Lower body exercises for bad knees

L0VE3UG
L0VE3UG Posts: 47 Member
edited November 26 in Fitness and Exercise
hey all - I've been desperately trying to get my mom to work out with me. However, she has pretty bad knees and I'm having a hard time figuring out what lower body exercises she can do that won't stress them. Would the leg extension, curl, and press machines be suitable? She's a little hesitant with LB stuff & hasn't exercised with weight in years. I'd really like to see her do something though...any suggestions?

Replies

  • L0VE3UG
    L0VE3UG Posts: 47 Member
    edited November 2015
    Actually now that I think of it leg extensions might not be super friendly....
  • minniestar55
    minniestar55 Posts: 350 Member
    I'd suggest before she tries anything she sees her doctor to get her knees checked out. "Bad knees" can mean a lot of different things, too easy to cause serious damage if she's not sure what's happening with them. In the meantime, perhaps bike riding or swimming would be a safe bet?
  • Traveler120
    Traveler120 Posts: 712 Member
    She's right to be hesitant. I wouldn't touch ANY of those machines even with proper form. The risk of worsening the problem is high. I had a bum knee (injured on a machine) and even simple bodyweight squats would aggravate the problem. So I stopped doing even that. Instead, I used the elliptical. Set a high resistance, it's like hill climbing and is a perfect lower body strength training. It will strengthen all the muscles adjoining the knee without stressing it and over time it will heal. It's taken several months for mine to heal but now I'm able to run and also do very low bodyweight squats that were previously impossible without pain.
  • 47Jacqueline
    47Jacqueline Posts: 6,993 Member
    She should see an orthopedist. Water exercise is good for people with joint issues. Orthopedists are not too familiar with this.
  • armylife
    armylife Posts: 196 Member
    Traveler120 wrote: »
    She's right to be hesitant. I wouldn't touch ANY of those machines even with proper form. The risk of worsening the problem is high. I had a bum knee (injured on a machine) and even simple bodyweight squats would aggravate the problem. So I stopped doing even that. Instead, I used the elliptical. Set a high resistance, it's like hill climbing and is a perfect lower body strength training. It will strengthen all the muscles adjoining the knee without stressing it and over time it will heal. It's taken several months for mine to heal but now I'm able to run and also do very low bodyweight squats that were previously impossible without pain.

    That is not how skeletal issues heal. While you might have allowed for a muscular imbalance to heal with time and light resistance training the idea that ligaments or cartilage (both that have limited blood supply and limited ability to self-heal) will correct themselves with time is incorrect.

    OP the knee is pretty complex, the pain your mom is feeling could be caused by a loss of structure and the onset of arthritis, or a dis-function with in the knee. Having her see an ortho is a good idea, just to get her cleared and make sure she does not have an issues that could be exacerbated by exercise.
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 49,024 Member
    An assessment of them by an ortho, will help to dictate what exercises she would be able to perform.

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  • sheermomentum
    sheermomentum Posts: 827 Member
    Yeah it really does depend on what is wrong with her knees. Please don't press her to use those machines. It may seem as if they should be OK since she's not standing on her legs, but the pressure she is exerting on the knees to move that weight still counts.
  • Sam_I_Am77
    Sam_I_Am77 Posts: 2,093 Member
    Is it like major pain or just soreness from inactivity? Ninerbuff is probably right-on if she is having major knee issues that affect her ability to walk or exercise. Not knowing how old your mom is, at some point it's not just about being in-shape; it becomes about "quality of life" and if she does not have this issue remedied her quality of life will be poor as she ages.
  • Traveler120
    Traveler120 Posts: 712 Member
    armylife wrote: »
    Traveler120 wrote: »
    She's right to be hesitant. I wouldn't touch ANY of those machines even with proper form. The risk of worsening the problem is high. I had a bum knee (injured on a machine) and even simple bodyweight squats would aggravate the problem. So I stopped doing even that. Instead, I used the elliptical. Set a high resistance, it's like hill climbing and is a perfect lower body strength training. It will strengthen all the muscles adjoining the knee without stressing it and over time it will heal. It's taken several months for mine to heal but now I'm able to run and also do very low bodyweight squats that were previously impossible without pain.

    That is not how skeletal issues heal. While you might have allowed for a muscular imbalance to heal with time and light resistance training the idea that ligaments or cartilage (both that have limited blood supply and limited ability to self-heal) will correct themselves with time is incorrect.

    OP the knee is pretty complex, the pain your mom is feeling could be caused by a loss of structure and the onset of arthritis, or a dis-function with in the knee. Having her see an ortho is a good idea, just to get her cleared and make sure she does not have an issues that could be exacerbated by exercise.

    You don't know what kind of injury she has so you can't claim to know what will or won't work. All I know is that I had a knee bad enough that I couldn't walk up or down stairs without pain. The first rule of thumb is to avoid any activity that causes pain or undue pressure. Sometimes you don't need to have an x-ray before you can apply basic common sense.

    The OP asked for an example of activity that wouldn't stress knees. I told her the elliptical worked for me. Others have suggested cycling and swimming as they're also low impact. Any painless activity that will enable her to lose weight (if she needs to) will reduce pressure on the knees and is always a good starting point. I'm sure her mum is smart enough to know if and when to see an ortho.
  • rosebarnalice
    rosebarnalice Posts: 3,488 Member
    I have had knee problems for years, and swimming is my favorite form of exercise.

