[Tobybear]

I am 61 years old, 5'7 and weigh 220 pounds. I also have bad knees. Will I be able to do this? I have hand weights at home and wonder if those would do until I get the hang of it. I don't want to go and buy something and waste my money if it isn't going to work for me. So I am just asking.

[AngieRR1022]

Of course you can! I have degenerative disc disease and osteoarthritis in my spine and knees and I still do it. My advice would be to start with your hand weights and go slowly. Listen to your body. If it is painful, you may want to go to smaller weights or try different movements. You can definitely find some sort of weight training regimen that will work for you.

As your signature says "Don't give up. Don't ever give up!"

[nelie]

Sure, resistance bands are also a good way to build strength with very little money. But I have bad knees as well and I don't have an issue doing weights. I'm just very careful about my form and use slow deliberate movements.

[IanG]

You can do lots of weight lifting with bad knees. The only things I would be careful with would be squats, lunges and deadlifts. If you do all your lifts laying on a bench or sitting on a chair then you will be afforded maximum knee protection. I would get some dumbbells and go from there.

[Tobybear]

Is there a good video or something out there that I could follow along with?

[nickilaughs]

I have a bad left knee, I wear a brace every time I work out on both knees. The bad one and the "good" one. I maintain form. I haven't had any problems with lunges/squats/etc. If I were you I'd start with upper body movements. Maybe a basic lunge or squat after you buy some knee braces with your own body weight. If it hurts, stop. You can always consult your doc but they would likely tell you the exact same thing. Unless you are on the verge of needing a knee replacement.
Good luck! I'm so happy I started weight lifting. It's done far more for me than the tons of cardio I was doing.

[Koshka]

Have you seen a doctor about your knees? I have a bad left knee (almost no cartilage under the kneecap) and I talked to my doctor about what exercises to do or not do. In my case I need to avoid bending my knees to more than a 90 degree angle. I was told some specific exercises not to do.

Also, I went to physical therapy for a few visits and got a list of exercises I could do at home using resistance bands. Those were helpful. Now, I can do a bit more, but still have exercises I can't do. For that, I see a personal trainer at the Y. If you don't want to spend the money for personal training ongoing, an option might be to hire a trainer who works with people who have knee problems and ask for a workout that will fit your limitations (although, I would personally first find out the limitations from a doctor and then tell the trainer what those are).