looking for workout that is easy on the knees

Mhaney
Mhaney Posts: 467 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Any ideas? I've done the 30ds a few times but the lunges and side lunges kill me every time. I want something that is challenging yet won't kill my ability to walk the following day. I have an old injury that never fully healed.

Replies

  • Halleeon
    Halleeon Posts: 309 Member
    Yoga, any water aerobics, swimming, recumbent bike, seated strength training.
  • clee369
    clee369 Posts: 101 Member
    Squats. Heavy weighted squats. In all seriousness squats have actually been found to strengthen the knee
  • ncnike23
    ncnike23 Posts: 7 Member
    Spinning! I have bad knees too and spin is great.
  • heytherestephy
    heytherestephy Posts: 356 Member
    I have old horse back riding injuries plus a more recent injury to my right knee and I find biking is great. It helped strengthen my knees enough that I can now tolerate running.
  • clee369
    clee369 Posts: 101 Member
    Do more squats. Buy starting strength or torrent the ebook and then do more squats
  • WendySue67
    WendySue67 Posts: 17 Member
    Water aerobics is VERY good on the knees and feet--that's what I do because I also have old injuries that make my knees weak. Doing specific strength training has helped but I don't like taking chances--knees are too important and you don't know how much you need them until they don't work.
  • jrutledge01
    jrutledge01 Posts: 213 Member
    see a doctor before taking the advice above about beefing up your squat - if it's an old injury, doing that could seriously hurt you

    exercise bike/elipticals are easy on my knees.. no impact, etc
  • amyLhuff
    amyLhuff Posts: 102
    I love spinning burns so many calories and swimming is an awesome full body workout easy on the joints
  • Live4More
    Live4More Posts: 177 Member
    I do water jogging.... in the deep end so I don't have to bend my knees. I need knee replacements so doing much of anything else is torture but I can really feel the work in my quads so it seems to be working.
  • amberlongsine
    amberlongsine Posts: 215 Member
    Zumba
  • juicygurl1
    juicygurl1 Posts: 195 Member
    well, I keep hearing that swiming is the best option for those with bad knees and feet. since i fall into that catagory guess i should swim, but i hate driving to the pool, so i bike, and walk quick enough to raise my heart rate above 120 per min.
  • csmoore039
    csmoore039 Posts: 13 Member
    Try Susan Sanson walking videos. They are very low impact but you get a good work out.
  • finchase
    finchase Posts: 174
    I found an elliptical was relatively easy on my knees. The recumbent bike actually hurt my knees for quite awhile, as they didn't bend very well.
  • Mechelle1967
    Mechelle1967 Posts: 24 Member
    Any ideas? I've done the 30ds a few times but the lunges and side lunges kill me every time. I want something that is challenging yet won't kill my ability to walk the following day. I have an old injury that never fully healed.

    Pretty much anything in the water is good. Also, go to YouTube and look for T-Tapp. If you like the demo videos you can order DVD's. It is a great core workout that is super easy on the joints. I have a friend who does only this because of bad knees and she looks amazing!
  • Kimminer77
    Kimminer77 Posts: 39 Member
    I have heard good things about Tai Cheng and Slim in 6. They are easy on the knees. Here are the links: http://www.teambeachbody.com/shop/-/shopping/TaiChengBase?referringRepId=171060

    http://www.teambeachbody.com/shop/-/shopping/Slimin6?referringRepId=171060

    I have a fb group of people who are using all different workout if you would like to join
    https://www.facebook.com/groups/50shadesoffitness/
  • DoomCakes
    DoomCakes Posts: 806 Member
    Yoga, elliptical's, some light strength training on your knees to help build them up for more would be cool too.
  • bslanding
    bslanding Posts: 1
    can not find in database amount of cal. burned for water aerobics, swimming.
    Please help
  • dzarello
    dzarello Posts: 119 Member
    Squats. Heavy weighted squats. In all seriousness squats have actually been found to strengthen the knee

    ^^This^^
    If these are done CORRECTLY they will help strengthen the tendons, ligaments and muscles surrounding the knees making them stronger.
  • spfldpam
    spfldpam Posts: 738 Member
    I have bad knees and one is bone on bone with upper bone off from the lower bone and the knee cap is off centered but too young for knee replacement surgery and I don't wanna have it anyways. I tried Zumba dvds and that is when I had my last knee pain episode and I had modified some of the moves too so I don't do Zumba. Leslie Sansone walking dvds seem to work for me. I do the 2 mile walk in 30 minutes twice a day one time at 5:30am and then again after work. I also do some stablitity ball workouts too w dvd. Weight Watchers sells a kit I picked up at Walmart this weekend with the stability ball, air pump, dvd with three workouts. One has you down leaning on your knees so I skipped that one. Extreme Weightloss Makeove edition low impact dvd has some that could be done too I skip the ones that would be hard on my knees.
    I have heard walking or running in the pool would be good but I don't do that cause I am not currently a memer of gym.
    Let us know what you tried and how it went.
    Good luck!
  • OddChoices
    OddChoices Posts: 244 Member
    Elliptical trainer.
    ADDUCTOR/ABDUCTOR workouts
    Leg curls
    Hanging pikes
    Swiss ball workouts
  • Gail3260
    Gail3260 Posts: 354 Member
    can not find in database amount of cal. burned for water aerobics, swimming.
    Please help

    It's in there under water aerobics, water callisthenics......I go every week...great fun....sometimes it's more like synchronised drowning for mature ladies!
  • LoseSyra
    LoseSyra Posts: 75 Member
    learn physical theraphy exercises to strenthen the muscles around your knee. Depending on your discomfort level and your health insurance / physical theraphy co-pay/ budget situation consider asking your doc to send you to pt so that you can learn what exercises are appropriate for you. If you can't do pt, then google pt exercises for the knees and start out slowly with very simple exercises 2x a day, and then increase frequency & add leg weights. When I've been in pt we start off very simply but they are always changing the exercises, and I'm not sure how you figure out how to do that unless you've been thru pt before. Good luck, life's a marathon not a sprint so don't rush things.
  • pwnderosa
    pwnderosa Posts: 280 Member
    learn physical theraphy exercises to strenthen the muscles around your knee. Depending on your discomfort level and your health insurance / physical theraphy co-pay/ budget situation consider asking your doc to send you to pt so that you can learn what exercises are appropriate for you. If you can't do pt, then google pt exercises for the knees and start out slowly with very simple exercises 2x a day, and then increase frequency & add leg weights. When I've been in pt we start off very simply but they are always changing the exercises, and I'm not sure how you figure out how to do that unless you've been thru pt before. Good luck, life's a marathon not a sprint so don't rush things.

    Ditto! I have been to PT for my back and my husband has been for his knees and both of us learned tons of great exercises we can easily do at home to strengthen our whole bodies, especially our "problem areas" where we have injuries to deal with. They also gave us excellent advice on aerobic workouts we can do and stretches for the pain. Oh, and they work me out like a drill sergeant when I go! Definitely worth it, esp. if covered under your insurance, and even if you just go for awhile to learn some new movements.

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