Exercises for Overweight and in Pain?

Swimming or water aerobics are a great way to start -- is that doable?

I have bad knees (had surgery on both) and plantar fasciitis. I was told by my knee surgeon to avoid any type of impact exercise - walking, running, etc. I was told to swim or bike or elliptical for exercise.

Good orthotics will help the PF ... or invest in really good shoes! Another thing I do is tape my arch with Kinesio tape.

Look up exercises for the quads - weak knees are often a result of weak quads. There's plenty of ways to strengthen the quads with leg lifts and such.

I started 3 months ago and I've lost 20 pounds. I also weight train tho' so I'm building up muscle while I lose. My body fat percentage is dropping!

Good luck!

Good sneakers is key for the PF. I could not afford the $400 orthotics, but I bought some running sneaks (about $100) and after a month my PF was gone. I had my feet and stride measured at a running store. I started the couch to 5 K jogging program at 5'4" and 267lbs. It sucked b/c I had no conditioning in my body, but I went slow and I finished the program. Stretching was key for me. I stretched before, I stretched after my warm up walk and at times I stretched during the jog/walk segments. Eventually I didn't have to stretch as much.
I second the swimming. Get the courage for the bathing suit, you are making better lifestyle choices for you. Good luck.

Hi deerstops!

5'8", pretty damn heavy, and have knee problems here, so I can empathise with your situation.

Perhaps you want to look at working out from a DVD. They work various muscle groups and you can really sweat it out. Some of them are pretty good at giving different variations for people who are concerned about their joints. If you enjoy a good boogie, maybe you can look at the zumba videos or Shaun T's Rockin' Body.

Hope this helps! All the best and keep up the good work!

My boyfriend has PF and that can be BRUTAL. That being said, he will bike 10 miles some days in the summer. I'm not sure if that's an option for your knees or not, but it may be worth a try.

He also loves...and don't tell him I told everybody...but he totally loves yoga.

I think swimming would be the best for you but walking will work just fine! A rowing machine or stationary bike would be good too. My sister has PF and has stretches that her dr. told her to do. Have you seen your dr. for a list of exercises that can be done with PF?

I have had PF too. I got good shoes but even better are the Insoles I found just for that. I got them from Lady Footlocker when I bought my first good shoes. I paid way too much from there. I found them on Amazon for about $20. They are called Spenco for Her, Total Support. They say PolySorb on them. They cured my problem. I was about your weight when I started this program and all I did was walk and watch the food. You don't have too do all the stuff stuff at first. It comes off fast in the beginning, at least for my husband and I it did. Good luck!!!

I had PF but when I started riding a bike, it went away! I think it had something do to with stretching of the leg/foot muscle but it's gone and I haven't had it back now for over a year. That's the only thing different I did so I'm confident it helped.

Walking! I lost my first 60lbs by just walking and making good food choices. I started doing just 2 miles a day then worked my way up. Now, 17 months later since I started, I run 5 -6 times a week and it is usually 6 - 8 mile trail runs. It is all about baby steps. As you lose weight it will get easier for you. I also used C25k and it worked well. When I started running I got runner's knee. It was painful, but I pushed thru it. Somedays I did less miles, somedays I did more. Push yourself, but do baby steps. Strengthen your leg muscles and remember to stretch. You can do it! Keep Punching!! All Is Possible! It Is A Choice! No Excuses! Never Quit!!

I had PF too. It's a tough problem to have because if you're like me it doens't hurt until AFTER you stop. I spent the money for a good pair of kicks, as everyone else has mentioned. I did a lot of swimming, but I also have an impinged nerve in my shoulder, so that was frequently aggravated by the swimming. The best thing for me was elliptical and believe it or not, Zumba. Before both I warm up thoroughly (warm-ups song at the beginning of Zumba class is not enough for me, I warm up for 10 minutes before class). Switching between the two I get great workouts that keep things fresh.

Also, clear this with your doc first, but I found a lot of help in strength training on my legs. By strengthening my leg muscles, I don't favor one side or the other any more and attribute a lot of the relief I have to this.

5'6" and 270 lbs when I started excercising, so yes, I can relate.

Wii fit and the xbox have some fun things that are games, low impact and will get your heart rate up. I agree with everyone else in taking it slow. Our first inclination is to do too much too soon and then we give up because the results we THINK we should be seeing do not manifest.

Not up for the pool in your class? Some community colleges have exercise programs for seniors. I know you are not a senior, but, sometimes talking with the instructor, you can audit or even enroll and participate with them. I often participated in the quilting classes with our senior group.

YMCA normally has a pool and usually have programs, too. Video exercises are good, too, but make sure you get one that is going to be useful to you. I HIGHLY recommend yoga. It is gentle and is for all fitness levels. It also helps you connect with your body and provides a good outlet for stress reduction and meditation.

Walking, knees willing, will help. You can start off at a certain pace and increase and decrease at certain times in the walk. Go slow, then fast, then slow again. The more you get your body moving, the more motivated you will be.

LISTEN to your body, though. Try not to push it. Heavier people tend to lose weight at a faster rate, but see less results. Remember, fat weighs less than muscle and is much larger in scale - just because the scale says you are weighing less, doesn't mean you will notice it immediately. Don't give up, though. When you start to exercise you will gain muscle. This may cause you to seem like you have plateaued. That may not be the case.

The most important thing about losing weight is the desire to lose it. Know your cheat triggers. Know yourself. Know your friends. Be on the look out for sabotage. You would be amazed how many friends and family members may try to subconsciously ruin your diet and exercise. Best to spend as little time with them.