Cardio workout for a person with bad Knees & Back

Just get moving. Walking would be a great start.
If you have access to a gym, an elliptical is a great cardio workout, second only to running, and much easier on the knees.

Swimming

I was going to say this too. If you have access to a pool, water aerobics and swimming would be a great thing to do.

Yes, walking and swimming are great ideas. If you are a bit more adventurous, beginning Zumba isn't all that bad. It gets easier with practice and it can be fun. Even at your size, I think you can benefit from a video like this and you can be careful with your knees.

First, are your bad knees and back the result of physical damage to your joints/muscles? If they are, see a doctor. If not, then walk. And Lots of it. And get a good pair of shoes. Go to a good running shop and get yourself fitted (even if you're just walking, a good pair of shoes makes all the difference).

Once you've walked and built up your stamina, start walking faster and work towards into a jog.

Also realize that because you have knee and back issues there will be pain and you will have to have the discipline to suffer through some pain.

I have bad knees too and I do walking and stationary bike. Set yourself a time goal and stick to it. Make sure the goal is realistic to YOU because you don't want to be unrealistic and discourage yourself. When you become used to that time you can increase how long you exercise for.

Feel free to add me as a friend.

swimming

Swimming. Stationary bike, the kind you sit low in. Walking.

Your knees will get better as you lose weight. Your back will get stronger with activity.

rowing machine...plus, it's almost always free at the gym

If you have the ability to do this, it would be the best thing for you:

Go to your normal physician and explain that you want to lose weight and you want a referral to a physical therapist to help with your back and knee pain. The physical therapist will help relieve the pain and will help strengthen your muscles. They will also be able to give you lots of suggestions for exercises that won't hurt you.

I go to a physical therapist for my shoulder and it is seriously amazing. My insurance covers it, so it is only 6 dollars per hour visit!! I go twice a week and get massage, electrotherapy, and ultrasound treatment. I spend half the time doing supervised exercises and half the time doing the treatments with the PT lady. I also get a list of exercises to do on days when I am not there.

I use a stationary bike when my knee is bothering me. Other than that, you can satrt out with short walks...maybe 1/4 mile but the best thing to do is find an indoor pool or heated pool...I know our city pool is heated (outdoor) for lap swim during the winter. It is a good thing to build you level up....even if you can just do one lap for a week then start upping it each week that would be great....and you burn more cals swimming than you do walking!

Walk At Home .... these are a series of "in home" walking videos. Moves are simple, go at your own pace, make the moves bigger or smaller as needed. Get yourself some good shoes. I walk in my basement ... but use an exercise mat for added "bounce." Here's a sample (DVDs at Target, WalMart, etc)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PnsfbneFQ_8&feature=related 5 Minute Walk


Rebounder (mini trampoline) will cut down on impact too

Try spinning, low impact on your knees, you may feel some stress on the lower back but once you develop you abs and lower back muscles the standing portions should be become tolerable. I spin at least 3x a week for 50 minutes and burn on average 1020 calories. I am 6'4" and my starting weight was 295. I have dropped 50 lbs over the last 4 months. Good luck....I have been there and just keep telling yourself to keep moving.

The elliptical machine is a godsend!! Although I've always been an athlete, genetic problems have always impaired me from proportionally developing my body. My pride and joy killer legs have largely been due to my longtime long distance running regimen. Less fortunately, they also developed due to the disproportionate amount of weight they'd always supported as a result of my congenital scoliosis and a slipped lumbar disc. The tradeoff in the end? Woefully underdeveloped lower back muscles, persistent central obesity, and a perpetual, stubborn spare tire - all unaffected by seemingly any combination of exercise, dieting and weight loss. While I'm grateful that discomfort from my back issues have been mostly mildly noticeable, they thoroughly prevented me me from doing the conventional exercises that would uniformly develop my torso. Then - to make matters worse - I entered my late 40s and developed a severe case of plantar fascitis. I learned that this painful, chronic , foot tissue inflammation is caused most notably by the repeated impact from running. Forced to consistently use the elliptical machine as the closest running alternative, I was delighted to discover that my spare tire vanished, my lower back firmed up, and my first-time developed core muscles gave me a newfound gliding sensation when I walked. This is because that the increased use of my upper body strength - all but absent during running, in comparison - enabled me to "tilt" my upper body during exercise accordingly to keep my balance, and to naturally compensate/redistribute my weight toward my undeveloped torso areas - exercising these muscles for the first time, in a fashion they could tolerate. No more battering feet on hard surfaces, no more shinsplints, no more sore knees. AND, you can adjust the height and resistance to fine tune and progressively modify your body muscle development to your liking.
The elliptical machine - underrated, awesome!!!