Bad Knees

meg512

Cathlete
Hi everyone. Just wanted to say thank you to everyone who told me to get a second opinion on my knee problem. Remember my GP told me that I could never do squats, lunges etc. again because I had injured them for good. I finally got to see the orthopedic today and he told me that I have the beginnings of arthritis in both knees but did give me the go ahead to do these exercises even with weights, but then angle can only be 30-40 degrees. He said that I still have cartilege (sp) there and since it is not bone against bone, this would be ok. Does anyone else have to modify this much and if so, can you still get results. I was not happy about his diagnosis since I am going to be 48 in a few days and am already feeling old because of that but at least he really looked them over and did xrays etc. Thanks again everyone.
 
Hi Meg512

Seems like a lot of folks around here lately are having knee trouble. I too have compromised knee joints, and although you aren't happy with his diagnosis, I would counsel you to accept it and don't ignore it! I did for many years, and at a young 40, there is very little cartilage left in my knees. The good news is that yes, you can get results by modifying. I would say that the worst thing you can do is continue the high impact movements such as in Cathe's step tapes. When my orthopedist described the enormous forces applied to the knee joint in 'power moves' I could understand why they can really cause a compromised joint to deteriorate even further. The squats/lunges, if done as your physician advised, can keep your legs strong which will protect your joint, without those major forces being applied. And if you are careful to modify the step tapes, they too can be effective. I think the real key is to understand your body and its limitations and figure out a workout regimen that will maintain your health. I can certainly empathize with you and it was difficult for me to rethink my approach to fitness - I love to sweat, push and kind of go over the edge to try and beat myself into being fit - I think most of Cathe exercisers are like this, but I know that I can no longer do that. I have been pleased to discover though, that my fitness level has really not declined by modifying the high impact stuff, and getting into gentler workouts like pilates. But my days of Interval Max and the like are over, and I just have to accept it, much as I wish it were otherwise. I am really trying to pay attention to the good vs. the bad pain.

I hope this helps, and wish you all the best in your fitness pursuits! :)

Cheers,
Colia
 
RE: Hi Meg512

Hi Colia and thanks for responding. Actually that diagnosis was a little hard to take, but I know that it could have been something even worse. As far as the high impact moves/power moves, I already had to modify those because I have osteopenia in my hips and was told to do only low impact, but I do think that it is going to take some getting used to to modify the lunges, squats,e tc. I did work out this morning with the modifications, but I still think I was probably going lower than 30-40 degrees. It sounds like you've had a rough time of it and I too like to push myself to the max, guess I'll just have to settle down. You mentioned interval max, that is one that I have been thinking of buying, can it be modified? Thanks again. Mary
 
RE: Hi Meg512

I think that with a bit of thought almost all of Cathe's moves can be modified. If you own all of her tapes and review them, you will find that at one time or another she gives low impact alternatives for all her moves. The key is to remember them so you can use them in tapes where she does not break down the moves. Once you are familiar with her tapes you can anticipate many of the moves and rather than jump, move your body in the right direction. In some tapes I insert my own 4 or 8 count modifications. On power 7's and 15's I do not jump and I use powerful arm movements. High intensity does not have to be high impact and can give you a great workout.

When doing squats and lunges you may want to do them in front of a mirror so you can be sure you have proper form and don't go above 30 and 40 degrees.

[marquee]MODIFY! MODIFY! MODIFY! Good Luck! Rhonita[marquee]
 
RE: Hi Meg512

Hi Rhonita. I have quite a few of Cathe's tapes, not all of them. I did just order the 5 new ones. I do not do the jumps at all,just keep it low. I do think it is going to be so difficult to only go to 30-40 degrees, I probably should use a mirror. Using big arm movements is a good idea and could keep the intensity up. Thanks and have a great day. Mary
 

Our Newsletter

Get awesome content delivered straight to your inbox.

Top