Finally back in a workout groove and now...

[Lisa7691]

I hurt my knee! Doing something simple and basic!! I am so frustrated I was taking the stairs at work yesterday when I got a sudden sharp pain in my left knee. The pain is on the outside of my knee towards the top. It only hurts when I am bearing weight and the knee is bent - climbing stairs, squats, lunges, etc. If I am just sitting, walking or even jumping I don't have any pain. So I need some advice...do I completely rest the knee or exercise through the pain?

I am really confused about which to do. Common sense seems to tell me to give it rest and don't do anything more strenuous than walking. I did try KPC last night and it was fine until I got to the hammer punch lunge things and then it started hurting a lot and it hurt for the rest of the night with any movement. I iced it, took Aleve and rested. I watch biggest loser and those contestants are constantly working with injuries and knee pain. I also look at athletes and I think surely they have times that they are working through injuries.

I have a history (a long sordid one at that ) of working myself up to an intense level of exercising, suffering an injury, and then quitting for months and months (ok and once after a back injury that ended in surgery YEARS) on end. I am tired of this pattern. I have goals! I want to be fit. I want to be at the level Cathe and her crew are. I finally want to lose these extra 25 pounds I have been carrying around for the last 10 years.

So given that, how do you all handle injuries? How do you stay on track and still let your body heal? This is the end of my recovery week from Meso 1 and I am supposed to start Meso 2 on Monday so any advice, insight, or wisdom you might have would be appreciated!!!

 

[bigfarma]

Oh man, I feel for you. I hurt my knees a couple years ago, but decided to work through the pain (more specifically through the rest of Legs & Glutes) and to this day I am unable to do squats or lunges. Really anything that involves flexion and extension is uncomfortable because my kneecaps pop in and out. I had four diagnosed injuries, which for the most part resolved themselves, and one mystery injury which none of the doctors could diagnose (and therefore it didn't exist! Yay!)

I have always had a problem with moderation. At the time I hurt my knees, if I wasn't doing a full run of B&G followed by speed walking with the dog for an hour, it wasn't a workout.

I've been forced to reevaluate all this of course. These days I have to get pretty creative with my lower body exercises and most exercise videos are simply out of reach for me. Seems like every time I try to ante up, I get knocked down and am out of commission for a couple weeks. So I feel your pain.

So what's my point in all this rambling.....

REST THAT KNEE!!!!!!

If I could go back to that afternoon in April 08 and just turn off the DVD player. *sigh*

I would heartily recommend taking any numbers, reps, lbs, etc you have ingrained in your mind and just throwing them out the window. Look at this as rehabilitation time. This is your body, your temple. There is health-related fitness and skill-related fitness. Take this time and invest it in the former. Focus on your health and well-being (that's the point of all this anyway right?), and be patient.

Keep us updated and take care!

 

[Gayle]

I have a history (a long sordid one at that ) of working myself up to an intense level of exercising, suffering an injury, and then quitting for months and months (ok and once after a back injury that ended in surgery YEARS) on end. I am tired of this pattern. I have goals! I want to be fit. I want to be at the level Cathe and her crew are. I finally want to lose these extra 25 pounds I have been carrying around for the last 10 years.

Hi Lisa - My short term advice is to rest and ice the knee. Since this is a chronic issue your dealing with, I suggest you find a good sports physical therapist and to see what weaknesses or imbalances that you have going on. If you have insurance, you might be able to get the visits covered.

I've also suffered knee and back issues, and learned that most of my problems had more to do with inadequacies in other parts of my body (hips, hamstrings, IT band, core) than the area of the actual pain.

Lastly, don't use Biggest Loser as a model for appropriate exercise or dealing with injuries. It's lousy.

 

[lainiefig]

I agree with the other posters--rest and ice and see an expert. I've had some knee issues and found out from an orthopedic surgeon that my knees are just naturally a bit wonky. He even told me not to do step aerobics anymore (O.K. I mainly ignored that advice though I stick to only a wimpy 4 inches now). I had to go through some physical therapy and it helped a lot. I don't go to therapy anymore but I took away a lot of good advice I still use.

((((HUGS)))) and good luck!

 

[Lisa7691]

Thanks for all the advice! You are all confirming that common sense part of my brain that I was not wanting to listen to . I guess I don't understand how I am supposed to get to the next level of fitness if more intense activity injures me!

I have had multiple rounds of PT in the past for back injuries. I know that my hamstrings and hips are extremely tight and that the outside of my quadriceps are overly developed which leads to an imbalance that affects the pull on the inside of my knee. I do stretch really well like they taught me but I haven't done much in the way of the specific strength exercises they laid out for me. It probably wouldn't hurt to get a few visits again and refresh my memory.

I am feeling better today . I iced the knee and took Aleve several times since then. I completely changed my workout plans yesterday and went with an elliptical workout (which I was able to complete pain free) and a walk outside. I may do a repeat of that workout again today. I really want to start Meso 2 on schedule Monday but I certainly don't want to cause an injury that will last a lifetime!

 

[Sunshine1528]

Lisa,

I completely agree that you should take it easy and not do anything that irritates the knee. BUT, you may still be able to do the UB workouts for STS. You only have 1 leg day and the other two are UB so I say start those. If you can modify the leg day so it works for you great, if not, then skip the STS workout and go with the elliptical or walking.

I am having back pain issues and some of the leg exercises hurt due to tightness like you mentioned. I either drop the weight, adjust my position or skip the exercise and move on. I have lowered my deadlifts to nearly no weight at all and concentrate more on form and it is working fine. Perhaps you could do some leg exercises which don't require weight bearing - maybe using a band?

Good to hear it is feeling better today - ITA with the others I'd see a doc if it continues much longer.

Best of luck you heal quickly !