It's painful to walk

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Mythril
Mythril Posts: 146 Member
in Motivation and Support
Hi! I'm 24 years old, I'm 330 lbs (roughly. I'm actually 328.something or other) and I have a lot of pain when I walk/clean my house/do anything. It's mostly like a pinch in my left hip area, it affects my back and everything. I try to work through it but it gets so bad I have to stop. It's embarrassing. I've led a VERY sedentary life since I got my gall bladder out. I lost my job because of it and had trouble finding another. I keep the house clean and do the grocery shopping, but my health is declining. So I've decided to exercise through it and build my strength!

What I'm looking for is someone to tell me that THEY have had that problem and that THEY have worked through it. (I know that most people's knee jerk reaction is to tell me "You can do it!!" which is nice, thank you. But what I really need to hear is "I've done it, I've been there. It's doable." And then tell me your stories!

Thanks. Hope someone can oblige.

Replies

  • Kristy7418
    Kristy7418 Posts: 85
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    Hey there I am 275# and I do occasionally get hip pain and I'm sure it's because of my weight. Luckily for me it's not too often though and I can usually work out w/o it happening. I found this article that might interest you. http://www.everydayhealth.com/hip-pain/hip-pain-and-weight-loss.aspx If walking hurts too much try to find other exercises to help you start losing weight. Like they suggest swimming. I've even seen people suggest to those with bad ankles and stuff to look up on youtube vids for 'wheelchair exercising' to at least get you moving and losing weight and then hopefully walking won't hurt as much. Good luck and congrats on trying to get healthier :)
  • NonnyMary
    NonnyMary Posts: 982 Member
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    WOW I feel your pain,, I am at your weight, (lost 30 pounds, already feel better on my lower legs). I can only walk 2-3 blocks and have to find a bench. I decided to go to the gym but do water exercises, and some of the machines will work and some dont. I cant lift my leg up over some of them. so i do what I can.. Actually, i am not going to worry too much about exercise until i get some poundage off becuase it is painful.

    as for housework, i sit down and take the weight off me, i.e. the laundry downstairs has the machines on the bottom, so i have a lot of pain bending down but i have a seat I use. it helps.

    also good shoes are a great help.

    if your back is pinching that is a pain trying to tell you something, y ou could see the doctor, but putting it simply, dont move your body to set off that pinch. i used to get horrible back spasms, so i found i had to move differently. so find a different way to move so that it wont cause your back to pinch. try not to put stress on it if you can.. but see a doctor to rule out anything other than general wear and tear.
  • kansaskevin
    kansaskevin Posts: 5
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    It can be done. I am 5' 8" and currently about 276lbs. as of last Sunday. I started at 322lbs.

    I walk 5-6 times per week at least 4.5 miles each time tracked on MapMyWalk. To this day I still have hip pain, foot pain and occassionally my back hurts a bit. When I first started, I had pain in every joint and muscle, most of which I didn't know existed.

    Today's pain is not what I would classify as hurting me, but more that I know I am on the right path and pushing my body to the edge without going to far. Today I litterly have ripped calf muscles (always had muscular legs) and I continue to drop the weight.

    When I first started walking I was doing about 1.5 miles in 30 minutes. I slowly just increased my speed and distance as I felt my body become more accustom to the excercise. Today I am doing 4.5 Miles in 60 minutes.

    About a month ago I successfully attempted to jog for a quarter mile at a time just to acclimate myself, and while I had the endurance physically, my knees hurt for two weeks from just daily "normal" activity. What the jogging expierence taught me was that while I have lost a lot of weight, I still have alot more to lose. I am not going to jog again until I hit 250lbs. I don't want to hurt myself during this life style change that would set me back.

    It can be done, you can do it, and you will be so happy you fought through the cravings, the laziness of not wanting to excercise and getting down on yourself when it doesn't happen fast enough.

    I don't want to wax philisophical here, but I am just proud of my progress and want everyone to expierence what I am. And I still have another 75-100lbs. to go.
  • Mythril
    Mythril Posts: 146 Member
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    Thanks for your replies! I plan to swim when our apartment complex's pool opens. I called earlier this month and they said they'd notify me when it was open... but I'm still waiting. We're strapped for cash on account of my not being able to work a physical job anymore, so that's why I'm trying to walk. It's free! There's a park about 30-35 mins from me. My goal is to be able to walk there eventually. There's a steep hill right at the beginning. It's scary!

