbalance or strength issue, then walking or squatting with moderate support(compression/wrap) followed by ice and heat may be acceptable.
But unless you KNOW that there's not an injury that you're exacerbating/masking with compression/ice/heat, then you may just be walking/running/lifting yourself into a serious injury.
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Swimming is low impact...and can still be hard on one's joints. For example, the breaststroke kick can be very hard one one's knees, especially if there's already an injury, you're recovering from knee surgery, or have anatomical issues.as @Mari22na said, swimming is the one basically ZERO impact activity that you can do.
All of the suggestions that I would give, as someone with a long history of knee issues and who has had four major surgeries (I had my 30th day of PT for my most recent surgery yesterday), have already been given and dismissed. It is unfortunate that the OP isn't willing to actually spell out his diagnosis (as if there aren't people here who would understand the medical terminology), but even then - getting medical advice over the internet is almost never a good bet.0 -
Calliope610 wrote: »stanmann571 wrote: »
If you know what you have, and what you need to do, Do that.
Or spell it out here, and maybe someone with the same thing can give you some additional tips for exercises.
For example. MY runner's knee, is a glute/quad imbalance with hypermobility in my knee and tightness in my hip flexors.
For example. My patellofemoral pain and bone-on-bone grinding is due to patellar tracking syndrome. I find that consistent cycling strengthens the musculature surround my knee cap, stabilizes the knee and alleviates the pain.
And as an example of someone who knows what you're talking about, I also had patellar tracking syndrome bilaterally. In my case the cause was patella alta and then I don't have a trochlear groove on my right knee. I ended up having tibial tubercle osteotomies on both knees as well as MPFL reconstructions because conservative treatments (including a lot of PT) were very clearly not working. I was already a cyclist and it was pain that I had while cycling that tipped me off that I should see an orthopedist.
One more data point for the OP as to why it's useful to spell out what your diagnosis is.0 -
Calliope610 wrote: »stanmann571 wrote: »
For example. MY runner's knee, is a glute/quad imbalance with hypermobility in my knee and tightness in my hip flexors.
For example. My patellofemoral pain and bone-on-bone grinding is due to patellar tracking syndrome. I find that consistent cycling strengthens the musculature surround my knee cap, stabilizes the knee and alleviates the pain.
Yaaasssss. Exactly. When I bike in the therapy pool, the stress is less but I still find relief. I get the drift that the OP is not interested in swimming, might be due to budget constraints. I get that.
I don't think anyone here is giving medical advice but suggestions. Swimming is low impact not zero impact. You know when you're pushing it to the razor's edge, your body tells you. I started ever so slowly and have worked my way out of not being able to get off the floor, unable to sit with knees bent for very long and unable to walk without that bone on bone grinding pain.
He's been to the doctor several times, duly noted. But if you can't afford PT and you're in pain, simply walking backwards in the pool is where I started. That's not going to throw anyone for a loop. You've got to begin somewhere or stay on the couch finding little improvement or relief.
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that's not always the case actually. I've struggled with eating ENOUGH calories at times (I can go a day or more without eating at all), or eating 1200-1400 calories to compensate for being less active for months now (I'm 5'11" and 237 lbs...my maintain weight calories according to MFP is around 22-2500) and still gain weight- a lovely trait I got from my dad and his side of the family- so I do in fact need to be active and exercise to lose weight, and my knee so far has kept me from doing that, hence my saying that I gained due to my bad knee
For clarification, are you suggesting that you gain weight on 2200-2500 calories/day?
I'm 5'11" and was 265 14-15 weeks ago. I am now 228, and lose about 1% / week on 2250 first and then, after the first 26 pounds, on 2135/day.
Now I'm more active, but even days where I don't have a workout, I believe I easily burn 2500+ calories/day at a weight that is less than yours.
How accurate is your logging of food? Do you weigh your food with a food scale?
I'd think you would easily lose 0.5-1 pound a week at 2000 calories a day before you even did a single workout.
