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stormywxs
stormywxs Posts: 254 Member
in Motivation and Support
I’m 62 and in decent shape but arthritis in my knees is slowing me down. Does anyone have any diet, physical/mental exercise or life style change suggestions to overcome a physical problem like this that is a bummer of an obstacle to my active life-style.

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  • ebr250
    ebr250 Posts: 199 Member
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    Some gyms have cardio machines that are basically stationary bikes, but instead of using your feet to pedal you use your hands. Using them would help you with cardio training without putting stress on your knees. Maybe you could work that style cardio into your regime to give your knees a break?
  • PaprikaPrincess
    PaprikaPrincess Posts: 89 Member
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    I cannot say enough positive things about my Schwinn Airdyne. One of the reasons they have been around forever is that they work and the bike is built like a tank. My knees and my right foot are toast but I can do my bike just about everyday without much pain. I call it my granny bike but I really do enjoy watching a dvd on my bike while pedaling.

    Joint juice is a bit pricey but I take some type of joint formula supplements just about every day. The supplements are a bit hard on my stomach but help. One of my main goals for losing weight is to keep my joints healthy and happy.
  • jofjltncb6
    jofjltncb6 Posts: 34,415 Member
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    I frequently hear water aerobics as a solution to problems like this (although I admittedly haven't done it myself).

    Whatever you decide to pursue, best of luck and don't give up.
  • Aradia_Silvermoon
    Aradia_Silvermoon Posts: 375 Member
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    Water aerobics are a great, low impact way to exercise without aggravating your arthritis. If you can get your hands on some theraband you can do multiple exercises with it on your legs/lower body to workout specific muscle groups without the impact of a traditional workout. Another good thing to use is something like a recumbent bike or a pedal bike of some kind. I see the physical therapists at work (I am a Occupational Therapy Assistant) use all three of these at my work to help rehab people with all sorts of lower body problems including bad knees and arthritis.

    Therapy Band: http://www.yogadirect.com/thera-band-resistance-band-loops.html (different colors are different resistances (strengths)

    Mini Bike: http://www.opentip.com/Sports-Outdoors/Sunny-Health-Fitness-Mini-Exercise-Pedal-p-1869379.html?gclid=CMmGv-zB17MCFYVFMgoddBgAiw (PT's place them on the floor and have the patients pedal for x amount of minutes. I use it on my patients for upper body strength and endurance)

    Recumbent Bikes: http://www.amazon.com/Best-Deals-Recumbent-Exercise-Bikes/lm/R35HU5WBE6H838 (expensive but could be worth it)

    You can find exercise routines online to use with the therapy band. Also after looking around I found this: http://www.activeforever.com/t-best-exercises-for-arthritis-sufferers.aspx

    I would also suggest that you talk with your doctor about seeing a PT for a few visits to get some good, safe ideas :)
  • stormywxs
    stormywxs Posts: 254 Member
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    Thanks for all of your inputs. I'm going to try water aerobics and stationary bike as substitutes for some of the exercises I do. What really concerns me is I don't want to give up some things I do like bowling, softball and aerobics. I guess I'm looking for a miracle cure to get rid of the pain that stops me from playing at the same level I did just months ago before this arthritis stuff started for me. If anyone has anything they've tried that helped them turn back the clock even a little please let me know:wink:
  • MrsSWW
    MrsSWW Posts: 1,590 Member
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    My mum suffers with arthritis and probably ought to have a knee replacement, she swears by acupuncture - it doesn't heal you but it does relieve some of the pain. She sees a Chinese doctor for it and also had a course of tablets to take when she first started going.

    I would absolutely urge you to discuss your exercise regime with your doctor - a friend who has only just hit her 60s has had a hip replacement because she continued to do high impact cardio against the advice of her doctors... she is an extremely attractive and young '60s' so was mortified that she needed to have what she considers an 'old person' surgery.

    Don't give up, just find what you need to get the heart going, even if it's something different to what you're used to :flowerforyou:
  • yoovie
    yoovie Posts: 17,121 Member
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    I have severe joint problems and because of that, my doctor always recommended Im very careful about getting enough fat in my diet and drinking enough water.

    I always guessed this was like human WD-40.
  • Danny_Boy13
    Danny_Boy13 Posts: 2,094 Member
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    If there are any kind of Aqua Fitness classes in your area that will help in the area of your arthritis. A spin bike will be painful at first but once you get into a routine it should be ok as long as you are not too intense with it.
  • pawoodhull
    pawoodhull Posts: 1,759 Member
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    I also have arthritis (lower spine, hips, knees and ankles) and I love my pilates machine! Got it with the stand from OVC (can get down to the floor, but getting back up is still a problem, so the stand). It's a great workout that does not bother any of my arthritis. It's good cardio and strength training combined.

    PS - I had bariatric surgery 16 months ago, the gastric sleeve to be exact. That weight loss has given me back most of my mobility and has eased the arthritis. It won't ever go away completely but all excercise from walking to dancing and everthing I do in between is so much easier. Good luck and keep searching. You will find something.

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