Best calorie burning exercise for a middle age woman with dodgy knees?
FutureFit2020
Posts: 128 Member
Ideally, that can be done in the house and without any equipment.
Not asking for much
Not asking for much
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Replies
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The one that you enjoy doing to be honest.3
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How dodgy exactly are the knees, and why? You may be better served by focusing more on exercises that strengthen glutes and legs to support the knees which will in turn make everything easier and safer.7
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SnifterPug wrote: »How dodgy exactly are the knees, and why? You may be better served by focusing more on exercises that strengthen glutes and legs to support the knees which will in turn make everything easier and safer.
I put it down to having two babies with a 12 month break between and being up and down on the floor all day long as when it started I was normalish weight and only about 28.
I saw a doctor a few years back and he didn't really say what was wrong, something to do with tendons and gave me a steroid injection. I've had two more since then I think.
However, I'm very overweight now so that doesn't help and I have pain in both knees. I used to love walking but now I know I will be in pain and seize up if I do too much. Being overweight makes it worse but exercise seems to make it worse too so it's a bit of a catch 22 until I lose some weight with diet.1 -
My knee pain (and back pain, and all over pain) went away with weight loss.
There are a lot of YouTube workout videos for resistance bands. I like my resistance bands for a moderate routine in the house.3 -
I guess I could add...weight loss really happens in the kitchen, not in-the-house type exercise. I mean, unless you do some long cardio, you're not going to really burn many calories. I would make every bite of food count and spend my time coming up with filling meals that allow you to stay in calories and learn how to log food accurately. That's where the biggest payoff will be.6
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Cycling can be very kind to "dodgy knees" (lots of personal experience of that!) and exercise bikes can be quite inexpensive but would urge you to get a proper diagnosis as knees are extremely complex joints. There must be a reason to have steroid shots and you need to discover that reason before launching into a new exercise routine.
Stairs and bodyweight strength exercises can be a big part of rehabbing knee injuries and require no equipment. But you need to know what injuries or conditions you actually have to pick the right exercises.
Please do separate exercise from weight loss though - ideally you will be building healthy habits for life rather than regarding exercise as just being a calorie burner.
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Leslie Sansome Walk at home videos are a great starting point, depending on what “dodgy knees” consists of.3
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Cycling can be very kind to "dodgy knees" (lots of personal experience of that!) and exercise bikes can be quite inexpensive but would urge you to get a proper diagnosis as knees are extremely complex joints. There must be a reason to have steroid shots and you need to discover that reason before launching into a new exercise routine.
Stairs and bodyweight strength exercises can be a big part of rehabbing knee injuries and require no equipment. But you need to know what injuries or conditions you actually have to pick the right exercises.
Please do separate exercise from weight loss though - ideally you will be building healthy habits for life rather than regarding exercise as just being a calorie burner.
The doctor I saw for my knee wasn't particularly useful tbh and I think mostly was fobbing me off. My Gp has given me the follow-up injections without comment. Just doing it to deal with the pain as that's what the first guy did. I don't think I will be able to see anyone for very long time though in the current situation.
If I lose the weight I would like to look into doing other types of exercise but I find it mostly awkward now with my size. I'm also needing to lose inches for health reasons (pre diabetic and sleep apnoea) I'll look into seeing if I can get an exercise bike though, that's a good idea thank you.Leslie Sansome Walk at home videos are a great starting point, depending on what “dodgy knees” consists of.
@lorrpb Thank you I will look them up!0 -
FutureFit2020 wrote: »Cycling can be very kind to "dodgy knees" (lots of personal experience of that!) and exercise bikes can be quite inexpensive but would urge you to get a proper diagnosis as knees are extremely complex joints. There must be a reason to have steroid shots and you need to discover that reason before launching into a new exercise routine.
Stairs and bodyweight strength exercises can be a big part of rehabbing knee injuries and require no equipment. But you need to know what injuries or conditions you actually have to pick the right exercises.