    When the pool was closed for a while and I was "landlocked", I couldn't handle curls and presses. The eliptical, rowing, and recumbent stationary bikes were my friends, though.
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 28,052 Member
    edited November 2015
    L0VE3UG wrote: »
    hey all - I've been desperately trying to get my mom to work out with me. However, she has pretty bad knees and I'm having a hard time figuring out what lower body exercises she can do that won't stress them. Would the leg extension, curl, and press machines be suitable? She's a little hesitant with LB stuff & hasn't exercised with weight in years. I'd really like to see her do something though...any suggestions?

    I don't recommend she do any leg machines without being advise by a physical therapist or other medical professional. Mine told me specifically to not do the leg extension.

    Here are the strengthening exercises my PT gave me. Also, the MFP blog emails has articles on knees every few issues.

    x9pov7sxyo8f.jpg
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 28,052 Member
    I'm generally ok swimming, although I have to minimize the frog kick that goes with the breast stroke. Of the cardio machines at the gym, the recumbent bike is best for me. I love to row but have to be really careful not to overdo it. Never was a fan of the elliptical.
  • SonyaCele
    SonyaCele Posts: 2,841 Member
    those leg machines are the worst, do the things in that picture above. And also the Bike is awesome for bad knees. or the eliptical. Foot on pedal. Also just flexing the muscles is good exercise. Depending on how bad your moms knees are, she could also do some trx exercises, such as the TRX squat or lunges. if a squat is done correctly its not generally hard on knees , and with the assistance of the trx she might find that she likes how it feels.
  • 13RicLang13
    13RicLang13 Posts: 59 Member
    See a Dr., then physical therapist, fix the pian first.
  • armylife
    armylife Posts: 196 Member
    Traveler120 wrote: »
    armylife wrote: »
    Traveler120 wrote: »
    She's right to be hesitant. I wouldn't touch ANY of those machines even with proper form. The risk of worsening the problem is high. I had a bum knee (injured on a machine) and even simple bodyweight squats would aggravate the problem. So I stopped doing even that. Instead, I used the elliptical. Set a high resistance, it's like hill climbing and is a perfect lower body strength training. It will strengthen all the muscles adjoining the knee without stressing it and over time it will heal. It's taken several months for mine to heal but now I'm able to run and also do very low bodyweight squats that were previously impossible without pain.

    That is not how skeletal issues heal. While you might have allowed for a muscular imbalance to heal with time and light resistance training the idea that ligaments or cartilage (both that have limited blood supply and limited ability to self-heal) will correct themselves with time is incorrect.

    OP the knee is pretty complex, the pain your mom is feeling could be caused by a loss of structure and the onset of arthritis, or a dis-function with in the knee. Having her see an ortho is a good idea, just to get her cleared and make sure she does not have an issues that could be exacerbated by exercise.

    You don't know what kind of injury she has so you can't claim to know what will or won't work. All I know is that I had a knee bad enough that I couldn't walk up or down stairs without pain. The first rule of thumb is to avoid any activity that causes pain or undue pressure. Sometimes you don't need to have an x-ray before you can apply basic common sense.

    The OP asked for an example of activity that wouldn't stress knees. I told her the elliptical worked for me. Others have suggested cycling and swimming as they're also low impact. Any painless activity that will enable her to lose weight (if she needs to) will reduce pressure on the knees and is always a good starting point. I'm sure her mum is smart enough to know if and when to see an ortho.

    The issue with this is that you also didin't know what kind of issue she has, but said that using the eliptical would heal the knee if it was a muscular issue. I was pointing out that skeletal issues, as opposed to muscular issues, are not generally self-repairing or able to be corrected through exercise. The suggestion of "get cleared by a doctor" is because sometimes you do need an assessment. The OP is not a PT nor a physician, so before trying to haphazard a plan together for an older person who has some form of disfunction getting a medical evaluation is a good idea.
  • debubbie
    debubbie Posts: 767 Member
    I have knee issues too (torn meniscus, chondromalecia in both knees) and have found that the elliptical and recumbent bike is good exercise that doesn't stress my knees more. I have lost about 70 pounds and have started running because my knees can handle that now, but really hurt as I was building distance when I first started.

    I agree with others in that she needs to see a doctor to make sure she doesn't have serious issues going on, then start slowly and see how her body responds after she has used the elliptical or bike. If she is able to do these things without issues, she could see how her knees do with squats or lunges (I feel like the machines put more stress on my knees and certain machines are unbearable).

    I hope your mom is able to join you soon!
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 49,024 Member
    As a professional who has dealt with older people for years, get clearance first from a doctor or ortho. While one can try to assess the issue by symptoms, it's hard to know if it's a cartilage issue, menicus tear, ligament weakness or tear, etc. Eliminate the possibilities before starting an exercise that may exacerbate the issue.

    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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  • questionfear
    questionfear Posts: 527 Member
    An ortho can also send her to a physical therapist, who may be able to help correct any imbalances and give her a good foundation for further leg exercises.

    I tore my ACL (in 08) and my meniscus in the same knee (in 14), and it wasn't until after a round of PT that I was able to incorporate lunges, squats, etc with a full range of motion. The PT had me start with easier exercises and we worked up from there.
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