Cardio alternative- hurt knee

Options
ArtificiallyBalanced
ArtificiallyBalanced Posts: 44
in Fitness and Exercise
Realllly hurt my knee and have to take a few days off of running- i am beyond bummed. I am going to a strength training class tonight, but i cannot live without my cardio for even a few days! do those stationary bikes at the gym do anything for cardio? ive honestly never used one.. and the elliptical hurts my knees! I stupidly hurt my knee by walking like 15 miles in adorable but not walkable boots over the weekend. Yes, I choose fashion over comfort. I live in NYC after all! :)

Replies

  • siouxzq4
    siouxzq4 Posts: 31 Member
    Options
    I have a bad knee myself. Swimming works wonders. Aqua Zumba too!! Good luck & feel better!
  • PHYYOU
    PHYYOU Posts: 11 Member
    Options
    I have a bad knee and have to use the bike every day. I don't like it nearly as well as a treadmill or elipitcal, but it is sure better than none at all. A bike outdoors is better if you can ride without having to stand up to go up a hill.

    take care of it/ you sure don't want to mess it up permanently.
  • clioandboy
    clioandboy Posts: 963 Member
    Options
    Stationary bike = yes do it, listen to your body tho x
  • voluptas63
    voluptas63 Posts: 602 Member
    Options
    Get thee into the water. Deep water exercise to be exact. It's NO impact and most classes are high cardio. Aqua zumba might not be a good idea since you'll still be hitting the bottom of the pool, which will cause impact on the joint.

    Anything where your body is suspended is a great exercise for those nursing a bum joint.
  • BrendarB
    BrendarB Posts: 2,770 Member
    Options
    rowing is good also, and it works the whole body
  • TheGlen
    TheGlen Posts: 242 Member
    Options
    I don't know how bad your knee is "hurt", so it might be too much; but using the stationary bike or taking a spin class is great for cardio. After tearing my acl, the exercise the therapists suggested to me was cycling (to build up the muscle around my knee, get cardio and not put too much pressure or impact on my knee). If it doesn't hurt, it's a good alternative to running.

    Another option is swimming. There are several aqua fitness classes, or swimming lengths will help you meet your need for cardio (without putting too much pressure on your knee).

    Have a speedy recovery!
  • ncahill77
    ncahill77 Posts: 501 Member
    Options
    you can do circuit lifting and affect the same cardio output without using your knees. If you have access to a trainer ask if they can show you a circuit and go over the intervals.
  • DawnOBRN
    DawnOBRN Posts: 290 Member
    Options
    I have horrid knees and the bike is a great cardio option IMO. I like doing the preset hill or cascade programs most of the bikes have, the resistance changes up on you at different intervals so you dont feel like you are just spinning along into infinity (BORING)!

    Get Well Soon :)
  • ArtificiallyBalanced
    ArtificiallyBalanced Posts: 44
    Options
    swimming is something i would love to get more into, but its just really hard with my schedule. i have access to a pool only at nights, but am only available 1 night a week to do it. thats why running has become so important because i can do it every morning before my crazy day. im a terrible swimmer but love being in the water, however i still feel pain in my knee when swimming laps- i mostly do the butterfly/breast stroke. chances are, im just doing it wrong :) i usually do zumba twice a week, but theres so much jumping around that im worried its going to hurt me more. im going to try the bike tomorrow morning at the gym and see how it goes. its obviously better than nothing, but nothing compares to running! i am really stubborn and kept saying i was going to only take today off and get back to running tomorrow- but my knee is still really painful to walk on. so thats why im reaching out to see what my options are! im hoping this kicks my butt into strength training more too, because that gets my heart rate up as well just isnt as amusing as running ;)
  • TheGlen
    TheGlen Posts: 242 Member
    Options
    swimming is something i would love to get more into, but its just really hard with my schedule. i have access to a pool only at nights, but am only available 1 night a week to do it. thats why running has become so important because i can do it every morning before my crazy day. im a terrible swimmer but love being in the water, however i still feel pain in my knee when swimming laps- i mostly do the butterfly/breast stroke. chances are, im just doing it wrong :) i usually do zumba twice a week, but theres so much jumping around that im worried its going to hurt me more. im going to try the bike tomorrow morning at the gym and see how it goes. its obviously better than nothing, but nothing compares to running! i am really stubborn and kept saying i was going to only take today off and get back to running tomorrow- but my knee is still really painful to walk on. so thats why im reaching out to see what my options are! im hoping this kicks my butt into strength training more too, because that gets my heart rate up as well just isnt as amusing as running ;)

    Just make sure you listen to your body. It's better to go easy on it for a week or two, then to be stuck on your butt for a month because you pushed too hard and really messed up knee.

    You might want to try to get some treatment as well to speed the recovery...physio, acupuncture, chiropractic, etc.

Categories