[cornellchick]

Hi featherweights... I'm a returning 3FC member from a couple of years ago; I have about 20 pounds to lose and I was hoping for some workout tips!

I am a notorious creature of habit and I like to do more or less the same thing every day or every other day. Right now I am biking to work about every other day, and getting back to going to the gym at least a few days a week. At the gym I do 30-35 minutes of elliptical (interval training), and I trade off abs and glutes (situps etc., other ab exercises on the mat, abductor, adductor...) and arms (free weights) every other day.

I've read that doing the same thing for a workout all the time can make it harder to lose weight and that adding variety can help. But I really don't like trying new machines, especially because I have bad knee joints and I've found that on the treadmill, anything tougher than a fast walk (jogging, running) will end in joint pain for me. I've tried the rowing machine a few times for a different style of cardio but it always wears out my heels and my hands.

Anyway, can you recommend some good exercise tips? What works for you?

[Aubrey87]

hello! how bad are your knees? i have bad knees as well and running has made them better! i'm not suggesting that you push it if they're really bad but when i started it was uncomfortable and now i am running 5K without my knees hurting me during or after!
other ideas - take a group class, i like Yoga and Bootcamp!

[cornellchick]

Hi Aubrey, thanks for the suggestions! I've tried fast walking on the treadmill and that goes over fine, but if I try to move into a light jog (even for just a minute) my knees start to experience stabbing pain. I've been doing elliptical and bicycling because there's no impact. I can't even do lunges because my knees sound like popcorn every time I try to bend them while I have weight on them... I'm not sure if it's something that I can work to improve or not; I think it's genetic to some extent at least (my mom's sister also has bad knees).

[SilverLife]

Hello, Cornellchick!

I have to really take care of my knees. I am very keen on Callanetics. (Have been doing them off and on for twenty years and very consistently for the last three.) They build strength, increase flexibility and endurance and you have control over how you take care of yourself doing in every aspect of each exercise. To me, and for many others, Callanetics are a miracle.

I know many who swim because that's the easiest on their knees, or hips, or whatever they have to be very careful of.

I like things I can do at home or in my own neighborhood. Don't know if any of that would appeal to you, but thought I'd post it, in case it does.

Editing to add, due to the Brown's post that popped up just before mine, that I quite enjoy my rebounder, too!

All the best to you!

[oneoftwelve]

Swimming is great aerobic exercise for those with knee issues.
Secondly, walking briskly is just as good as running as long as you walk longer (a 45 minute brisk walk roughly equals a 30 minute jog in calories burned).
Good luck!

[srmb60]

I feel like a broken record I've posted something like this dozens of time. I have dumbells and ankle weights on the coffee table in the living room. I can do hammer curls during my favourite TV show. Leg raises during commercials ...