    I have heard from my mother that hip displacia runs in our family. Sometimes when I sit in a certain way my hip will feel weird (on either side) as though it's not sitting in the joint right. I have to move around until it feels normal again. I went to the doctor when I was 15... wow, like 9 years ago. Weird. Anyways. They ran tests, did x-rays, felt around. Couldn't figure it out. So the pinch I figure is just associated with that and being over weight. I don't have insurance so going to the doctor is out of the question.

    More stories! More, MORE!!!
  • socajam
    socajam Posts: 2,530 Member
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    Thanks for your replies! I plan to swim when our apartment complex's pool opens. I called earlier this month and they said they'd notify me when it was open... but I'm still waiting. We're strapped for cash on account of my not being able to work a physical job anymore, so that's why I'm trying to walk. It's free! There's a park about 30-35 mins from me. My goal is to be able to walk there eventually. There's a steep hill right at the beginning. It's scary!

    I have heard from my mother that hip displacia runs in our family. Sometimes when I sit in a certain way my hip will feel weird (on either side) as though it's not sitting in the joint right. I have to move around until it feels normal again. I went to the doctor when I was 15... wow, like 9 years ago. Weird. Anyways. They ran tests, did x-rays, felt around. Couldn't figure it out. So the pinch I figure is just associated with that and being over weight. I don't have insurance so going to the doctor is out of the question.

    More stories! More, MORE!!!


    I know money is tight, but you need to have a decent pair of walking shoes and socks. I bought my walking shoes from DSW, (last year's style) for less then $50.00. They are very comfortable for the amount of walking I do each week. Also since you are experiencing so much pain, I would not attempt to walk up the hill at this time. Good luck with the weight loss and walking.

    It would be interesting to see your diary to see what other help (if any) we can give you.
  • dewgirl321
    dewgirl321 Posts: 296 Member
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    Look up psoas stretches and try them out. The psoas muscle tends to tighten up if you sit for long periods and can cause hip pain, especially from sciatic nerve pinching. Once you have the muscle stretched out, you should be able to walk more easily, and you should try to walk more frequently (if possible) to keep it from tightening up so badly in the future. Hope it helps. :flowerforyou:
  • xaMErica
    xaMErica Posts: 284 Member
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    I know this isn't the reply you want... but I'll put my $0.02 in.. =)

    I think you should look into a Gazelle.. My Mom has a lot of health issues, unrelated to weight, but she can't do a ton of moving either.. she used one when she did put on a little weight that she needed to take off. It is a very simple machine and VERY easy on joints. You just kind of glide. I used one awhile back to sort of ease into exercise.

    Good Luck!! :smile:
  • jakesfitness
    jakesfitness Posts: 123 Member
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    my shoulder used to be really jacked up, it kept me from doing any heavy lifting, working out and everything... sometime it would just hurt when i was sitting at work. but i got through it, had a chiropractor look at it and do a few adjustments then got back into weight training, started off light and built up my shoulder muscles, now it hasnt bothered me in months!
  • tapper56
    tapper56 Posts: 1 Member
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    Hope you don't mind my responding, but I have terrible knees, have put off knee replacement surgery for 2 years now. I've been getting cortizone shots and hyaluronic acid injections for 2 years, algo. And, though it has taken months, I've lost just 15 lbs and already feel so much less discomfort. Who knew that just a 15 lb loss would make such a difference! But when you think of what 15 lbs of hamburger looks like, it really does make a difference.

    I won't say "don't give up," you know that already. so, God bless you, and good luck!
  • sullus
    sullus Posts: 2,839 Member
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    I started at 305 .. My right hip is displaced, and is frequently painful. (side effect #2, it makes my right leg a little shorter, which has led to knee and ankle problems, as well as some back issues because I'm always "listing starboard")

    That said, I still jog 2-3 miles 3-4x a week. And lift heavy 3x a week.

    Yup it hurts.

    Nope, losing weight hasn't made it feel any better.

    When I started, I was winded and ready to collapse in a heap after walking about a quarter mile. Just get out there, and do a little more today than you did yesterday. Now when my wife and I take a 2 mile walk, some of the conversation is invariably spent talking about "remember when half this distance was impossible, now it's like a day off haha". It took about 6 months to get from walking .25mi to walking 2-3 mi and adding in some jogging.

