I'm worrying about my knees--they are really bothering me. She may have 400 lb people doing jumping jacks, but I think I need to do a lower impact cardio workout.

I want to keep doing the strength and abs. I'm just going to have to find an alternative workout that is lower impact. My knees just can't take the jumping. (Suggestions?)

Beth, how about walking/marching in place? I don't know if that's better for the knees or not, but personally I find it feeling safer.

L1D2 finished. Today it was really hard. My abs are poorly trained, that's obvious. Feeling sore everywhere after yesterday. I'm guessing tomorrow is going to be bad...I love it :D

Running in place while making arm movements? If that has a lower impact on your knees of course. I used to have trouble with my knees and my lower back, but I feel like it has improved a lot since my body is getting stronger. So if you keep doing the strength you may be able to do the jumping soon. :-)

L1D9 done! I found today quite difficult, probably because I was very tired and I did the 30DS only 9 hours after I had done my previous session late last night. But still, I did it so I guess that's good.

I'm going to take my measurements after I've finished 10 days of Level 1. I'm not expecting much difference though. I do feel a lot firmer and stronger but not necessarily thinner. Not 30DS's fault though, I'm afraid I might have been eating like a pig.

L1D5 down! plus 5 minutes of zumba lol

I'm abandoning it :-(. I'm disappointed, because I think it was good for part of me, but the knees just can't handle it and there are so many moves that affect the knees, I don't even know how many of them to modify (or how)--but it would be all the cardio except punches.

I started a new thread looking for alternative workouts. 30DS might not be for me--but something is, and I'm going to find it! (And maybe try 30DS again when there's 50 lbs less of me)

Good luck Beth, I hope you find your groove.

Level 2 Day 2 complete! I was so excited when I managed to do those military press combos (where you stand on one leg and extend the other) without putting my foot down or doing a balance check!!!

I was surprised my measurements were as good as they were. I would have told you my change was negligible but I was wrong. You may surprise yourself!;)

yes if its too much for our body stop.... but ou should go to your dr to see if anything is wrong with your knees if nothing is wrong you just have knees that havent been used for intense workout. the nerves in your knees are sensitive from not being used. so when you use them they get swollen and feel like your knee cap is going to fall off... im at this crazy stage but i did it and i iced my knees. it hurts :( but MY SUGESTION TO YOU: is to do a set of ten jumping jacks a day, you have to desensitize those nerves... and maybe look into water aerobics.... good luck... dont give up!

Well, I've torn them up in the past and I'm 50 and 223 lbs--that's a lot of weight to be jumping on knees--especially knees that have been damaged in the past. Even if I were 100 lbs lighter, I'm not sure my knees would take the jumping anymore--not the way they did 20 years ago.

I don't intend to give up exercise and I thank you for your encouragement, but I don't think the advice to someone with bad knee joints to do jumping jacks is good. There are ways to strengthen the knees--but jumping jacks aren't one of them.

I'm going to give my knees a few days to recover, then I'm going to take someone's advice to substitute dance moves for the cardio but do the strength and abs, and see where that takes me.

Another friend suggested I consider doing the cardio on a mini trampoline to decrease the impact--I might look into that as well.

bethFromDayton .... im sorry to hear that.... good luck with everthing hope the mini tranpoline works that sounds like fun :carrot:

L1 D2 30DS: ouch!!!! my body hurts!! cant wait to do the whole thing with out pausing... oh and i got my sisters to do the 30DS with me too they are not over weight but they have no stamina... hahaha <3

L1D3 done and I'm still alive, not having to give in and walk on the spot until near the end of the second lot of jumping jacks now - yay progress! All the other cardio I can do completely, jumping jacks just seem to kill me - am I the only one?

Everything else seems to be ok, the strength stuff is starting to take its toll with tired arms! I took measurements so I'm hoping to see it pay off a little bit at least!

bethfromDayton I do all of the jumping moves on my mini-trampoline that has been around for 20 years. I'm not sure how much they cost now. Be sure to check the weight capacity. The trampoline does makes all of the difference in my 30DS workout. I try to double-time when I can just to make up for any difference in resistance.

I hear so many of you are having trouble with the jumping jacks! That is so confusing, because they are literally the only thing I don't find difficult at all. I have had trouble with every other exercise though. Strange how that works! I'm starting to think I might be doing them wrong!