Cardio encouragement - help please!

[morningstar]

Okay, ladies, since everyone keeps talking about Cathe's cardio killer workouts, I need encouragement. I hate cardio, and so do my knees.

The only cardio I do is occasional brutal hiking trips for a week in the Northern Bruce Peninsula, dancing a few times a week and walking 100 minutes five days a week to and from work (NOT fast most of the time, so probably can't be considered cardio, even though I am lifting my carcass with every step).

I can lift heavy until the cows come home, but please tell me how to start incorporating Cathe's cardio workouts without feeling like I'm gonna die or wreck my knees. I have a step, I just have refused to use it to do step workouts!

This is my current usual workout rotation that I aim for (pre-STS!):

Monday morning: 30min abs, 30min dance
Tuesday morning: 30min dance, 20min yoga
Tuesday evening: 180min full body strength session
Wednesday morning: 30min abs, 30min dance
Thursday morning: 60min full body strength session
Friday morning: 30 minabs, 30min dance
Saturday: 180min full body strength session
Sunday: 30min abs, 30min dance, 20min yoga

My rest days are those days that I just-can't-do-it, and usually it's cardio that is sacrificed.

What do you think? Should I be adding more cardio, and if so, what is the easiest, lowest-impact-on-my-knees way to ease me into it?

Thanks!

 

[lcobb2]

The only cardio I do is occasional brutal hiking trips for a week in the Northern Bruce Peninsula, dancing a few times a week and walking 100 minutes five days a week to and from work (NOT fast most of the time, so probably can't be considered cardio, even though I am lifting my carcass with every step).

I can lift heavy until the cows come home, but please tell me how to start incorporating Cathe's cardio workouts without feeling like I'm gonna die or wreck my knees. I have a step, I just have refused to use it to do step workouts!

This is my current usual workout rotation that I aim for (pre-STS!):

Monday morning: 30min abs, 30min dance
Tuesday morning: 30min dance, 20min yoga
Tuesday evening: 180min full body strength session
Wednesday morning: 30min abs, 30min dance
Thursday morning: 60min full body strength session
Friday morning: 30 minabs, 30min dance
Saturday: 180min full body strength session
Sunday: 30min abs, 30min dance, 20min yoga

My rest days are those days that I just-can't-do-it, and usually it's cardio that is sacrificed.

What do you think? Should I be adding more cardio, and if so, what is the easiest, lowest-impact-on-my-knees way to ease me into it?

Thanks!

What about swimming or cycling? Rowing machines would also be very helpful. There are a lot of hi/low type of activities that you can do without any/very little impact. I've found that I can modify all of Cathe's hi/low type activities without any jumping whatsoever.

 

[Miss Lee]

If you want to do Cathe's cardio, I would suggest her beginner workouts (Basic Step & Body Fusion and Low Impact Step), or Low Max. If I do step, which is seldom, these are the workouts I use (well, not Low Max -- it's too hard for this clumsy girl -- LOL!).

What about kickboxing? Cathe has a few choices that everyone seems to love like Kick, Punch, and Crunch.

I also think trying an exercise bike (or get a trainer for your bicycle), an elliptical, or rowing machine is a great idea. I would suggest Cardio Coach for stationary exercise equipment.

 

[morningstar]

Thanks guys,

Should have mentioned, I do not belong to a gym and have no cardio machines whatseover. I love to swim, but can only do it in non-chlorinated water, and as swimming in Lake Ontario is a no-no any time of year, that pretty much puts the kibosh on any swimming.

 

[LauraMax]

Def. Cathe's Low Max, LIC, LIS.

There are also some great kickbox DVDs out there that are mostly, if not all, low impact. P90X Kenpo X is I think all low impact. Also Amy Bento's In The Ring & Rumble are mostly low impact (there are some jump kicks but you can just modify w/a regular front kick). Tracey Staehle's Strike Zone & Kick Box Sweat Fest are mostly low impact (again, some jump kicks but can be modified).

Most of them are longer than 30 minutes, but you don't have to do the entire w/o at once.

 

[LaughingWater]

I hate cardio, and so do my knees.

What exactly has been your experience with your knees and cardio?

I only ask because when I first started using Cathe's step routines, my knees ached for days. And that was using just the step platform, without risers.

After reading a bit online, I started icing anything that ached right after my workouts.** Over time, my knees must have gotten stronger, because now I use both a 6 and 8 inch step, high impact, and I don't have to ice anymore.

**I should mention that I didn't have sharp, tearing pain or anything, so I don't want to encourage anyone to ignore an acute injury.

Maybe your knees just need to build up strength.

 

[morningstar]

Thank you all for your responses. I will take your suggestions to heart. With regard to my knees, well, of course you can't build up strength in your knees (it is a joint - bones!) so much as the muscles, ligaments and tendons surrounding the knee. I have a lot of leg strength, but I have tendonitis in both knees. I can do heavy squats, lunges, etc., but anything even a little plyometric my knees don't like.

 

[morningstar]

Again, thank you all so much for the cardio encouragement. It worked! I do feel encouraged. I have reviewed your suggestions and looked at video clips of each one. Unfortunately, I have only a 6ft by 3ft area to work out in (I usually have to make a lot of adjustments as I work out to make the space work). I just don't think I have enough space to do all of the step work, when Cathe moves around the step so much. I would constantly be having to move the step, which just wouldn't work. I am going to try one, though, just in case I can make it work. Do you think I could use a high step instead of a regular step for Low Max?

In the meantime, does anyone have any suggestions for a non-step, non-kickboxing (same issue with space), cardio workout that is low impact? Sorry to be so picky, but looking at the Cathe clips got me excited - they look like fun! I wish I had more space...

 

[morningstar]

Okay, ladies, since everyone keeps talking about Cathe's cardio killer workouts, I need encouragement. I hate cardio, and so do my knees.

The only cardio I do is occasional brutal hiking trips for a week in the Northern Bruce Peninsula, dancing a few times a week and walking 100 minutes five days a week to and from work (NOT fast most of the time, so probably can't be considered cardio, even though I am lifting my carcass with every step).

I can lift heavy until the cows come home, but please tell me how to start incorporating Cathe's cardio workouts without feeling like I'm gonna die or wreck my knees. I have a step, I just have refused to use it to do step workouts!

This is my current usual workout rotation that I aim for (pre-STS!):

Monday morning: 30min abs, 30min dance
Tuesday morning: 30min dance, 20min yoga
Tuesday evening: 180min full body strength session
Wednesday morning: 30min abs, 30min dance
Thursday morning: 60min full body strength session
Friday morning: 30 minabs, 30min dance
Saturday: 180min full body strength session
Sunday: 30min abs, 30min dance, 20min yoga

My rest days are those days that I just-can't-do-it, and usually it's cardio that is sacrificed.

What do you think? Should I be adding more cardio, and if so, what is the easiest, lowest-impact-on-my-knees way to ease me into it?

Thanks!

Wow- how things have changed! My main focus now is running, and I do strength training as an adjunct only and just to maintain my muscle. I still walk 35k a week (and I'm changing jobs soon, so it'll be 50k a week soon). I don't do much yoga, hardly ever dance anymore and let's just say that my abs are clearly no longer a focus (as evidenced by anyone that looks at me). I rarely do 3 hour workouts anymore, but sometimes do 2 hours. I sometimes do some plyo with Cathe or Shawn T, but no more than once a week. The strength training I do is most often my own workouts.

How have things changed for you over the past year or so?