Exercise after knee injury

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MummaBear14
MummaBear14 Posts: 10
in Fitness and Exercise
Hi guys,

I have had to take 3 weeks off after having a knee injury in both knees I am wanting to get back into loosing weight again as I gained 2 kilos. I was doing P90x3 before but I think that may be a bit much on my knees with all the squats. What exercise alternatives can I do that would be easy on the knees? I do have a baby so it is a bit hard to do most things. I did do yoga today a felt a few twinges of pain should I just keep resting or start light?

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  • 47Jacqueline
    47Jacqueline Posts: 6,993 Member
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    Aqua exercising. It won't hurt your knees and will let you have full range of motion.

    I broke the top of my tibia in October and my left leg is stiff after being in a stabilizer for 7 weeks. I've been cleared for everything but high impact and bicycling outside (stationary is ok). I've been doing land workouts too, but I'm way more free in the water.

    If you go, find a good class, there are terrible ones out there. I go to an aqua bootcamp and a couple of good aqua fitness classes. Make sure the instructor teaches from the deck and doesn't get in the water with you. Depending on the effort you put into it, you'll burn the same calories as a kickboxing class.

    This morning I'm on on my way to an aqua cycling workout - like spin, but in the water - up to 600 calories in 45 minutes. ;-)
  • MeanderingMammal
    MeanderingMammal Posts: 7,866 Member
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    MummaBear14 wrote: »
    should I just keep resting or start light?

    It depends on the injury. Knees are a very complex joint and the range of poetntial injury scenarios is quite large. I would be skeptical of any advice that you recieve on here, given the level of information that you can give to any potential respondents here.

  • dopeysmelly
    dopeysmelly Posts: 1,390 Member
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    MeanderingMammal wrote: »
    MummaBear14 wrote: »
    should I just keep resting or start light?

    It depends on the injury. Knees are a very complex joint and the range of poetntial injury scenarios is quite large. I would be skeptical of any advice that you recieve on here, given the level of information that you can give to any potential respondents here.

    ^^This. Might be worthwhile going to your doctor for a diagnosis if you've been resting for 3 weeks and you are still experiencing pain. What exercises you can do are very injury-specific.

    Just going for a walk is a good start though, you don't need special equipment and you can take the baby with you in a stroller.

  • MummaBear14
    MummaBear14 Posts: 10
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    I have already seen my doctor and the physio I was just doing poor form on squats, she said to take it easy to let my knees heal and do my strengthening exercises. I just don't fancy paying another $110 to be told that I can go back to working out. I think I will give some water activities a go and see if there is any pain. I was told if I have pain I need to stop that activity that is why I am hoping to find out some gentle exercises. I still felt a little pain walking.
  • MeanderingMammal
    MeanderingMammal Posts: 7,866 Member
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    Part of the reason for my caution is that some exercises that might suit one knee injury would exacerbate another. There was a discussion a couple of weeks ago of someone who just said "knee injury", so lots of people weighed in with swimming, cycling etc. The cause of it suggested that it might have been Illiotibial Band Syndrome, which is extermely painful. Cycling inflames the joint, so making it worse, as does breast stroke swimming and poor form crawl....

    As with any injury RICE then look at the form problem to reduce the risk of a re-emergence.
  • GaleHawkins
    GaleHawkins Posts: 8,159 Member
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    dopeysmelly wrote: »
    MeanderingMammal wrote: »
    MummaBear14 wrote: »
    should I just keep resting or start light?

    It depends on the injury. Knees are a very complex joint and the range of poetntial injury scenarios is quite large. I would be skeptical of any advice that you recieve on here, given the level of information that you can give to any potential respondents here.

    ^^This. Might be worthwhile going to your doctor for a diagnosis if you've been resting for 3 weeks and you are still experiencing pain. What exercises you can do are very injury-specific.

    Just going for a walk is a good start though, you don't need special equipment and you can take the baby with you in a stroller.

    Just walking has done wonders for me so I agee with the walking suggestion. I started out walking slowly and as the pain became less I could do more. Too many people do too much damage in the gym if not careful. I NO longer push against joint pain beyond walking.

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