Cardio with bad knees?

whitebalance

Another vote for rowing and swimming. Also, if your gym has an adaptive motion trainer, try it -- bet you'll love it. Very similar to running, but without the impact. It was great for me when my knees weren't up to running.

TeaBea

Walk at Home DVDs by Leslie Sansone. These are low impact, or have occasional jogging sections....but just walk during these. This is lower impact than outdoor walks because you can do them on a carpeted floor, or on a puzzle mat. The moves switch off between walking, knee lifts, kicks, and side steps. There are no twisting type moves that could aggravate your knees.

Another low impact option could be a mini trampoline. Higher quality mini-tramps are not as stiff as cheap models.

rfsatar

I swim with a pull-buoy float (the peanut shaped one) between my knees as pushing off the wall and kicking was hurting them.
Cycle on a well calibrated and set up spin bike.
Elliptical and jog on a mini-tramp at home.

SingingSingleTracker

Cycling is my primary cardio exercise. Even with three major knee injuries and two surgeries.....

Caveat - all injuries are different to a degree but avoiding impact is generally a good idea.
To help knee stability and reduce knee pain strength training is also very important but depending on how your knee reacts will define how you go about strength training. Quad strength is very important when you have wonky knees.

This!!!!

Capt_Apollo

Cycling and swimming

PaulJRaymond

For knees, non-weight-bearing cardio has helped me enormously.

For a long while I swam...freestyle is great, but avoid the breaststroke.

Recently I discovered rowing on the concept 2 in the gym. Fabulous. I am convinced it has already, after two months of rowing 2-3 times per week, helped my knees and it is no longer painful to stand up after sitting for a prolonged period of time.

What is wrong with breaststroke?

sijomial

For knees, non-weight-bearing cardio has helped me enormously.

For a long while I swam...freestyle is great, but avoid the breaststroke.

Recently I discovered rowing on the concept 2 in the gym. Fabulous. I am convinced it has already, after two months of rowing 2-3 times per week, helped my knees and it is no longer painful to stand up after sitting for a prolonged period of time.

What is wrong with breaststroke?

Depends on the injury but breast stroke kick puts torsion on the knee - after I lost my PCL and lateral cartilage I was banned from breast stroke kick.
Learning to breast stroke with arms while doing a freestyle kick was surprisingly difficult!

LauraCarlson86

Cycling is my primary cardio exercise. Even with three major knee injuries and two surgeries.....

Caveat - all injuries are different to a degree but avoiding impact is generally a good idea.
To help knee stability and reduce knee pain strength training is also very important but depending on how your knee reacts will define how you go about strength training. Quad strength is very important when you have wonky knees.

Rowing, stepper and elliptical are also very good but try and increase the resistance to get most benefit.

THIS! But right along with the importance of quad strength are equally strong hamstrings! Those muscles need to be as balanced as possible in order to reduce further injury or strain on the knee.

scubasuenc

I too have bad knees and other injuries that mean I can only do low impact cardio. The recumbent bike has become my best friend, and I ride 45 minutes every day. I also swim and do aquatic aerobics. Walking is also great exercise. I have found the Leslie Sansone Walk At Home DVDs to be great through the cold winter when I can't walk outside.

There are lots of DVDs out there that focus on low impact cardio. You can even do chair aerobics, which can get your heart pumping and work up a sweat. I have even gotten DVDs designed for seniors because those tend to be low impact with many modifications.

randomworries

elliptical machine is what i used when i injured my knee

saraovoxo

Cycling is my primary cardio exercise. Even with three major knee injuries and two surgeries.....

Caveat - all injuries are different to a degree but avoiding impact is generally a good idea.
To help knee stability and reduce knee pain strength training is also very important but depending on how your knee reacts will define how you go about strength training. Quad strength is very important when you have wonky knees.

This!!!!

Seconded!
I have a bad knee as well, but since exercising its been getting STRONGER.
I wear a brace when I work out for knee support. Ask your doctor or go to the pharmacist and ask which one would be best for you.
Due to popular belief, people think lunging and squats are no good for people with bad knees. But infact its the TOTALY OPPOSITE. If anything squats and lunges HELP your knees to build strength. Wear the brace though - it does help. Also try lunging with a bosu ball, but do it very slowly. The bosu ball will force you to stabilise therefore building strength

For cardio, I used to be a runner but then I messed up my knee again and now I'm best friends with the elliptical. My doctor recommends the bikes but I find that their too uncomfortable. It's just preference I guess!

Hope I helped :bigsmile:

PS. I just wanted to add - I used to never been able to do jumping squats as they would give me SO MUCH pain in my knee, but today I got through it and did some speedy high knees as well In time, the knee will get better!

ProfessorCurlz

I have bad knees as well, I'm not able to do aquatics at the time, but I modify everything when possible and I still get a good workout in.