is elliptical hard or gentle on kneew?

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erica6732
erica6732 Posts: 80 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
For those of you who use the elliptical frequently, would you say that the machine is low impact? Is it hard on the knees? Does it burn a lot of calories? Is it hard to ride? I am about 100 pounds overweight. My doctor says that it is not a good idea for me to walk for fitness because of the risk of osteoarthritis of the knees. Plus I have an MCL strain. Because of the weight I cannot walk or stand on my knee for to long or too frequently because it will swell and it is very painful. I am trying to get back at it with this water aerobics class because it is gentle on joints. It is hard for me to get there sometimes because of my erratic sleep schedule. Would you say that the elliptical is as much impact as walking or less?

Replies

  • halleymw
    halleymw Posts: 246 Member
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    elliptical is classified as low impact. It should be ok, but start slow and see how your knees react to it. Bicycle is even less so.
    mike
  • LouSmorals
    LouSmorals Posts: 93 Member
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    Essentially zero impact if done correctly. A great exercise for those new to cardio.
  • mjones6599
    mjones6599 Posts: 129
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    I switched to the elliptical after getting knee pain on the treadmill. It didn't give me any trouble.
  • LemonLizard
    LemonLizard Posts: 86 Member
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    The elliptical is great for knee issues, since it is very low impact. Calorie burn is good, and make sure to move your arms with the vertical grasps since it will help to burn extra calories.
  • icyeyes317
    icyeyes317 Posts: 226 Member
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    I'm short, so I find the elliptical to be incredibly uncomfortable, and my knees and legs ache if I try to use it. Personally, I stay away.
  • mackemom
    mackemom Posts: 277 Member
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    My doc says it's low-impact.
  • Hungry_Annie
    Hungry_Annie Posts: 807 Member
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    Its fairly gentle. I have one and I get a good calorie burn. It should be good for you!
  • JanaCanada
    JanaCanada Posts: 917 Member
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    I have ACL in one knee and meiscus tear in the other. Like Icyeyes317, I find an eliptical to be painful. However, I have no issues with my recumbent bike.
  • patols1
    patols1 Posts: 108 Member
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    I also have arthritis in my knees and bought an elliptical. it hurt so bad I sold it and bought a recumbent bike. it doesn't give as good of a workout as elliptical or even walking but it is definitely better than nothing and once the weight comes off you can add walking or elliptical.
  • dshalbert
    dshalbert Posts: 677 Member
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    I have knee trouble which gets aggravated when I run. An elliptical gives me no trouble. My husband however, gets pain in his knees when he uses an elliptical, but none when ride a stationary bike. Maybe you should try t to see if it gives you any trouble. It may be a trail and error thing.
  • Azdak
    Azdak Posts: 8,281 Member
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    Each model of elliptical trainer has its own movement design, and each persons knee problem can be different as well. So there is no way to give a blanket yes or no answer. If you have access to a facility with a NuStep, that would be a good choice as well.

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