my knees creak - can I do JM 30 day shred?

mccollumse

I have been reading comments about the video and am tempted to get it. My current routine is 30 minutes of treadmill (3 miles) and 30 minutes of eliptical. I need to tone A LOT. I am 5'8" and 127lbs. I've lost ~50 lbs and look ok in clothes.....but have a lot of "flab". Classic, skinny fat. Would like to lose about 4 more lbs.

Anyhow, my knees aren't the best. I avoid doing squats because it doesn't feel good (not horrible, but I don't like it). My knees pop and grind when I go up steps.

For those that have the 30day shred, how hard is it on the knees?

Also, where is the best place to buy it?

Thanks!!!!

mccollumse

anyone?

katscoots

It's not that bad and she gives you pointers on how to NOT hurt yourself. My whole body creaks, but it's a great workout

I ordered my DVDs from Amazon.com

BeeElMarvin

You can usually find it at Walmart or any other department store. And yes, I believe that you should be able to do it. I'm 52 with bad knees, bad shoulders etc. and I do it.

echandle12

#1- 30 DS has lots of squats and lunges. I have bad knees too but I did it.
#2 try investing in some glucosamine. It has helped me a ton and I have no more pain. I do squats and lunges daily and it used to hurt just to sit down and stand up. Took about 3 weeks to kick in, but it helped

entropy83

I have joints that crack and pop. You just have to see for yourself. If high impact moves kill you, I would suggest you either go for a longer workout and just do strength training at your own pace. I have attempted twice and both times my knees hated me, which is not functional as I a pedestrian in Chicago. I think some people say parts of it are on youtube. I bought the video and am holding out that after dropping more weight my knees will be more prepared. Good luck!

sarah120906

I've had knee pain in the begining both times of doing the Shred. It eventually went away for me though. Both times were after long absences of hard work-outs (post baby.) If you already work-out on a regular basis it may not bother you much.

sel254

My knees have actually gotten much better since I started doing 30 Day Shred. One of the girls in the video does modified moves which are easier, so you only have to go as far as you feel comfortable. Definitely recommend it

militarydreams

Yeah just avoid things like insanity and plyometrics in general.

hmcminton

i would recommend 30DS - i lost a lot of weight doing it and have arthritis in my right knee, which makes exercising very painful at first. now i have virtually no knee pain and can run up and down stairs without thinking about it. the great thing about Jillian is that she gives tips on how to modify... also, once you become familiar with her workouts, you can substitute other moves that work the same muscles but might cause you less discomfort. good luck!

tigerlily8045

I myself am having trouble with my knees doing the 30 DS. I have gotten a knee support and it seems to help while doing the lunge/squats.

MinnieInMaine

For me, it's not so much the squatting and lunging as it is the jumping around - jumping jacks, butt kicks, etc that cause knee issues while doing 30DS. And the higher you go up in the levels, the more jumping you do as she incorporates more plyometric type moves.

As far as resolving your issues, may I recommend trying to cut dairy out of your diet to see if that might be the source of knee issues. I know it sounds weird but a friend of mine did a "detox" (no soy, dairy, gluten for 30 days) and discovered that dairy caused all kinds of issues for her, including her knee creakiness. Just a thought...

Lleldiranne

I would say yes. My knees pop as well, and so do my hips, ankles, shoulders …. (thanks to gymnastics as a kid/younger teen). I don't think it's any harder on my knees than running a 10 minute mile is.

When you do squats and lunges, start gentle (JM always has a modifier example that is for beginners). Also listen to her when she talks about form! The big thing is that your knees stay over your ankles. It's when you let them go over your foot that you start risking injury.

ETA: Check at your local library for the DVD. I checked it out there a couple of times before deciding not to buy it (and then I checked out other JM, and ended up buying some of them; I just didn't care for 30 DS). That way, if you love it you can keep it for a few weeks, with renewal, and decide if you want to buy it, and if you hate it you can take it back with no money lost.

wiggywompus

My knees creak and I avoid squats but since starting 30DS my knees are stronger and don't creak so much. I started off only going down a little and gradually increased built up muscle in legs/knees which helped. Good luck it is certainly a good routine

Charismasme2

I also have VERY bad knee's, and have been doing it for awhile now. The one thing is to modify. Listen to what she says, and follow the girl that modify's especially the lunges and squats...at least until you feel comfortable. But it's a very nice workout!!! I love it.

