30 day shred with bad knees

JessesGirl05

I'm not sure if all the pain i'm having in my knees is due to my weight, or if there is actually something wrong with them. I went to the doctor (I'm using the word loosely here) to get them looked at, and he didn't even x-ray them or anything. He said "you're just fat. you need to eat 1 meal a day and walk walk walk all the time." I told him I was trying to lose weight and had already lost 15 pounds (this was a few months ago- I gained some back (obviously) after this dr. visit- i went into a depression because of him). He asked how. "Working out, eating healthier, and drinking water (something I NEVER used to do). He said I was trying to lose 'too fast" (yet he just told me to only eat one meal a day!) "you didnt get that fat by breathing in air, now did you? you got that size by all the food you put in your mouth."... When I started getting rude and trying to defend myself he said "I'm not just going to give you a bunch of pain pills! You can forget it" (i dont even like taking tylenol- I DEFINITELY was not there trying to get pain pills!)....yada yada yada.

Anyways. long story short I ended up yelling at him, and storming out. So I have no clue what is going on with my knees. (And now i dont have insurance) But they ache really bad (especially today). Some days they feel perfect, other days I feel like I can barely stand up without crying!

How can I alter the 30DS for things like the squats, or anything that is hard on the knees? (Yes, even the "sissy" squats/lunges hurt me)

arwensb

Wow - that doctor is an *kitten*!! Sorry you had to deal with such an unpleasant experience when you are doing something so positive for yourself!
I have had bad knees my entire life. I can do the squats in the shred but the lunges (especially that backward ones - ouch!) are very bad for my knees (and yes, to those wondering, I AM doing them correctly). Anyway...I modify by doing a static lunge. Basically I get myself into the lunge position but don't move up and down, just keep the muscles contracted the entire time. Or I do a regular squat instead of the lunge if I feel like I need to keep moving rather than static so that my heart rate stays up.

charityateet

You are on the right track. Damn doctors (some of them) I went to one last summer after putting on weight with different birth control, he told me that it couldn't possibly be the b.c. - he said that I need to quit lifting weights (I was working out a bit) and just focus on cardio - do an hour a day RUNNING on the treadmil and only eat 800 calories. I had done a fitness challenge a couple years before and learned a lot about nutrition - so I knew that what he was telling me was bunk. He tried to talk me into HCG. I told him to look at my vajay jay, that is what I was there for - and that I knew way more about nutrition than he did. So don't get discouraged - they don't always know what they are talking about!!!

I wish I had help for your knees, I don't really know what to say about that.

Melbel85

First of all, find a new doctor! What a jerk! Second, I feel your pain! Im on my 3rd day and my legs are screaming at me! My husband has been doing it with me (he has weak knees and ankles) and he was not able to do a few of the moves. My opinion is that when they get to an exercise that you can't do, jog in place just to keep your body moving and heart rate up.

sanddollar

I have trouble with my knees when doing 30 Day Shred. I didn't know until I started it, but I can't even do a jumping jack.. well I can do it physicallly but it hurts my knee... let along squats! So I just walk in place or jog in place (that movement is okay) instead of jumping jacks or squats. Just keep moving, or repeat another exercise from that section (strength or cardio) that doesn't hurt. It might not burn as many calories, but I'm in this for the long haul... and I definitely don't want to get injured to the point where I can't work out at all. HTH!!

shiseido_faerie

I don't have this problem myself (though I definitely feel my knees when doing the shred!) but my boyfriend has terrible knees, and what he does is makes sure to stretch his knees out well beforehand (think, the stretch that Jillian does in warmup level one of 30ds), sometimes he will apply a heating pad to help loosen them up if they're particularly bad. During the workout he barely squats, just does very small bends (less than the modified version) and then after the workout he ices like crazy.

Your doctor is ridiculous, have you reported this? It's completely unacceptable for him to speak to you that way, AND it's terrible advice!

JessesGirl05

I don't have this problem myself (though I definitely feel my knees when doing the shred!) but my boyfriend has terrible knees, and what he does is makes sure to stretch his knees out well beforehand (think, the stretch that Jillian does in warmup level one of 30ds), sometimes he will apply a heating pad to help loosen them up if they're particularly bad. During the workout he barely squats, just does very small bends (less than the modified version) and then after the workout he ices like crazy.

Your doctor is ridiculous, have you reported this? It's completely unacceptable for him to speak to you that way, AND it's terrible advice!

Yes, I reported him to my insurance so they wouldn't pay him (after all he didnt even treat me- or even try to) and I also reported him to the BBB.

Fabnover40Kat

Just do the body punch move. She says if you have a lower body injury that move is great and you still get your cardio in! I did that when i bruised my tailbone a couple of months ago!

Dcobbs

:happy: Thank you guys for your comments, my knee has been basically locked for 5 days, which has taken me away from exercising. I have a bad knee that actually cartlidge is gone in the knee. Feels like bone to bone. I am icing right now, and going to do my 30 day shred and then ice when I am done with the work out. I believe the body punches is the best alternative until I heal.

helper1112

I too have bad knees. I started off with Leslie Sanson walking videos, they are a lot lighter on the knees and still give a good burn, she has a new one called pump or something like that which uses weights while doing the walking. I did this for a while and built my knees up. I also did leg lifts on a weight bench to strengthen the muscles around the knees. After a few months of this I felt my knees where strong enough to do 30ds. I do 30ds now, but I take a day off in between every session, maybe 2 depending on how my knees are feeling. It helps and I am able to get through the sessions with little knee pain.

Hope this helps..