So my knees ache almost all the time now that I exercise regularly. Most of the time I walk either on the treadmill or outside on those rare warm enough days. My doctor has said no running, so plans of trying the C25k are out. Here's the problem - my knees ache on the sides and behind whenever I bend and especially when I need to get down to the floor. I've read the sticky and am following some of the exercise suggestions but they don't seem to do much for this issue. Anyone else had this problem and have suggestions? I love working out but hate aching so much!

thanks!

I have knee problems and never attempt any exercise that's high impact even at 70lbs lighter than I was. I found the elliptical and bicycle the best for me. On the treadmill I can only do a quick walk but can't run - don't think I will every be able to run the wear and tear on my knees from many years of carrying all that extra weight will not resolve without surgery.

Kitty

Cyndi, did your doctor give you a diagnosis of what's wrong with your knees?

I've had the right knee operated on - lateral release, clean-up. I have significant loss of cartilage in that one due to some sort of arthritis thing (went through a lot of testing a few years ago with no clear answers). The right knee started swelling when I tried to run, so that was the end of that.

What confuses me now is that this ache is really different. The old stuff caused pain and swelling, this just makes me feel really old and creaky.

Ouch! Sounds painful. Has it been a while since you've seen your knee doctor? If it's a new pain, it might be a different issue. As for exercise and knee pain, not all knee problems can be fixed with exercise, unfortunately. I know that I'll need knee replacement this year, despite all the exercise I do.

Have you tried no-impact cardio, like a bike, elliptical, or swimming? If you have a cartilage problem, even walking may be too much impact. I don't have any cartilage left in my knees and even walking through the grocery store is painful for me. But I can still manage a high-intensity workout on the elliptical without too much trouble.

I developed runner's knee last winter (which is different than the pain you describe) and my step mom suggested a product called Blue-Emu Oil. She has knee problems (not runner's knee) as well and swears by the stuff. I was skeptical but desperate and she offered me a free jar of it, so I decided to give it a try. Wouldn't you know, it actually worked. I use it regularly on my knee--when I stop using it, the pain comes back. I also use it on my other joints (ankle, elbow) if they start to ache and it always clears the problem up within a week.

I'm still not convinced that the blue-emu oil does anything, but it also has glucosamine in it; I suspect it is the glucosamine that makes a difference.

It can be pricey ($20 a jar), but Walgreens sometimes has it on sale for $10 a jar. It might be worth trying.

Do you stretch enough after your workout? This could help...

I have knee issues but not that bad, I used to take Glucosamine... I say "used to" because lately I've been taking 2tbsp ground flax/day along with 2 tbsp flax oil/day... One day I realized that I hadn't taken any Glucosamine for a while and my knees were not sore and concluded that it had to be the flax... Along with keeping your joints oiled, flax is great for numerous reasons...

Here's an article Counting Many Benefits of Flaxseed which lists it's many benefits ...

But go see your doctor too