Treadmill vs elliptical ... but my knee hurts :(

CorrieV1976

Help me please.......

Currently I work out on the treadmill, I try the Elliptical but my knee kills me. I havent ever been to the doctor for it but my knee crunches when I walk up stairs or do any kind of climbing.

I dont know who "they" are but "they" say the elliptical is supposed to be better for you....I want to cry the first 3 minutes i'm on the thing so I retreat to the treadmill......I know the Elliptical give you a better burn but i just cant do it......any suggestions???

jgic2009

Listen to your body.

Many people prefer the elliptical because it's very low impact. However, if your legs feel better on the treadmill--go for it! By playing with the incline and speed, you can get an excellent workout on the treadmill.

Enforcer25

I'd go see the doc to find out what's up with your knee, second of all, if the elliptical hurts, but the treadmill doesn't, then keep doing the treadmill. You are still exercising and burning calories. Try HIIT on the treadmill if you want to burn more, but first get your knee checked out.

littlehokie

You'll burn more calories running on the treadmill than on the elliptical. I have to put the elliptical to it's highest resistance to get the kind of burn I'd get from running a few miles on the treadmill.

skylark94

You may want to try some strength training for your legs. I have found that my knee problems have nearly disappeared since strengthening the supporting muscles.

stephyy4632

what do you have the ellliptical set at if your a beginer to the machine I would have the resistance shut off and the cross ramp fairly low set and then gradualy up them as you get more and more use to the machine.

javamonster

The elliptical bugs my knees too, and I don't have bad knees! It's my ankle that's the problem! I'm fine with the treadmill and spin bike....though I have had some problem with my *ahem* non-problem knees on the spin bike, but that was from overdoing it.

philOHIO

there are different types of ellipticals... so don't be afraid to try each one. Ever think about a recumbant or stationary bike?

mmuzzy1068

You can also try the Arch (pronounced ARK) machines, they are even easier on your knees than an eliptical. But keep doing the treadmill and go see the doc....may have an injury or may have you take some glucosemine to goop up the knee. Good luck.

My1985Freckles

Do you keep your feet flat when you are on the elliptical or bend your foot and "bounce" with the machine? When I first tried the elliptical it KILLED my knees. I hatted it. Iwas doing it flat footed, but I switched to more of a "run" with flewing my feet as I go and it is soooo comfy for my knees, way better than the treadmill for me.

stephyy4632

You'll burn more calories running on the treadmill than on the elliptical. I have to put the elliptical to it's highest resistance to get the kind of burn I'd get from running a few miles on the treadmill.

not true for everyone I burn WAY more on the eliptical than I ever have running and I`m not on the highest setting threw my entire time on the eliptical either. (also I use a HRM so I`m pretty sure in my burns)

My1985Freckles

Do you keep your feet flat when you are on the elliptical or bend your foot and "bounce" with the machine? When I first tried the elliptical it KILLED my knees. I hatted it. Iwas doing it flat footed, but I switched to more of a "run" with flewing my feet as I go and it is soooo comfy for my knees, way better than the treadmill for me.

My1985Freckles

Do you keep your feet flat when you are on the elliptical or bend your foot and "bounce" with the machine? When I first tried the elliptical it KILLED my knees. I hatted it. Iwas doing it flat footed, but I switched to more of a "run" with flewing my feet as I go and it is soooo comfy for my knees, way better than the treadmill for me.

gguzman82

Yes, I totally agree with you. I asked my doctor and he told me that the ellipitcal can be bad for your lower back and for the knees. It just depends on the posture and/or postion that you have on the elliptical machince. Personally, I prefer to use the treadmill, with an incline from 2-5 and a speed anywhere from 4-5 to walk and 5.5-6 to run. I am burnning 500 calories in 40 minutes on the treadmill vs. 350-400 in 40 minutes in the elliptical. Due to that, I use the elliptical anytime I'm not in the mood to work-out.

susanofscottsdale

My knee has also been a limiting factor for me, and I am a fan of both machines. You do need to build up the strength of the muscles around the knee. Keep pushing, but do not go so hard that you injure yourself and have to take time off.

What has worked for me is to use both machines, and sometimes even a bike. For me, increasing the incline % on the treadmill has been a great way to increased the intensity of the workout while minimizing the impact to my knee.

For me patience, persistence and variety have worked. Good luck.