The answer, or at least part of it may be to tighten up your food logging and drop some more weight. That may help with some of the knee pain as you are able to reduce the loads on your knees.0 -
I also have knee issues, I have chondromalacia patella in both knees and suffered a degenerative meniscus tear in February that I have been in PT for ever since. I was recently cleared to start exercising again, but it's challenging to find cardio that does not irritate my knee. The potential causes of knee pain are vast and varied, if you could afford at least one visit to a PT they could diagnose the root cause(s) of your pain and provide you with exercises you can do at home to correct your issues. I never would have been able to determine my issues and imbalances on my own and wouldn't have known what to do to properly care for myself without the assistance of my therapist. Also, the process of correcting the root issues is a slow process. Once you know what your issues are and have a good base of exercises to perform at home to correct the issues, you can then search the internet for additional exercises as you progress. Since you could cause damage that can lead to serious injury (and an expensive surgery) I highly recommend investing in at least one trip to a good PT.0
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Try yoga!!! Seriously, it’s so much harder than it looks and it will help strengthen and stretch your muscles. I actually found the yoga helped my knee pain a ton, and my back pain! It also helped me lose weight. There are lots of free videos online, I use beach body on demand (which does cost a little bit-but nothing outrageous) they have a great beginners set of videos my husband and I do.0
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Thanks everyone
First of all, I'm a girl
and it's not that I'm unwilling to say what the condition is, it's that I don't remember what it's called specifically since the last time I went for my knee was over a year ago, and I barely remember what I did 2 days ago. Add to that it was a complicated medical term that I had never heard before...Hence my saying its runners knee since that IS what I remember him saying-so I was also kind of hoping someone would say what they had and it would jog my memory as to what mine is called. I don't see swimming as an option not only because I can't afford it, but because I CAN'T swim, and where I live there are no water aerobics type things nearby that don't require an expensive gym membership. And as much as I'd love to see a PT again, I have 0 insurance and only work part time for a community college so can't afford to pay.
tbright-yes, I can EASILY gain weight on 22-2500 calories with little to no activity. When I was more active I could eat that and still lose, but it's not just the amount of calories that I was eating, but the fact that I was eating a lot of premade frozen foods with lots of preservatives and sodium and such. I know this was one of the biggest issues so I've been trying to change and eat more whole, real foods...as hard as it is. I'm doing better-already down 23 lbs since I changed my diet in April, but I want to strengthen my knee muscles as I lose weight, and build some muscle tone, cause I know having some helps burn fat as well.
WickAndArtoo-I've tried Yoga, and I really enjoy it, but some of the poses still aggravate my knee and I worry that I may do more damage without someone to make sure I'm doing the move properly. But I would love to get back into it if I can at some point. And I'm so jealous, I'm trying to talk my hubby into signing up for BeachBodyondemand, but sadly, I have to refer back to money-or lack thereof .
I'm sorry my post seems to be annoying people more than anything-I was just hoping for a bit of advice to keep me from giving in to despair since I feel like I'm at the end of my rope. But I will keep focusing on my diet as many of you have repeated, and hopefully one day I can say my knee is no longer an issue...0 -
Ah, That's useful info. And explains why your maintenance is 500-700 calories lower. Your picture is ambiguous, so I apologize for not checking.Thanks everyone
First of all, I'm a girl
As I said above, if you're certain there's no injury, get some good neoprene wraps, and walk/strength train(squats/deadlift)-Starting strength/Stronglifts style program. Be prepared for discomfort, Ice/heat after training for 15/30 minutes.and it's not that I'm unwilling to say what the condition is, it's that I don't remember what it's called specifically since the last time I went for my knee was over a year ago, and I barely remember what I did 2 days ago. Add to that it was a complicated medical term that I had never heard before...Hence my saying its runners knee since that IS what I remember him saying-so I was also kind of hoping someone would say what they had and it would jog my memory as to what mine is called. I don't see swimming as an option not only because I can't afford it, but because I CAN'T swim, and where I live there are no water aerobics type things nearby that don't require an expensive gym membership. And as much as I'd love to see a PT again, I have 0 insurance and only work part time for a community college so can't afford to pay.
tbright-yes, I can EASILY gain weight on 22-2500 calories with little to no activity. When I was more active I could eat that and still lose, but it's not just the amount of calories that I was eating, but the fact that I was eating a lot of premade frozen foods with lots of preservatives and sodium and such. I know this was one of the biggest issues so I've been trying to change and eat more whole, real foods...as hard as it is. I'm doing better-already down 23 lbs since I changed my diet in April, but I want to strengthen my knee muscles as I lose weight, and build some muscle tone, cause I know having some helps burn fat as well.