jadedbutterfly71

#1- 30 DS has lots of squats and lunges. I have bad knees too but I did it.
#2 try investing in some glucosamine. It has helped me a ton and I have no more pain. I do squats and lunges daily and it used to hurt just to sit down and stand up. Took about 3 weeks to kick in, but it helped

^^^^^ This. Glucosamine saved me :happy:
I got my dvd from Amazon

janalayn

My knees crack and hurt too. I did it and just adjusted the things I couldn't do (like jumping jacks) ... although by the end I could actually do some (not all) of the jumping jacks. Good luck - it is a killer workout but you can really see a difference at the end.

pamelak5

Yes, but only if you have really, really good form at squats. Your knee will get worse if you don't have good form, but if you have good form it will help tons. I love workout videos but the limitation is that you don't have anyone to watch you to tell you whether you're doing it right. I had knee problems and squatted them away. I would actually recommend The Firm videos - they have terrific modifications and even with modifications are a great workout. JM doesn't provide modifications for things like jumping jacks, because everyone should be able to use them.

Michelle_Nicole

I also have really bad knees yet was able to do her 30 day shred dvd with no problem. I would just not go as far down with your squats or lunges if it hurts and go easy on any jumping moves. Its really all on how you feel, if you can do the moves with little pain then go for it, but if it hurst just lessen the intensity a bit and you should be fine! Good luck!

jjblogs

I have knee issues and the 30ds was hard on them until I started doing it barefoot. It made a huge difference. You might try that if you have trouble once you get started.

ber3023

I would say it's all about just how bad your knees are. There is quite a bit of impact; jumping around, squats and lunges. There is a girl on the vid to follow to do less impact, which even as I'm in much better shape and could manage more impact, my knees sometimes can't in the higher levels so I have to stick to the lower impact stuff. I have still had great results with it though.

AJ_Pete

I'm a partial amputee (lost half my foot) and I still do it. I just modify when I can't do something (like jumping jacks). Just give it a go! You never know until you try!

ber3023

I have knee issues and the 30ds was hard on them until I started doing it barefoot. It made a huge difference. You might try that if you have trouble once you get started.

haha I sometimes do it barefoot as well. I've often thought of making a message board post to ask people if they thought that was a bad idea. I have hardwood floors which seem to be slick when popping out of some of her moves, when I have tennis shoes on. Jumping jacks also seem to be better done barefoot. Maybe we're just weirdos? haha

2knoxs

Form is imprtant and use the modifications, think about getting a mirror to see your form. Im on day 8 and today did more "advanced" moves than the modfified ones. It is a great work out. The above posts have some really good advice. Strength training is very important for bone and joint health. Good Luck I also like The Firm.

2knoxs

I have knee issues and the 30ds was hard on them until I started doing it barefoot. It made a huge difference. You might try that if you have trouble once you get started.

haha I sometimes do it barefoot as well. I've often thought of making a message board post to ask people if they thought that was a bad idea. I have hardwood floors which seem to be slick when popping out of some of her moves, when I have tennis shoes on. Jumping jacks also seem to be better done barefoot. Maybe we're just weirdos? haha

I alternate between barefoot and shoes.

hpsnickers1

Walmart, Target, etc.

If anything your knees will get stronger. Just listen to your body and do only what you can do.

ber3023

I have knee issues and the 30ds was hard on them until I started doing it barefoot. It made a huge difference. You might try that if you have trouble once you get started.

haha I sometimes do it barefoot as well. I've often thought of making a message board post to ask people if they thought that was a bad idea. I have hardwood floors which seem to be slick when popping out of some of her moves, when I have tennis shoes on. Jumping jacks also seem to be better done barefoot. Maybe we're just weirdos? haha

I alternate between barefoot and shoes.

We must be the cool kids! lol

girlie100

I'm not even 30 yet and my knees creek all the time thanks to many years of playing sports, I've done 30DS and had no problems

kathyl05

I had knee surgery in October for arthritis and a torn meniscus; my orthopedist said the only thing I can absolutely not do is squats. He's not crazy about paddle tennis either ; ) I would talk to a doctor about your particular situation.

cherrybomb_77

I have a bad knee (basically no cartilage, you can hear it popping and grinding when I work out) and just started 30DS yesterday. I did fine with it, but we'll see if that keeps up

mccollumse

Follow up question that I just thought of.....what size weights do you use?

Thanks for all the great responses....I'm going to get it on amazon right now!