Cardio with bad knees?

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  • saraovoxo
    saraovoxo Posts: 44 Member
    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
    ProfessorCurlz Posts: 72
    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.

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