How does one exercise a broken body?

OliveJuice1984
OliveJuice1984 Posts: 45
edited November 11 in Fitness and Exercise
My junior year of high school (11 years ago) my knees started cracking when I would go upstairs. It became enough of a problem that I had it checked out. My doctor was pretty shocked by what he saw and long story short I had to have knee surgery. I've had one done but it didn't help the pain so I never got the other knee done. ( I should mention that the cause of this is my very wide hip structure and not due to an injury.)

I know that my weight has a lot to do with the pain in my knees whenever I exercise but that's only half the problem. The other half is that my knee caps aren't aligned correctly and because of this I have damaged cartilage and my knee caps grinde against bone. When people hear my knees pop they cringe. I seriously sound like someone is popping bubble wrap.

To make matters worse last year I was diagnosed with Ulnar Tunnel Syndrome that makes some of the simplest tasks painful and if I do too much I can't even carry a gallon of milk.

So my question to you is, how do I work out? I know I can use an elliptical for low impact cardio but the thought of squats, jumping jacks, weights where my knees or wrists must be used actually scares me. I understand that pain is gain but this kind of pain isn't the right kind of pain. Does anyone have any suggestions? Much appreciated!

Replies

  • celtsguy81
    celtsguy81 Posts: 37 Member
    I wouldn't put the cart before the horse. You think your weight plays a part (however large or small it may be) in some of your issues. I would say that, like you said, elliptical would be a good choice. Let's worry about getting exercise in (and elliptical is very good!) before we worry about doing squats, etc. Take one thing at a time.
  • bregalad5
    bregalad5 Posts: 3,965 Member
    Are you able to swim without much pain? Another option is adjusting your diet so you can shed some pounds before worrying about cardio and such.
  • caitlinsmum
    caitlinsmum Posts: 55 Member
    Are you able to swim?
  • determined2lose89
    determined2lose89 Posts: 342 Member
    Swimming/Aqua fit classes....i have a trillion injuries right now and that seems to do well with me.

    I also bought a few of Leslie Sansone's 'walk at home' videos. They're great low impact. You can do them with or without weights.
  • LorinaLynn
    LorinaLynn Posts: 13,247 Member
    Ouch! I'm sorry you're having those problems. How about biking? The elliptical is lower impact than running, but it's still weight bearing, and biking might be easier on your knees.
  • ncw89
    ncw89 Posts: 61 Member
    Swimming is virtually non-impact but can be pretty high cardio so if you have access to a pool that might work well for you. Only thing that might be an issue for you would be the action of your knees as you kick but it might not be a problem given that your weight is supported by the water?
  • blessmy5
    blessmy5 Posts: 95
    Excellent suggests so far. I would also suggest you talk to a physical therapist. They can lead you in the right direction.
  • fitniknik
    fitniknik Posts: 713 Member
    Leslie Sansone's 'walk at home' videos <---- this!
  • Shelby814
    Shelby814 Posts: 273 Member
    Swimming is a great option. Elliptical machine, boxing for cardio to get your heart rate up. Simulated jumping jacks from a seated position to get your heart rate up. Stationary bike which is low weight bearing. Diet is 80% of it in my opinion, so start there & as you lose the exercise may get easier. Good luck! You can do this!
  • Elisirmon
    Elisirmon Posts: 273 Member
    Walk.. do some kempo punching and sit ups and leg lifts using a ball to support your back.. don't forget simple pilates moves that don't include high intensity on your knees.. I have tailbone issues and knee ones and I started with that and was able to work up too jogging.. Do you take joint supplements regularly?
  • Chagama
    Chagama Posts: 543 Member
    Swimming, and also water walking classes. My Mom's physical therapist had her doing water walking / water aerobics after knee surgery.
  • NubianSpirit
    NubianSpirit Posts: 101 Member
    i was also going to suggest swimming or some other water based exercise program, so since that's already been said .... i would also suggest going to your doctor and seeing if you can't get a referral to a really good physical therapist who might be able to help you strengthen your body without causing injury or pain for you.

    good luck!
  • ashley_jorah
    ashley_jorah Posts: 71 Member
    Stationary bike.
    After my knee surgery it was all I was allowed at first.
    Then they had me on some sorta of leg press where I gradually built up to my body weight.
    Then it was lots of squats and lunges and balancey stuff. By building up the muscles around your knee, the pain will actually reduce.
    Took me six months of hard work post-op to be allowed to do things like run and skip rope & jump.
    Take your time and do it right. I recommend seeing a professional to give you a plan.
  • Eureka175
    Eureka175 Posts: 77 Member
    A Physiotherapist if available would be able to help you figure out how to strenthen the muscles around your injuries - helps with the pain as well:) As well, they may be able to help you figure out the best exercises for your specific injuries.
  • samantha1953
    samantha1953 Posts: 156 Member
    Both my knees are bone on bone from arthritis and previous injuries. I have a Gazelle. It doesn't work you out hard but it gets my HR up and is ok on the knees. People on MFP make fun of it but they are usually young very fit people that can handle the Insanity and such. I also use Wii Fit games. I've lost almost 30 lbs and it has really helped my knees. Good luck. When it comes to injuries pain is NOT gain.
  • Babygirl082578
    Babygirl082578 Posts: 44 Member
    See a Sports Medicince doctor. They know a lot about what sports out stress on what parts of the body.
    They will be able to look at your injury(s) and tell you what can help or hurt.
  • rileysowner
    rileysowner Posts: 8,336 Member
    Do what you can and get the weight off. Remember losing weight is about diet not exercise. Also, it would be advisable to see a sports medicine doctor, things change a lot in that field over the years, and a good physiotherapist who has your current medical work-up. This is not something that I would want to suggest things on lest it causes additional harm.
  • Monkee8088
    Monkee8088 Posts: 143
    how about yoga? you can build a little strength while being nice to your body. even i can do it and i have arthritis in my both of my ankles (not to mention lots of hardware) good luck
  • OliveJuice1984
    OliveJuice1984 Posts: 45
    I don't have easy access to a swimming pool so that's not really an option and I don't take joint supplements though I have thought about it. But the rest are great suggestions! I'm going to look for that "walk at home" thing for sure.

    Thank you for those that mentioned just losing some weight first with healthy eating. I'm doing that right now but felt like I HAD to work out else I wasn't doing it right. I did have a goal that by the end of May that I would start working out regardless of how much weight I lost and I am getting a little more active though that seems to be the hardest part for me so far. I'm just happy at this point that the changes I've made to my eating habits have been great and I've actually enjoyed it.

    I hadn't really thought of going to see a physical therapist and would have to check with my health insurance but that's not a bad idea at all!

    Thanks again!
  • goodasgoldilox165
    goodasgoldilox165 Posts: 333 Member
    Carefully! I agree that some pain is not a good thing and not just to be worked through. It is meant to be a warning! This is tricky but I think you have a handle on it already: if being heavy is tough on your joints, then go for the elliptical and swimming until you are lighter. There is no rule that says you must do squats/ jumping jacks etc. right from the start. I'm trying this myself (have hyperflexible joints and began my weight loss journey with much pain and the despairing feeling that things would only get worse) The weight lost so far has made a huge difference to pain levels. It isn't difficult to stay motivated to exercise when it becomes pain relief! I'm starting to look at doing different things -and have no problem with endurance/stamina as I like to 'fight'... but will be very cautious until I'm sure my frame can take it.
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