AND again, as above, if there is an injury, you're going to make it much worse, by working around it.
You can also try "flossing" prior to training, to temporarily reduce fluid/inflammation.
I wouldn't recommend any of the Beachbody programs for someone with tricky knees
WickAndArtoo-I've tried Yoga, and I really enjoy it, but some of the poses still aggravate my knee and I worry that I may do more damage without someone to make sure I'm doing the move properly. But I would love to get back into it if I can at some point. And I'm so jealous, I'm trying to talk my hubby into signing up for BeachBodyondemand, but sadly, I have to refer back to money-or lack thereof .
I'm sorry my post seems to be annoying people more than anything-I was just hoping for a bit of advice to keep me from giving in to despair since I feel like I'm at the end of my rope. But I will keep focusing on my diet as many of you have repeated, and hopefully one day I can say my knee is no longer an issue...
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stanmann571 wrote: »
Ah, That's useful info. And explains why your maintenance is 500-700 calories lower. Your picture is ambiguous, so I apologize for not checking.Thanks everyone
First of all, I'm a girl
As I said above, if you're certain there's no injury, get some good neoprene wraps, and walk/strength train(squats/deadlift)-Starting strength/Stronglifts style program. Be prepared for discomfort, Ice/heat after training for 15/30 minutes.and it's not that I'm unwilling to say what the condition is, it's that I don't remember what it's called specifically since the last time I went for my knee was over a year ago, and I barely remember what I did 2 days ago. Add to that it was a complicated medical term that I had never heard before...Hence my saying its runners knee since that IS what I remember him saying-so I was also kind of hoping someone would say what they had and it would jog my memory as to what mine is called. I don't see swimming as an option not only because I can't afford it, but because I CAN'T swim, and where I live there are no water aerobics type things nearby that don't require an expensive gym membership. And as much as I'd love to see a PT again, I have 0 insurance and only work part time for a community college so can't afford to pay.
tbright-yes, I can EASILY gain weight on 22-2500 calories with little to no activity. When I was more active I could eat that and still lose, but it's not just the amount of calories that I was eating, but the fact that I was eating a lot of premade frozen foods with lots of preservatives and sodium and such. I know this was one of the biggest issues so I've been trying to change and eat more whole, real foods...as hard as it is. I'm doing better-already down 23 lbs since I changed my diet in April, but I want to strengthen my knee muscles as I lose weight, and build some muscle tone, cause I know having some helps burn fat as well.
AND again, as above, if there is an injury, you're going to make it much worse, by working around it.
You can also try "flossing" prior to training, to temporarily reduce fluid/inflammation.
I wouldn't recommend any of the Beachbody programs for someone with tricky knees
WickAndArtoo-I've tried Yoga, and I really enjoy it, but some of the poses still aggravate my knee and I worry that I may do more damage without someone to make sure I'm doing the move properly. But I would love to get back into it if I can at some point. And I'm so jealous, I'm trying to talk my hubby into signing up for BeachBodyondemand, but sadly, I have to refer back to money-or lack thereof .
I'm sorry my post seems to be annoying people more than anything-I was just hoping for a bit of advice to keep me from giving in to despair since I feel like I'm at the end of my rope. But I will keep focusing on my diet as many of you have repeated, and hopefully one day I can say my knee is no longer an issue...
It’s beginners yoga, just stretching... not workouts0 -
Since swimming is out how about spinning? You still need to either find a gym or buy a spin bike, but short of walking there aren't many zero-cost, low-impact, methods of exercising. And what about walking? If you're in pain just walking your options are going to be limited. There's also the hand bike and rowing machine, but, again, you'll only really find something like that in a gym.
Also, just thought of this, don't underestimate the impact on your weight loss things like body weight exercises, or just weight lifting exercises in general, can have. Push-ups, pull-ups, dips, sit-ups, etc. Add in a few inexpensive dumbbells from Target or Walmart and you have a whole host of further options, none of which impact your knees.1
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