anyone else got rubbish knees??

nibbynoo

hi,
I've got really crappy knees, they click like anything as the knee caps are slightly flat. I'm only 22 as well which is pretty lame!

the doc told me to build the muscles around the knee but avoid impact like running but eventually i want to be able to run. to run a decent mile is a huge goal for me due to a humiliation in school i want to put to bed.

any of you run with bad knees? I don't want to steam in and dislocate something but don't just want to keep walking on the treadmill!
any good tips for strengthening them?

thanks MFpals

Nikki

Sl1ghtly

I did. But now after several years of lunges, squats, and a few other major lifts, I do not.

TeutonicKnight

I did. But now after several years of lunges, squats, and a few other major lifts, I do not.

^^ THIS. I tore my ACL 3 years ago and had to wear a knee brace just to walk up and down stairs. I was told to do squats and lunges and this was about a month ago. My knee still aches, but I can tell its getting stronger. I still wear a brace when I hike or jog, but don't rely on it when I work. I just stared and can already tell a bit of a difference.

girl_afraid82

I have the same problem, and avoid squats and lunges like the plague!
So are you guys saying I should be doing these anyway, to build up strength and eventually I won't have bad knees?

k1ngfl1pper

3 knee surgeries here. I want to get back to running, but I've started off using the elliptical for now and doing lunges and squats.

ejcverkerk

I've had really bad knees for about 5 years now, and I'm only 24! I haven't been working out too long, but I started out on the eliptical for my cardio and doing lunges and squats to help my knees. I just started my running program (Couch Potato to 5K) last Monday. After the first day, I could barely get up the stairs in my house. I went and bought a knee brace afterwards, and have been running with no pain for the last week. Seems to be working for me.

Elen_Sia

Crappy left knee here. I don't run. I bike outdoors and use the stair climber at the gym. After almost 3 months of cardio on the stair climber, my leg muscles are developing really well and I hardly experience knee pain now. I also take calcium, fish oil and glucosamine-chondroitin-MSM supplements every day.

lizsmith1976

Squats, lunges, leg press machine, and ELLIPTICAL machine. Builds strength without hurting. Plus, anything that is good for your quads is KEY. Weak quad muscles keep you from being able to "activate" (lift) your knee cap correctly, so biking, yoga, all of the other exercises I said earlier.

I ran in school but gave it up 15 years ago because of my knees, then I lost a ton of weight on the elliptical and decided to give it a try. A little bit of pain over the last 6 months, but I ran a 10K in under an hour last month and just signed up for my first triathlon

Feel free to add me as a friend!

Gail3260

Me.....I have one particularly bad from a car accident. I cannot jog or run and never will be able to. I can't do squats because the pain is excruciating. I swim or do aquafit and use the cross trainer and recumbent bike.

LordBezoar

I have always had pretty bad knees thanks to an awesome mixture of genetics, my idiot father, and simply being overweight. Joining the swim team in High School helped a ton back in the day. However, I haven't gone swimming in years because I am extremely self-conscious. That being said, I have found starting kinda slow with it has helped a ton. I am nowhere near ready to start running long distances, but I have noticed a huge improvement in general day to day walking.

jcpmoore

I have the same knee problems. My doc recommended these:
http://familydoctor.org/familydoctor/en/diseases-conditions/patellofemoral-pain-syndrome/treatment.html

astrampe

I do! Crappy knees - run middle distances 5km, 10km races and might do a half...It is a lot easier on my knees since I started doing wights - squats works wonders - lunges still hurt a little too much...

Squats definitely made a huge difference, I can now run and lift too!

echandle12

Icing my knee as we type, lunges and squats will build the muscle around the knee, stonger quads help with knees as well.

kpopa

the doc told me to build the muscles around the knee but avoid impact like running but eventually i want to be able to run. to run a decent mile is a huge goal for me due to a humiliation in school i want to put to bed.

any of you run with bad knees? I don't want to steam in and dislocate something but don't just want to keep walking on the treadmill!
any good tips for strengthening them?

Nikki,

I tore my PCL about 10 years ago. I had surgery on it but it's never been the same. If your doctors says don't run then PLEASE don't run!!!

The best exercises for the knees are those that build up your quads as those are the muscles that support your knees. Biking would be an excellent, low impact option.

There are SO many great low impact exercises out there that can take place of running. My fear for you would be that you try running too soon or push yourself too hard and do more harm than good.