Please do separate exercise from weight loss though - ideally you will be building healthy habits for life rather than regarding exercise as just being a calorie burner.
The doctor I saw for my knee wasn't particularly useful tbh and I think mostly was fobbing me off. My Gp has given me the follow-up injections without comment. Just doing it to deal with the pain as that's what the first guy did. I don't think I will be able to see anyone for very long time though in the current situation.
If I lose the weight I would like to look into doing other types of exercise but I find it mostly awkward now with my size. I'm also needing to lose inches for health reasons (pre diabetic and sleep apnoea) I'll look into seeing if I can get an exercise bike though, that's a good idea thank you.
GP surgeries are still working (although more phone biased at the moment) and you can request access to your medical records to see why they are giving you steriod shots - you don't need a face to face appointment.
Steroid shots are not something you want to have too often.
Yes losing weight will be helpful but you really need targetted advice for your particular condition. Not all exercises are appropriate for every condition, some can be harmful.
e.g. my rehab from a grade 3 ligament tear was different my several grade 2 tears, even the grade 2 tears were very different depending on severity, again different to my patella fracture, a very different prognosis from losing a meniscus, was different to fat pad impingement.......3 -
I waited months to see the guy last time and he was actually quite dismissive. He said there didn't seem to be much damage for the pain I was 'claming' to be in. He said it was just some tendon (something or another). Then he gave the steroid injection into the spot.
At the time the knee was so sore I was struggling to walk. The injection hurt like hell and when I made a noise, he said something about me not having much of a pain tolerance. I pointed out that I had given birth to a 10 pound baby with no pain relief not too long before but that area was just incredibly painful. (The GP has done it since and it hasn't hurt a fraction of what it did the first time)
I think he was chalking it up to my weight but the problem is that I wasn't overweight when it started. And in fact, it was directly contributing to some of my weight gain. As I was really struggling to get around and just parked myself on the couch because of the pain.
You're right that I should get in touch with someone again soon but I think I am hoping that if I lose some weight first I will be taken more seriously.1 -
* and yes, you are right. I know I don't want to rely on steroid injections and that they can cause their own issues later on. Maye I could get on a waiting list to see the physio now as it will give me time to keep working on my weight loss before I see them and hopefully I will see someone new anyway.0
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FutureFit2020 wrote: »* and yes, you are right. I know I don't want to rely on steroid injections and that they can cause their own issues later on. Maye I could get on a waiting list to see the physio now as it will give me time to keep working on my weight loss before I see them and hopefully I will see someone new anyway.
What a shame your GP was so unsupportive, definitely try to get to see a different one next time, maybe ask for a referral to a specialist?
Based on extensive experience a good physio is far more useful than most GPs and quite a few orthopaedic surgeons.
(I used to volunteer as a guineapig for surgeons to examine and diagnose knee injuries and half of them picked the wrong knee!
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(I used to volunteer as a guineapig for surgeons to examine and diagnose knee injuries and half of them picked the wrong knee!
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Leslie Sansome Walk at home videos are a great starting point, depending on what “dodgy knees” consists of.
I finally tried a Leslie Sansome Walk at home video for the first time and the one I did was much harder on my knees than just walking outside.
FutureFit2020 - yes, do get on the list for a physio or PT and religiously do the knee strengthening exercises they prescribe.
My knees don't like pavement - I walk on dirt trails in the woods. I bundle up and walk all winter long. When there is snow, I snow shoe, which is an awesome calorie burn and very easy on my knees (but my hips do get sore.)2 -
my knees are pretty dodgy, and as a result, i can't bike that effectively. i do try, and i do bike, but i have noticed over the past several months that normal, continuous walking seems to burn more calories than biking. still, i'd rather bike than do nothing.
my knees, btw, had tendonitis at one point, but according to the last osteo i went to, while there's arthritis there, it's not causing issues at this point - he said my issue is that my knees are weak.1 -
When I was heavy I had a lot of pain in my knees too. It subsided quite a bit when I lost the weight.
