Exercising without exercising my legs

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Mom4diet
Mom4diet Posts: 56 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I started too much exercise too quickly, wrong shoes, and my knees and hips are in terrible shape. Starting physical therapy (finally!) this week.

What exercise can I do without bending knees, rotating hips, etc.? everything hurts...

I will ask the PT, but wondering if you have any ideas

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  • springlering62
    springlering62 Posts: 7,483 Member
    edited June 2021
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    Can you clarify? Was this a preexisting condition, or did you tear yourself up that bad your first times exercising?

    If you’re just really sore following exercise, that’s common as common can be if you’ve hurled yourself into it too heavy. Your thighs may hurt to sit or stand, arms and shoulders could be sore. All depends on what you did. It’ll pass within a day or two if it’s mild, or a week if you went nuts.

    You’ll also notice that your weight will increase - sometimes many, many pounds- during this period, because your body will retain water for healing purposes.

    If it’s just routine (but painful) muscle soreness, I’d walk it off. Just staying in motion eases the soreness. Hot epsom salt baths do wonders for me.

    Walking is a great way to introduce yourself to exercise, and create the habit of alloting time for exercise til you’re ready to add on or move on to something different People often discount walking because it’s perceived as boring and not instagrammable, but it’s the most basic human exercise and it’s very effective. Podcasts and music make it go by, you can alter speed, distance, choose hilly areas, and do other things to make it more challenging.

    But if you threw yourself in to exercise so hard you require actual physical therapy as a result of over exercising your first few ventures at it, I’m gonna say you need to listen to the professional’s advice before you go any further.

  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 32,200 Member
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    Mom4diet wrote: »
    I started too much exercise too quickly, wrong shoes, and my knees and hips are in terrible shape. Starting physical therapy (finally!) this week.

    What exercise can I do without bending knees, rotating hips, etc.? everything hurts...

    I will ask the PT, but wondering if you have any ideas

    Upper body seated strength training, possibly avoiding certain specific exercises that involve twisting. Higher reps with very light weight will have some aerobic effect, but don't fling weights around without good movement control, because that also can result in injury.

    If you're going to a full-spectrum PT site, ask if you can use their "arm bike" apparatus while you're there. (They might let you if they don't need it for a client right then. No harm in asking.)

    Look up wheelchair exercise and seated exercise on YouTube. There's quite a range, from things intended for elders** or those with severe movement limitations in recovery, to serious wheelchair athletes. Again, you might need to avoid certain specific movements.

    ** That's not a diss, just a demographic. I'm 65.
  • springlering62
    springlering62 Posts: 7,483 Member
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    Mat Pilates has done wonders for my hips. It incorporates a segment called “side series” that’s done laying down on one side and then the other. It’s all about hip mobility, rotation, and hip strengthening. You’ll may want to curl up and die afterwards, but a while later your hips are going to feel amazing. Out of a 60 minute class, it’s typically about 10 or so minutes.

    Some physical therapists recommend Pilates for hip issues. My daughter’s did.
  • Chieflrg
    Chieflrg Posts: 9,097 Member
    edited June 2021
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    Exercising proper load management is one of the single most important things you can do.

    It doses the correct amount of useful stress. It allows for better recovery. It lowers injury risk.
  • astod4
    astod4 Posts: 49 Member
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    Mom4diet wrote: »
    I started too much exercise too quickly, wrong shoes, and my knees and hips are in terrible shape. Starting physical therapy (finally!) this week.

    What exercise can I do without bending knees, rotating hips, etc.? everything hurts...

    I will ask the PT, but wondering if you have any ideas

    Your PT will give you a home exercise program, and I highly recommend you follow it. That’s the best advice anyone should give you.
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 27,910 Member
    edited June 2021
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    astod4 wrote: »
    Mom4diet wrote: »
    I started too much exercise too quickly, wrong shoes, and my knees and hips are in terrible shape. Starting physical therapy (finally!) this week.

    What exercise can I do without bending knees, rotating hips, etc.? everything hurts...

    I will ask the PT, but wondering if you have any ideas

    Your PT will give you a home exercise program, and I highly recommend you follow it. That’s the best advice anyone should give you.

    Yes, one can overdo upper body just as easily as lower body. Ask me how I know :lol:

    Also, I know of many, many people who get PT exercises and are not consistent with performing them. I do mine while watching binge-worthy TV and worked hard to create the discipline and habit of doing them consistently.
  • age_is_just_a_number
    age_is_just_a_number Posts: 630 Member
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    Seated yoga.
    Foam rolling
    Stretching
    Crunches
    Chest press

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