Bad knees- what workouts do you do?

I've hurt my knee in zumba.... now I do easy yoga and is a great exercise and relief

I can be lots of things (for me it was a torn meniscus) so, as others have advised, see your doctor.

I do want to suggest some reading on a related topic. For many people, nothing beats jogging or running for weight loss/maintenance or overall fitness. I would rather see a dentist then get on a treadmill, elliptical, or rowing machine. But that is just me and losing the opportunity to get outside for a jog, even a slow one, would be devastating. Many years ago, I ran a marathon and I followed a training plan promoted by olympian runner Jeff Galloway. Over the years I lost my way and the pounds came on big time. When I started on MFP over a year ago I took up jogging again with the C25K program. I successfully completed it and ran a 5k at an 11:30 pace but the process, especially in the latter weeks, was tough. My knees were killing me! I could hardly walk the day after a run. So 25 years after that marathon, I started researching run training programs again and once again discovered Jeff Galloway. Well as I grew older, so did he, and he has been an advocate for a different running style for some years now and, with it, a different training plan. In a nutshell, its called a run/walk method. It is widely used for ultra marathoners today and allows a recovery period within the run such that the leg muscles don't tire nearly as much and provide much needed support for the rest of the legs. I am now up to a 6 mile run and do so at a 10:20 overall pace, running intervals for 4 minutes and walking for one minute. My 1-mile pace is currently sub-10 minutes and is getting better. The best part is I'm not tired after and my knees don't hurt anymore. I'm now starting on his training plan for my second marathon. Hope to run it before my 60th birthday.

Google him, but do note that his older material may not be about run/walking. He has written a ton of books and I've heard they can get rather repetitive. I got his book "running Until You're 100". You can also find many of his training plans for free on his website.

You said you can barely walk so that means kneeling and using stairs will be painful for you too. I had the same problem with my knee. In my opinion, It is best for you to let your knee rest from walking or doing yoga and pilates. Pilates for abs is excellent though. I took glucosamine+chondroitin supplement to help heal my joint and chondroitin is excellent to retain water to lubricate the joint. My doctor gave me pain killer for 3 days to help ease the pain but it does not help to heal my knee. I found that stretching my knee helps too but not like the the warrior pose or downward facing pose in yoga... it will make your knee hurt more. If you force your knee to work in pain you might make it worst so let it rest until the pain is gone. hope this help.

This thread is a real "roll of horror"

I'm missing my PCL and 90% of the lateral meniscus in left knee, old patella fracture and laxity in lateral and medial ligaments in right knee.

Running really isn't great for me - a brisk 3k on a treadmill is about my limit. Slow running/jogging is far worse than running at a decent pace.
Squats also bad for me and the noises coming from my knees tend to upset other gym users!

Good for me and my legs is cycling (just come back from a 47 mile ride, use cleats if you can), rowing & elliptical. Leg presses, curls and leg extensions help keep my legs strong and my knees stable but can't go too crazy on the weights for these. Swimming with crawl kick is OK but breaststroke kick was banned by my surgeon.

But as others have said your start point really has to be a proper diagnosis.

Best of luck. :flowerforyou:

I run,sometimes knees hurt so i stop a week and swimming is fine or simply a slow walk even to rest at all is great,full recovery

Do get a clear diagnosis. I have a torn medial meniscus and because of where the tear is, I can't run, swim, cycle, X-train without aggravating it just now. Post-surgery and rehab I expect to be back Alpine mountaineering because that's what I have done before.

Right now I use the hand cycle and the weight machines (very carefully) at the gym. I do some Pilates and yoga moves too, but anything kneeling or cross-legged is a no no so I avoid classes. Walking on the flat works but stairs or too much speed / mileage is a problem.

Look after yourself! Without being clear on exactly what has happened you might make something worse - good luck

Zero cartilage left in the knees. I was convinced that bone grinding on bone limited the possibilities. Read: I was looking for an excuse not to run :laugh:
What happened is that I started power walking--low impact, is A Good Thing, right? Yes, until I pulled a ligament in my hip and long strides really, REALLY hurt. But I realized that running was possible. I've been running for five years, and my knees are very happy with me. What's putting a kink in it now is a serious foot injury (fracture and torn tendon) that limits activity to the treadmill and 30 min tops. I'm hoping to get it sorted out in the foreseeable (the actual injury happened nine months ago), because running is the one thing that really helps me control my weight--not an easy thing to do when you're perimenopausal and hypothyroid :grumble:

I have fibromyalgia and arthritis in at least one of my knees. I second the yoga and also, stationary biking. Especially a recumbant bike, where the weight is on your butt and you work your ab muscles some.

My right knee is what gives me problems. I've torn every ligament and have no cartilage left; I have pins and screws throughout it, and all cadaver parts, and i have arthritis (as expected). I have days where i can hardly walk, and I"m only 36. But what has helped me while it's really sore is doing something called T-Tapp (T-Tapp MORE program is what I use). It's very easy on knees and back. Think of the "sit & be fit" series from a long time ago--it's more to do with body position and I will tell you I ate my normal healthy way and after doing it for 4 weeks the inches were falling off just doing T-Tapp. I myself like to dance, so when it's not bothering me I pop in zumba or go to a Nia class. Just don't push it. That's how I tore my last ligament--I was working out & my personal trainer and myself pushed it a little too far and I could not walk for a week before I wen to see an orthopedic specialist.

you could probably do aquagym or aquazumba, the water takes the strain off your joints and the workout is fun