Great workouts that don't kill your knees?

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brischu2243
brischu2243 Posts: 91
in Motivation and Support
Hey everybody. I've been trying to start running again, but unfortunately at the weight I'm at, it is absolutely killing my knees to run. I'm in pain for days afterwards. Do you have any suggestions for running without hurting your knees, or alternative cardio workouts that don't put so much pressure on your knees? I want to eventually work up to running again (I used to run 5k's, and I loved it), but right now it's just too much pressure for my knees to deal with.

Thanks!

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  • eldamiano
    eldamiano Posts: 2,667 Member
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    Rowing, cycling......
  • garethlewry
    garethlewry Posts: 11
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    Hi

    you can try rowing or cycling, I've also found that the cross trainer is also great for reduced pressure on legs. You could also try swimming.
  • Zerodette
    Zerodette Posts: 200 Member
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    I use the elliptical trainer. I imagine it will be at least another 75 pounds before I can run without killing my joints.
  • Bellodesiderare
    Bellodesiderare Posts: 278 Member
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    http://greatist.com/fitness/take-it-easy-21-unexpected-low-impact-workouts

    Good luck!!
  • Tiamo719
    Tiamo719 Posts: 256 Member
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    I have bad knees so I walk. I put my treadmill on incline to give me a better workout. It has not affected my knees.
  • yoovie
    yoovie Posts: 17,121 Member
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    boxing.
  • bwogilvie
    bwogilvie Posts: 2,130 Member
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    One blogger I follow, Elden Nelson (at http://www.fatcylist.com), swears by Altra Olympus shoes and has said that they were the only shoes he has found that allow him to run pain-free. They're zero-drop but heavily padded. I'm trying them out for some of my runs, though I haven't noticed much of a difference in comfort. Note that he is a serious athlete who pushes himself very hard (100-mile mountain bike races, 24-hour relay races, etc.) so his definition of "pain-free" might not be yours.

    But it's probably better to do something lower impact for a while: cycling (my favorite activity), walking, cross-country skiing, rowing, swimming, and pool running are good choices. You should also do strength exercises for your knees, such as step-ups and squats.
  • dopeysmelly
    dopeysmelly Posts: 1,390 Member
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    Walking, rowing (but watch the angle of your knees, don't go smaller than a right-angle), cycling. Also, google some physical therapy exercise for strengthening the muscles around the knees.

    I decided that running would wait until I'd lost the weight. I'm just recovering from knee surgery, and should be ready to start running in a few weeks.

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