GOOD LUCK!

thekarens

First and foremost you should talk to your doctor about what you should do with your knees, but having said that....

I have a bad right knee. Have forever. Basically the right kneecap likes to slip off at any moment and time. When I was 16 I had surgery to remove a chipped bone from the slippage and a lateral release to try to improve the problem. Instead of physical therapy I babied that knee for over 30 years and now I'm paying for it.

I started with elliptical and bike riding. One exercise you can do at home to help strengthen the knee is a weight around the ankle while you're sitting in a chair/couch and slowly lift your leg and hold it about 6 inches from straight. Now I am learning to run on the treadmill and eventually hope to move to the pavement once I'm stronger.

Mom0fTwo

I bought an elliptical for that very reason

Lmkurtz725

Two knee surgeries including a cartilage graft about four months ago. I was running on a treadmill at about 5mph (all I could handle without real pain in my knee) and then had the surgery. My surgeon told me I should be able to run "soon", but so far I don't think I could tolerate it. I'm going to the gym almost everyday and still doing PT (I think I'm going to stop this since I can do everything on my own). They told me it would take a year to feel "normal" after this last surgery. I'm hoping I'll be able to do some running soon, but I'm not that optimistic. Keeping my fingers crossed!

shulaw

i do too, did all the ligaments in on both knees after falling off a wall...we wont go there have found walking helps plus zumba ( as long as im carefull) this has helped build them up to the point i tried running last year i didt like it but thats just me . loosing some weight also helped obviously ...have been doing zumba and ea sports work outs as well as walking lots to rebuild the strength as they have been giving way recently but i think thats due to be putting on weight more then anything

lucylousmummy

i've got terrible knees i got run over when i was 12 and badly damaged my left knee to the point where it used to give way for no reason at all, so because of that i put more strain on my "good" knee well as you can imagine 22 years of doing that my "good" knee ended up worse than my other one

i started doing regular exercise last year after a lifetime of hit and miss started off really slowly partly because i was overweight but also because i was scared of doing further damage to my knees 14 months later after countless squats, lunges etc etc the only exercise i have to be careful with are jumping jacks (but i suspect its my technique thats off with those) and i have just started easing myself into running by doing the couch 25k

the only thing i would suggest is ease into any new exercise slowly if it hurts stop dont think you can push through the pain and remember what works for some wont work for others good luck x

love22step

Squats and lunges, done incorrectly, can be very problematic for knees. My knees became very swollen from a boxercise class I took. We were led through squats and lunges, but not given instructions for doing them properly. My Chalean Extreme DVDs explain how to perform squats and lunges without damaging knees (tail bone up, back straight, weight on heels, knees over ankles, NOT over toes). The cardio workouts in that series also demonstrate low-impact alternatives to protect knees. I've come back from a fractured bone and torn tendon in my knee a year ago, and I'm preparing for a 5K in 9 days.

Tracey0013

I tore my ACL and had to get it operated on it's not fun. But what everyone is saying about squats and lunges and stuff like that do help but my doc said not to run. It puts a lot of pressure on the knee. At this point with me jumping jacks hurt too. I am hoping that once I get into a little better shape and strengthen my knee a bit more I will be able to do a few. Follow what your doc says and if you can go to physiotherapy they can give you some exercises that would be good to do good luck with everything !

Usbornegal

Yeah - same here. Had knee surgery for a torn meniscis last summer after reinjuring my knee doing my 3rd half marathon. Packed on an extra 14 pounds while I was out of commission which is part of what drove me back to MFP in October. My ortho gave a list of suggested exercises to my trainer so I could restrengthen my knee although he didn't think I should run anymore. He doesn't know I have lost 39 pounds and counting and am going to run anyway.

Exercises that have helped:
Elliptical
Treadmill to rebuild rather than street running
***Core strengthening exercises - amazing how that helps my running speed!!
IT band exercises
Abduction and adduction exercises for inner and outer thighs
Squats, lunges, step exercises with weights (sometimes hand sometimes ankle)
Leg presses
Planks (yeah, I know they are killer)
Stationary bike

Working with my trainer really helps to avoid injury but still push forward beyond what I trust my body to do so I can do what it can actually do. Fear and trust are big with vulnerable body parts, especially for us that are obese.

