My poor Hubby...

polar5554
polar5554 Posts: 576 Member
edited September 24 in Fitness and Exercise
He has NEVER been the fitness guru EVER...Just recently though, things have changed and he is delving into fitness headfirst by doing P90 with me.

He has a very bad knee (he wears a knee brace daily) due to a torn lateral meniscus. He's had several surgeries, but they still can't fix it completely.

While he isn't crazy overweight, he DOES have a belly that he wants to get rid of...and knowing that cardio is the place to burn fat, he has a hard time doing cardio workouts due to his knee pain.

Does anyone have any suggestions for him to get a good cardio workout without putting a lot of strain on his knee?

Replies

  • georgiagorwell
    georgiagorwell Posts: 101
    Swimming?
  • LuckyLeprechaun
    LuckyLeprechaun Posts: 6,296 Member
    mine has a bad knee too. The only thing he can do a lot of that doesn't ever hurt his knee is swimming.

    Good Luck:flowerforyou:
  • fitaliciag
    fitaliciag Posts: 373
    Swimming?

    i agree, swimming is very good cardio, and in fact, the military offers it as an alternative to running on the fitness test.
  • HotMomma86
    HotMomma86 Posts: 75
    Swimming, boxing, biking/cycling? Those are all I can think of that aren't high impact.
  • bjshields
    bjshields Posts: 677 Member
    I vote for swimming. He could also do biking, as long as he NEVER -- I mean NEVER -- stands up on his bike. Weight lifting while sitting on a ball or a weights bench would also help.
  • SpartanHard
    SpartanHard Posts: 170 Member
    Swimming gets my vote
  • susanrsocal
    susanrsocal Posts: 6 Member
    Biking, that's how I got in the best shape of my life. And the motion of cycling actually helps "lube" the joints.
  • Melis25Fit
    Melis25Fit Posts: 811 Member
    Ellipticals are supposed to be alot easier on knees as well!
  • Teresa652
    Teresa652 Posts: 217 Member
    Ellipticals are supposed to be alot easier on knees as well!

    Agree with this too. There is little to no impact.
  • OLP76
    OLP76 Posts: 768 Member
    Congrats on doin' Power90. I'm almost finished Power90 - I'm 18 days away - just around the corner.

    That is awesome that your Husband is doin' the workout also.

    Swimmin' or Bikin' seems to be the popular answer. Best wishes on your journey of weight loss :flowerforyou:
  • janalayn
    janalayn Posts: 510 Member
    If he doesn't like to swim he can "water walk" in the shallow end of the pool it burns more calories than regular walking because of the resistance but the water supports your weight so it is low impact.
  • kweenofulz
    kweenofulz Posts: 2
    Rowing...
  • angiemartin78
    angiemartin78 Posts: 475 Member
    He could try some boxing...feet hip width apart and sink down a little and then just go with punches. Maybe a jab-cross combo. That would burn some calories.
  • 30tips
    30tips Posts: 132
    A stationary bike might work
  • ladybug1620
    ladybug1620 Posts: 1,136 Member
    He could try some boxing...feet hip width apart and sink down a little and then just go with punches. Maybe a jab-cross combo. That would burn some calories.
    Yes! Learned this from the 30 Day Shred. It really gets your heart up.
  • mmtiernan
    mmtiernan Posts: 702 Member
    If he doesn't like to swim he can "water walk" in the shallow end of the pool it burns more calories than regular walking because of the resistance but the water supports your weight so it is low impact.

    What she said!! When my daughter was little, I used to plop her into a floaty ring and "pool jog" while pushing her - 20-30 minutes of that is an absolutely fantastic workout! You wouldn't believe it, but when you are done, you are pooped!!

    That being said, I wonder if the weight lifting might help strengthen the muscles supporting the knee and help? I have knee issues because of on old college skiing accident and the leg workouts help tremendously. I'm always careful not to use too much weight or squat too low - you have to be sensible about it.

    Great going on the P90 and good luck!!
  • hilsidney
    hilsidney Posts: 93 Member
    I have two bad knees from old soccer injuries and my ortho dr. said that spinning is a great exercise that shouldn't hurt my knees, and of course swimming. He said with the spinning to pay close attention to how much tension you are adding and how your knee feels. Also if doing jumps, feel it out and don't do the jumps if it's putting strain on the knees. The great thing about spinning though is that you really build up the quads which when strong can help you rely way less on your knees in general. My pt had me walk around with a really thick rubber band around my ankle and do squats regularly to build up my upper leg muscle too so that I would be less likely to hurt my knees. So far it's been working... knock on wood!
  • time2move
    time2move Posts: 78 Member
    Mini Trampoline!
  • bouldert
    bouldert Posts: 225 Member
    first off two thumbs up and a pat on the back to your hubby and a great job for you to research some options for him. i had surgery on my knee also ,yea not successfull either ,when i ask the doctor about it he said i could pay for another surgery or try and deal with the pain .i have found that eliptical and swimming and stationary bikes are great.
  • Celo24
    Celo24 Posts: 566 Member
    I agree with everyone else. Swimming and biking are great options! I've been doing a ton of both lately (along with some running) and I am steadily losing weight.
  • MegaMech
    MegaMech Posts: 8 Member
    if he has a tummy he wants to get rid of... He'll need to strengthen his abs... lose weight with out toneing the muscles will just lead to droopy tummy... include crunches or sit ups in what ever you do..
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