I am feeling so defeated!

It can be so exhausting having a young child so well done for making that change. Walking is great exercise and there are free workouts on you tube that can be done in 20 mins. Weights are a good way to change your body and can be done at home. I wish you all the best & hope your knee heals soon xx

Muscles typically get fit relatively quickly as compared to bone. Bone has to remodel along new stress lines that are placed on it with new activities.........this takes time. People typically get inspired to go jogging all of a sudden or in the spring. Their muscles get toned faster than their bones which results in micro-fractures we all know as "shin splints" ..........walking and slow exercise burns fat much better than really fast exercise which burns sugars and just increases appetite. People that worked all day long in the past worked at a steady fat burning pace.........and they had hard bones to boot. I used to run up to 10 miles a day but wore out my knees........so I know the love of running. Still walking and brisk exercise can elevate the heart, open the lungs and give one a feeling of youthfulness (or at least it helps me). My experience is to get people to go slower but more sustained. Few injuries, fewer sore muscles, less fatigue. The only down side is that we are all programmed that no pain no gain. That is fine if you want damaged joints due to a commando mentality. Even they only last for so many years. The other thing is that muscles and their enzymes (their machinery) take time to come to full efficiency just like warming up a car engine..........there is an optimal range of temperature. All athletes know this an wam-up accordingly. I find I do much better if I cut myself some slack- and feel much better after 10-15 minutes of non-max work.............the blood is now in my muscles and the metabolism is starting to peak.........then I feel much better. Now i enjoy exercising.

Make sure you are training at a pace that doesn't injure your body. It is fine it these very fit trainers push people but they are already hard not GETTING hard........you will eventually get to to your goals if you slow the rate of drive down and have fewer injuries than drive hard and land in the ditch from breakdowns so to speak...........I am a college professor and exercise physiology is part of what I teach. Cut yourself some slack and allow your injuries to heal.......your body to heal and you will be back into it in good time. Everytime you exercise you are doing something good for yourself, be it house work, walking with the stroller, etc etc etc........my wife stays trim as so many wives work 24/7----they have earned their exhaustion doing chores.

I am not trying to be a lecture, just encourage you........look at how far you have come..............injuries can be tough and pain can be very depressing especially as good as you feel when things are flowing along............unfortunately as an athlete..........(congratulations........you are one now).........the injuries do develop and you have a new area to train through.........injury protocols.........new experiences but you will prevail. I assume you are also consulting you physicial or physcial therapist.......they can be very helpful with sports injuries. Someone said stretches, yoga and swimming. Smart ideas