Knees ache leaving me unable to finish exercises

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kirstie88mfp
kirstie88mfp Posts: 2
in Fitness and Exercise
Hi everyone, my knees seem start aching within 10-20 seconds of doing jumping jacks/ running/ skipping/ squats/ lunges. The rest of my legs are fine! It stops me from doing the exercise for a couple of seconds to get the aching to stop. Am i exercising wrong?! Will a knee support help?

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  • leggup
    leggup Posts: 2,942 Member
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    Are you wearing the right shoes? Can you do a form check with a trainer? Those are the most likely culprits, although it's possible you're just going too fast for your current weight (too much impact).
  • kirstie88mfp
    kirstie88mfp Posts: 2
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    I wear running shoes but they are getting a bit old now so will invest in some new ones. I did a boot camp in the summer and i was absolutely fine then. Just did a workout wearing a knee support and lasted a lot longer than i normally do without but still ached a little. Thank you
  • christinepricedenzer
    christinepricedenzer Posts: 1
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    I started taking magnesium helps me with my aching knees and legs
  • hill8570
    hill8570 Posts: 1,466 Member
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    Are you doing any warm-ups beforehand? I generally have to spend five minutes or so warming up my knees before they're ready to operate with their full range of motion (of course, I'm older than dirt, but even you kids need to warm up a bit).
  • grimendale
    grimendale Posts: 2,153 Member
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    I wouldn't wear running shoes for that. They're designed to cushion your feet for a different kind of movement and can put pressure on your knees. Try a flat shoe for that kind of aerobics (chucks are good, basketball shoes will work - I found my last pair of And1 basketball shoes for $20 at famous footwear).
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,708 Member
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    The likely culprit is incorrect form. 90% people I've dealt with who have had issues with their knees squat, lunge, jump, etc. incorrectly. Get a form check first.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
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  • gemtwist
    gemtwist Posts: 11 Member
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    Are you pretty new to these exercises? My first thought would be that the pain may have something to do with your form. You want to make sure your knees don't go past your toes when doing lunges and squats, otherwise you could injure the knees.

    If you're confident your form is fine, it may have something to do with the high impact exercises you're doing. I have knee pain from a medical condition, and have to avoid higher impact activities. Swimming, exercise bike, and elliptical machines are some lower impact activities that might spare your knees.

    I would caution against doing any activities that lead to knee pain, even if you can do them for longer with a brace. You may want to see your doctor to make sure you don't have any problems that you could worsen by doing exercises that cause pain. Hope that helps!
  • CA_Underdog
    CA_Underdog Posts: 733 Member
    edited January 2015
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    Squats and lunges aren't easy on the knees--especially when done with poor form, or your muscles don't have enough flexibility, or they lack strength. A trainer helped me graduate from no squats to box squats to body weight squats to dumbbell squats. The progression helped. Maybe try starting with a box and sit as you would on a chair or toilet. If you can get someone to check your form, all the better! I do reverse lunges but not standard lunges--my physical therapist advised it's not worthwhile, based on the number of injuries he's seen caused or exacerbated by them. Maybe some day. For now, plenty of other ways to work those same muscles!
  • hill8570
    hill8570 Posts: 1,466 Member
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    kirstie88mfp wrote: »
    I wear running shoes but they are getting a bit old now so will invest in some new ones. I did a boot camp in the summer and i was absolutely fine then. Just did a workout wearing a knee support and lasted a lot longer than i normally do without but still ached a little. Thank you

    Well, with a six-month-ish layoff, you'll have lost quite a bit of strength, so if you're trying to work out at the same intensity as during the boot camp, you'll have issues. If that's the case, back off the intensity and treat it like you're starting from zero.

    Might also have some residual tightness from the boot camp. More warm-ups, stretching, and foam rolling the legs would all help in that space.
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,708 Member
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    gemtwist wrote: »
    Are you pretty new to these exercises? My first thought would be that the pain may have something to do with your form. You want to make sure your knees don't go past your toes when doing lunges and squats, otherwise you could injure the knees.
    Actually correct form would be to let knee go over toes, but not extensively. Not letting knee go past toes shifts the bearing of weight on the lower back, glutes and hips instead of quads.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
    9285851.png

  • leggup
    leggup Posts: 2,942 Member
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    kirstie88mfp wrote: »
    I wear running shoes but they are getting a bit old now so will invest in some new ones. I did a boot camp in the summer and i was absolutely fine then. Just did a workout wearing a knee support and lasted a lot longer than i normally do without but still ached a little. Thank you

    Running shoes are for running, nothing else. You should be squatting/lunging barefoot or in flat shoes (chucks are one example). I don't know what the proper shoes are for skipping or jumping jacks, but I'm guessing flat shoes/barefoot as well.
  • hill8570
    hill8570 Posts: 1,466 Member
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    britishbroccoli wrote: »
    kirstie88mfp wrote: »
    I wear running shoes but they are getting a bit old now so will invest in some new ones. I did a boot camp in the summer and i was absolutely fine then. Just did a workout wearing a knee support and lasted a lot longer than i normally do without but still ached a little. Thank you

    Running shoes are for running, nothing else. You should be squatting/lunging barefoot or in flat shoes (chucks are one example). I don't know what the proper shoes are for skipping or jumping jacks, but I'm guessing flat shoes/barefoot as well.

    Working out at home, I'll always go barefoot -- keeping stable is a bear when you can't feel the floor or keep your toes spread properly.
  • dbmata
    dbmata Posts: 12,950 Member
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    lifting shoes are good, and I've seen some folks nailing it with dress shoes.

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