I have bad knees, help me out

[TexArcher]

I didn't read the whole thread, so apologies if this is redundant, but try taking glucosamine, it helps a lot.

[CharlieDontSurf]

If your gonna swim don't do the old person long distance go super slow swimming. do speed laps.

[imitation]

Go to a physio see a new doctor, knee problems can be from all number of places, I have bad knees and it's really due to really horribly tight glutes and hip flexors (i never stretched them well enough and after 3 years of gym I went back to playing basketball and realised I could hardly walk after a game). Also good shoes, etc. Mine still give me problems after running but I stretch alot better now.

[ElaineMonster]

I'll chime in with many others and suggest that you start swimming. It really is the best exercise for weak/tender joints.

But also, keep weight lifting to build strength. And you might want to see if your gym has a trail machine. My gym has these machines that mimic trails. They incline super high, but more importantly for building up knee tendon strength, they offer downhill slopes as well as uphill.

For pain I suggest anti-inflammatories and ice packs. My mom has arthritis in her knees and she has been relieving it by building strength through swimming and by taking regular Tylenol.

Oh! And a balance ball. Try doing some of your strength training on a balance ball. It's good for the rarely used little muscles and tendons that can get hurt so easily when they're not strong. It's also good for your core - abs and lower back [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

You're so young to have such problems! I commend you for trying to improve this now before it becomes a lifelong problem.

[ElaineMonster]

[ QUOTE ]
Swimming is NOT a good workout for overweight people. Their fat adds to their bouyancy; and the water keeps their body temperature down. If you want to burn fat, you gotta sweat.

[/ QUOTE ]

That's not true. You can sweat in the pool, people just don't see the sweat! Any cardio activity, combined with strength training and proper diet will help you lose weight.

Yes, pro swimmers tend to have more body fat than other pro athelets, but they still have lower body fat than average non-atheletes.

My mom's been swimming to lose weight recently and she's lost at least 10 pounds.
I swam on my high school team and I was pretty fit then.

Also, I swam in college (not for team) - I weight trained and swam but didn't change my diet at all (which was pretty bad at the time) or do any other exercise. I lost 10 pounds in a semester just from swimming 3 days a week and doing weights twice a week.

[Ray Zee]

two worst things is carrying around extra weight. must get it off or your knee problems will never get better.
second is rest them for quite awhile. forget about running or doing any serious punishment to them. they need rest. after a month or two of no stress at all to them reevaluate the situation from a new perspective. good luck.
you have the problems older people get all the time from being fat. whether yours came from that only you can guess. most likely you are looking at two knee replacemnts in the future. your body is telling you something listen to it. good luck.

[KittyKat]

This thread has thus far been very informative, thank you to everyone who replied.

I'm interested in anyone who has experience in the glucosamine area. I used to give this to one of my arthritic horses, I'm unsure how well it works on humans though?

The easy solution of just losing weight... well, that would be an easy solution, except I already did it. I tried to make that point in the OP, I think I must have mistyped it or somethin. I've dropped a large amount of weight over the past 3 years, and my knees have gotten worse, so I don't think losing weight is my solution, especially not at the point I'm currently at.

Some of the exercises are things I will add to my normal weight routine, others I already do, and still others I have been recomended not to do, lol. But the suggestions of looking into supplements and a new doctor I plan to act on. Thanks again guys.

[neuroman]

You know what's really good for your knees? Volleyball.