    As far as the pain is concerned.... I've been informed that I dont think like a normal person in this regard. I dont take painkillers. ever. for any reason. There's 2 reasons: 1. I really (REALLY) like painkillers. 2. Pain has something important to say. If there's something in your stride that hurts, and you can feel it hurt, you can make adjustments (ie a full length stride hurts, but shortening it up doesn't - that kind of thing). If you just cover up the pain, you may tend to do things that will aggravate the condition and be more painful when the painkillers wear off. Listen to the pain, and learn from it. Keep going
  • TeaBea
    TeaBea Posts: 14,517 Member
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    Until the pool opens (which is a great way to lessen the impact on joints)

    There are seated exercise videos ..... Dance, yoga, and strength training. Maybe you can watch the video clips & get some ideas.

    http://www.collagevideo.com/exercise-videos/seated-exercise-exercise-videos-47

    If you don't want to go the DVD route .... you might try a couple minutes of this:

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ykPr0t2KutY

    The beauty of this ....you can go at your own pace (speed wise) and start at 2 minutes and build to 4 minutes and then to 6 minutes. Just keep all your movements really small at first.
  • Katla49
    Katla49 Posts: 10,385 Member
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    Listen to the pain, and learn from it. Keep going

    This is a very good point. I was able to do less and less walking due to sore knees. I bought new shoes but they didn't solve the problem. DH gave me horseback riding lessons and I got bursitis in my left knee from too much posting. It made me mad so i started researching on line. I kept coming up with, "common among overweight women." It was an "ah-ha" moment for me. I realized I was too heavy for my own knees and if I wanted to feel better I had to lose weight. It was then that I found MFP and started taking taking weight loss seriously. I follow the calorie goals they give me and exercise. I walk, take a yoga class, and ride a stationary bike. In your situation I'd recommend the stationary bike and swimming to start. Both provide excellent cardio and are gentle on sore joints. The right yoga teacher would also be great. Walking is free, the bike may have some costs, and yoga instruction has a modest cost per lesson where I live. You need to find gentle ways to move more while you slowly take off the pounds. Choose your actions and get started. Your life depends on it. Persistence is needed. In this race, the tortoise wins.
  • xstarxdustx
    xstarxdustx Posts: 591 Member
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    I've had similar issues with the leg pain and best advice I have is DON'T WORK THROUGH IT. In my case, it was my hip labrum. I walked through the pinching only to tear it (I've now torn both pressing on through pain). The low back/butt pain is due to the hip issue. It has radiated down the leg and into the foot as well. It can cause a bunch of other issues, so please be careful. Probably best to get evaluated by a doctor. It could be totally different in your case, but the bottom line is you could get hurt pressing through pain and sitting on the sidelines is worse.
  • Mythril
    Mythril Posts: 146 Member
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    I've had similar issues with the leg pain and best advice I have is DON'T WORK THROUGH IT. In my case, it was my hip labrum. I walked through the pinching only to tear it (I've now torn both pressing on through pain). The low back/butt pain is due to the hip issue. It has radiated down the leg and into the foot as well. It can cause a bunch of other issues, so please be careful. Probably best to get evaluated by a doctor. It could be totally different in your case, but the bottom line is you could get hurt pressing through pain and sitting on the sidelines is worse.

    Oh, my goodness! That is good to know! Well I only walked as far as I could. I didn't push longer than that because honestly ever since the gall bladder I don't handle pain as well. I will keep trying to walk but only as far as I can. When my husband gets me on his insurance I will definitely go to the doctor and have it checked out. As far as a bike goes I can't get one and have no place to put it anyways, or a gazelle or elliptical. Or even a treadmill. Hopefully as I lose weight I'll be able to take a manufacturing job like I once had. The pool seems to be my best bet. I do have DDP Yoga DVDs I should take advantage of. That's low impact yoga. That might even help me stretch out the problems.
  • ostrichagain
    ostrichagain Posts: 271 Member
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    I think the pool will be perfect. Get some water shoes so you have traction and walk in the pool. Long ago, I did some of my physical therapy in the pool. I loved it so much, I still do it. I'd also recommend beginner pilates. I found that really helped with my balance and flexibility without causing pain.

    You might like Tai Chi too. The library has lots of exercise DVDs.
  • Katla49
    Katla49 Posts: 10,385 Member
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    When I exercise, I always track it in minutes rather than distance. It is so easy that way but it does require a watch, preferably one with a stopwatch feature. It is easy to see whether you are moving more. I actually use a phone app for that because my watch only tells time and date.

    Don't forget to log every nibble and bite. Good luck to you.

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