ImperfektAngel

When I first started on the elliptical I would get some knee pain as well, but the more I did it, the less knee pain I had. I also found that during PMS i would get more body aches including knee pain. Good luck!

jingoace

Uumm... as others have said, you may want to have that knee xrayed or an MRI done of it. I HAVE a bad knee that needs to be replaced and yes they make that cruching/clunking noise. It is best to exercise on a bike, or in the pool... for the sake of the knee joint. You will develop compensating limb pain as your body tries to do what you are forcing it to do.... please be careful. This is just IMHO. J

pa_jorg

I had a similar knee issue when I started running. I posted it on the boards and someone told me to strengthen my hips. That has worked wonders and no more knee problems.

jb83

I have the same problem; the cracking/popping/crunchy sound being from arthritis cause by being overweight for all these YEARS (all 28 of them!). The cartilage in my knees have suffered :-( I've always felt the elliptical was EVIL!!! What works for me is using my tredmil, but set to the highest incline that I can handle (that is, before I feel it in my knees). I've always stuck to the idea that ANY calories burned is a GOOD calorie burned, regardless of how it was burned!!! Just enjoy your workout!!! :-)

CorrieV1976

Thank you everyone!!! I'm going to stick with the treadmill for now...work on strengthening and go see a DR> I just figured it was because i gained so much weight in a little amount of time -- maybe there is more to it!!

Tuffjourney

I have bad knee's and I can only do the treadmill. So, you are not alone.

wolfchild59

I have bad knees and ankles and running actually makes them feel better and the elliptical makes them feel worse. So I just listen to my body and avoid the elliptical as much as I can.

kmbrooks15

I had knee problems, too, and the doc sent me to a physical therapist. He said if I strengthened the muscles around the knee, it would improve (he was right!). He gave me several exercises to do, but the best one was to lay on my back with my knees up. Straighten one leg, flex your foot, and raise your leg toward the ceiling SLOWLY and lower it back down. At first, I could only do about 5 on each leg, but as I got stronger and could do more, I noticed the pain in my knee going away, too.

A trip to an orthopedic doctor and a possible referral to PT are definitely a good idea. The doc can take xrays and determine if there is any kind of injury. If not, he can refer you to a PT for strengthening. It's worth the expense if it helps you feel better!

Erica0718

try biking, even if it is riding a stationary bike it is less impact than the treadmill or elliptical

tomomatic

Ow. You might need to see a doctor about that knee. Did you sprain it or anything?

I have ankle and knee pain that stem from having flat feet. I tried running before and it caused a lot of problems. I had an elliptical machine for a while, but I found it painful to get started, too. Then I tried the recumbent bike and hated it because my butt would fall asleep and it hurt my back. I have a stationary bike that is MUCH better for my joints. I used to HATE cardio until I got the stationary bike. I'm sure that the elliptical is better for me but I have cold/wet days where it hurts just to wake up.

If you're gonna invest in a machine at home, maybe you can try it out at a gym first. And definitely listen to your body.

sandy2006

My knees crunch all the time too. I cannot do the tredmill at all, kills my knees. I use the elliptical on low resistance. If I have sore knees the next day I get in the pool and that helps a lot.

JaenaM

Wearing my HRM the past couple weeks has shown me that I really burn about the same on any machine I use. I say stick to the one you like!

Babrao

I used to DREAD the Elliptical, I could only do like 10 or 15 minutes IN PAIN. My feet would burn, my theighs would ache and my lower back would kill me!!! I started doing other exercises and once I got in better shape and lost weight going on the Elliptical is great! I now do 35-45 minutes and that includes like 5-10 mins backwards. I can see the great improvement in my ability and the problems that the extra weight and being very out of shape caused me. I would say that you should concentrate on what feels comfortable right now and once you get in a better place physically, try it out again!! Good Luck

ShapeUpSidney

There are tons of tips online about eccentric training to strengthen the knee and promote healing. Definitely get check out, but also try reading up on this.

Here's a start...

http://www.livestrong.com/article/94383-eccentric-knee-exercises/

dsjohndrow

I have had a lot o knee problems. I have been to the podiatrist, and to the orthopedic surgeon. Good shoes are top of their list, and not just any good shoes, but ones that fit your particular joint geometry.

For some it the use of the joint, others the knee pounding from hard roads, or cheap sneakers. If you are having a chronic problem, I suggest seeing someone. I finally had an MRI and all the "guessings" done by the other was wrong, and it turned out to be a fracture!

Sometimes knee strength can help if there is good cushion left in the knee. Other times no matter what you do, it's game over without surgery. Again, a qualified opinion is best. Some knees respond to icing after a workout, and other respond to heat. It depends on the type of inflammation that is causing the problem. The biggest problem for folks that have been sedentary for a long time is foot and knee injuries from overuse, and inclines whether up (affecting the foot) or down (affecting the knee).

Amber82479

The elliptical isn't any better than the treadmill, it's just different. It's generally designed for those who are looking for a good burn, while staying low impact. If your knee bothers you, I would recommend seeing a doctor and staying off of the elliptical. Perhaps the doctor could recommend treatment that would help your knee and allow you to use the elliptical down the road. Have you tried a bike? Does that hurt your knee?