I did a 5K in February that was my best time ever, am now reconditining my legs and knees to road work, will do a 5k this Saturday, a 10k trail run in two weeks, and a half marathon in 10 weeks. Not bad for a grandma with bad knees!!

Espressocycle

Yeah, I have bad knees and have since I was 22. Stregth training, especially the core but also some careful leg work has helped lately. Yoga actually did too. The goal is to activate all the other muscles to take pressure off the knees.

odusgolp

Totally bum knees. My theory is... why run? There are plenty of incredibly good lower impact exercises

Unless you really want to become a runner, than do as the doc said and build up the muscles around it like mad before starting...

NinjaChickie

I have the same problem, and avoid squats and lunges like the plague!
So are you guys saying I should be doing these anyway, to build up strength and eventually I won't have bad knees?

I sprained my MCL several years ago. Physio had me on stationary bike with zero resistance and then what seemed like endless squats & lunges for 2 months.

Even now, if I don't warm up my knees properly before a jog, it does ache but only for a few hours max. I rarely ever need to ice it.

Last time it hurt bad was because I thought I could handle a spinning class, 8 minutes into class I realized how wrong that idea was and had to sit out and just watch.

Chris_acc_can

If you wish to do cardio, do machines/exercises that are low impact on the knee. Use a bike or if your gym has a pool, swim.

The knee is the meeting point for several muscles in your body. The three you want to focus on is your quads, hamstring, and calfs. Strengthen them and your problems will be alleviated.

Some exercises: Squat (can vary it, regular, wide, narrow, sumo, single leg, etc...), lunges, deadlifts, leg press, leg extension, leg curls, seated and standing calf raises (do both as they work separate parts of calf). There are tons, just need to do some research or buy a book on exercises.

Start with body weight only and increase gradually increase weight. Use pain/discomfort in the knee as the guideline. When doing these exercises avoid locking your knee (always keep a slight bend).

Over time things will get better. Also weight loss will also take strain off the knee, as you begin to realize your goal the knee problem should lessen.

Usbornegal

Two knee surgeries including a cartilage graft about four months ago. I was running on a treadmill at about 5mph (all I could handle without real pain in my knee) and then had the surgery. My surgeon told me I should be able to run "soon", but so far I don't think I could tolerate it. I'm going to the gym almost everyday and still doing PT (I think I'm going to stop this since I can do everything on my own). They told me it would take a year to feel "normal" after this last surgery. I'm hoping I'll be able to do some running soon, but I'm not that optimistic. Keeping my fingers crossed!

I looked at the cartilage graft info in case I need to go that route - recovery time seemed really long before I could start running again. Hope it goes well.

Totally bum knees. My theory is... why run? There are plenty of incredibly good lower impact exercises

Sometimes ya just gotta run.

FitLink

hi,
I've got really crappy knees, they click like anything as the knee caps are slightly flat. I'm only 22 as well which is pretty lame!

the doc told me to build the muscles around the knee but avoid impact like running but eventually i want to be able to run. to run a decent mile is a huge goal for me due to a humiliation in school i want to put to bed.

any of you run with bad knees? I don't want to steam in and dislocate something but don't just want to keep walking on the treadmill!
any good tips for strengthening them?

thanks MFpals

Nikki

I can't imagine why anyone would run if the doctor specifically said not to. I have a friend who has been told not to run if he plans to even be able to walk in ten years (both his knees and hips already replaced), and he switched to rowing and biking. If you're not near water, I suppose rowing is out, but biking would be less stressful for your knees.

Bmontgomery613

What kind of braces are you guys using? I've tried them in the past with very little successs. I have kneecap tracking issues (which is VERY common). I've been doing squat and lunges and running, but my knees still swell and hurt if I overdo it or don't pay attention and allow them to track incorrectly.

dmpizza

I WAS running with bad knees, but this week(after many Xrays, etc....) my Dr recommended I stop. She said if I do want to, that I should take 2 Advil, 1 hour before and ice them afterwards.

nibbynoo

I've not been told i will never be able to run just to avoid it until my knees are stronger.

i want to run as in school i was bullied bad because i could only run a 16 minute mile in PE (i was a very unfit and overweight kid) and cause this made me feel so bad I haven't tried to run since. it was totally humiliating.
but i want to start running as a finger up to my old self and the old people that made my life hell for being chubby!

i know it sounds stupid but its something for me to work towards. i just need to get batter, i am biking, elliptical and walking. also doing yoga and zumba.