What exercises to do if you have knee pain

ilmb87
ilmb87 Posts: 216 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I'm actually asking for a friend of my mine who isn't on MFP. She's torn her legs up really badly (had to have surgery on them a couple of times) due to basketball in high school and college. She's wants to get back into shape, but knee pain keeps her from doing anything like walking for any length of time--not to mention she finds it boring. I suggested water aerobics, but she doesn't want to be the only young person in the pool.

Any other exercise suggestions?

Replies

  • gmallan
    gmallan Posts: 2,099 Member
    Cycling (if it's pain-free), boxing, swimming (if she can't kick she can use a pool buoy and just do arms), upper body weights and some lower body stuff (that can be done without pain).
  • cmriverside
    cmriverside Posts: 34,458 Member
    She should see a physical therapist for safe exercises. Your question is so general, and with no diagnostic information, no one is going to have any real ideas.
  • n0ob
    n0ob Posts: 2,390 Member
    both my knees hurt yesterday while I was squatting...
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    Anything that is not high impact. She doesn't have to do water aerobics...she can just swim laps; it's great exercise for the entire body. Biking, eliptical, etc. I've had some knee issues as well, and it's best to start out slow and build up...the muscles around the injury will strengthen and the pain will diminish. If it's that bad, she may want to start with more physical therapy type of exercises and probably actually go to see a physical therapist.
  • dare2love81
    dare2love81 Posts: 928 Member
    She should see a physical therapist for safe exercises. Your question is so general, and with no diagnostic information, no one is going to have any real ideas.

    ^^This.

    And also, for someone who is pretty limited in what she is able to do, she better get over her excuse that she doesn't want to be the only young one in the pool as swimming would be my only suggestion. It's pretty hard to do any land-based exercise that doesn't involve the legs somehow.
  • ilmb87
    ilmb87 Posts: 216 Member
    I suggested swimming to her at first, because I know it's very low impact, if any, but she doesn't know how to swim. *sigh*

    In response to cmriverside: She's torn the meniscus in both of her knees. She's had surgey two or three times on the one knee, and has yet to have surgery on the other knee.

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