I am recovering from a foot and ankle injury in July. My foot STILL isn't fully recovered. After I injured it I did a lot of Caroline Jordan's videos. She has a whole "hurt foot" workout series and seated cardio workouts. They were a blessing while I recovered.2 -
Low impact cardio! Walking, cycling, swimming, elliptical.1
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My husband has arthritis in his knees and had one injection which didn't last all that long. He hasn't had another but has been very diligent about doing the exercises the physiotherapist recommended. They have improved his situation no end. I would highly recommend you see a physio - even if you have to pay privately it is money well spent. My husband is obese (which doesn't to his knees any favours) and he normally does exercises in a swimming pool. But over lockdown that wasn't an option. We have a suspension trainer at home and he was able to keep up his squats using that, since an unsupported bodyweight squat is out of the question for him.1
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I have bad knees also. I use these two with no problems. I hope they help. https://www.better5.com/ and https://growyoungfitness.com/ Have a blessed day
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I also have dodgy knees, though it sounds as though yours are worse. I have found a rowing machine is really good and it allows for some upper body exercise as well as exercising legs without having my weight on my knees, so I prefer it over a bike. I'm a great fan of Bodyfit by Amy videos, and she has lots of low impact workouts, including several which are designed to be light on knees, and (somewhere - I can't find this at present) a whole video of workarounds for those whose knees are not up to what she is suggesting.
Here are three that I really like:
Beginners cardio:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9H9qdpUzu4M&list=PL8AW-nHhZZ0Q4ZQfZcBP4t5VdlmRBOpRE&index=5
Easy on the knees 15 minutes:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5nJi7HhJJnE
Easy on the knees 25 minutes:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y9tCR5WozM8
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Try Lucy Wyndham-Read at lwrfitness.com She has hundreds of routines - including chair -based, beginners, walking routines etc. Many are less than 10 minutes - ideal to help you build fitness. She had more followers than Joe Wicks a few weeks ago!2
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My knee pain lessened considerably when I started using orthotics. The problem wasn't my knees ... it was over-pronation. With orthotics, I began walking again, gradually building up distance. At this point, if my knees or hips begin to hurt, the first thing I look at is whether my orthotics or the damn shoes need to be replaced.
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I know you wanted to exercise at home, but just wanted to mention this. Here in Finland all swimming halls reserve a lane or two for aqua joggers. It is getting very popular. No pressure on the knees, and very easy to get an effective work out. My favorite exercise!
They also arrange aqua aerobics classes many times a day and it is included in the 4-5 euro entrance fee. And between the guided lessons there are interactive screens you can use to get instructions for different aerobics moves. Even many elderly people attend, as all moves can be made gently with support from the water. But don´t be fooled, the same moves can be done with huge resistance from the water and you can get a good work out even if your witness level is higher. I find those fun, effective and cheap. Now if only those swimming halls were open...
You can do both of these at any pool without any equipment, even though a belt or foot gear help the jogging.
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I am lucky enough to live in Florida (have access to an outdoor heated community pool) so I have been using an app called “PoolFit”, which I now subscribe to since I love all of the water aerobic exercises/videos. Such a variety and new routines are often added. I bring my iPad to the pool in a waterproof case, and it is taking the place of water classes at the gym that are still not happening. These workouts are a total body workout, and easily adaptable to every fitness level (I have had both knees replaced). You can try it free for 30 Days.0
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Just want to chime in to say I agree with all the folks encouraging you to get a proper and accurate diagnosis.
I thought I had a knee problem. Turns out I have a hip problem that causes knee pain. When I do my hip exercises regularly, the knee pain goes away. Don't get me wrong, I also need to work on strengthening all areas of my legs/hips/knees, but starting with the proximate cause creates the best path to success.
Good luck!2
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