So much high impact?

judegirl

Cathlete
I've been following Cathe's August rotation, and just got done with Imax 3. My feet, particularly the ball of my right foot, is starting to hurt from all the jumping and pounding involved with the Imax's, not to mention the high-lo from MIC, which I did the other day for the first time (and, yeah, that is pretty much the craziest video EVER! :p ). My question is, how do others manage to do Imax, or other high-impact cardio, 1-2 times a week without injury? Particularly any of the double-foot jumps just seem like they're really hard on knees, ankles, and feet that I can't believe they're good for me. I don't want to wimp out on the videos, but I also don't want to injure myself and not be able to do step at all, since it's my absolute favorite cardio.

Is it best to just make the moves that are particularly jarring low-impact where possible? Is there anything else I could be doing? I work out on puzzle mats that are fairly cushioned, and have a decent pair of Nikes for working out (although when they wear out I'm planning on getting Rykas since I've heard they're so great).

Thanks!
 
I don't think anyone is *ever* wimping out with a Cathe video - even if you modify!

When I need to, I just modify the jumps to not as high or not at all. If it seems to be the workout that's bothering me, and not one move in particular, I'll just lower the step.

I think MIC is one of the least enjoyable workouts Cathe has made - if I'm allowed to say that. No one needs that much jarring on the joints. And I've certainly been very pointed in my opinions about the lack of appropriate bra-ware on the crew, especially poor Cedie. However, some forum members love love love MIC! ;) IMHO, more is not necessarily better. Sometimes more is just more.

For example - I've never done the 10 blasts at the the end of KickMax just because I don't think pounding on my body for that long is very interesting or fun. Or good for my joints.

IMAX3 is a tough workout. I don't do tuck jumps, just straight up jumps. I also don't 'click my heels' on plie squats. Yecch. Again, I just jump up and down, kind of like a plyo jump, and find it works plenty for me. And you're not wimping out if you modify!

I try not to do step on consecutive days, and I try to include one 'floor-bound' workout (like KPC) each week as one of my cardios.

HTH!

Susan L.G.
 
Thanks, Susan. Yes, I think it's about time I made friends with kick-boxing. I don't usually enjoy it, since all the quick twisting is hard on my knees, but maybe I'll just have to be more careful. If I do step 3-4 days a week I know I'm going to end up with knee or foot problems, which I definitely don't want, and I know kickboxing is typically much less impact.

Thanks for the points on modifying. I'll try incorporating them next workout!
 
I agree that modifying is the way to go. That being said, I think that in general, doing 2-3 days of step per week is a lot. Some people can handle that much but I'm one who defiantly can't. I always know when I'm doing too much step by how my knees feel (especially going up and down stairs), and how my feet are feeling - just how you described. I have to cross train a LOT. I even created a 'barely any step' rotation so I could give my joints a break from it. I think I allowed myself 3 step workouts that month and I it did wonders for my joints. Also, I wouldn't recommend doing too many high impact step workouts a month. I probably do 2-3 depending on the state of my knees and feet. Some months I only do one or one and a half. If you don't like kickboxing or Cathe's kickboxing, I would suggest Kimberly Spreen's Kick box Bootcamp and Absolute Kickboxing. IMO, they are perfectly cued and so much fun. I think that even those who don't really like kickboxing would like those workouts.

HTH
Carolyn
 
Oh yeah, I'm a step weenie. My attempts at step are You Tube worthy;). My elliptical trainer was the single best investment I ever made for my cardio fitness.

Carolyn, I'm intrigued by your 'barely any step' rotation. Please share -- pretty please:D :*
 
At the risk of sounding like a scold, I'd like to point out that high-impact work has its place in a solid fitness program, and many times the difficulties the exerciser has with high-impact drills has more to do with poor execution, improper landing mechanics, footwear that does not adequately absorb impact and/or floor surfaces that are not suitable for exercise than with high-impact work in and of itself.

In fact, a recent article in The American Council on Exercise's "Fitness Matters" mini-magazine discussed impact exercise and its effect on minimizing the onset of osteoporosis, no small matter for women. It made the point that running and jogging are more beneficial to building and maintaining bone density than were lower-impact exercise protocols, and that simply doing longer-duration low-impact workouts did not promote bone density.

Granted, ultra-high-impact sessions seven days a week is probably not the safest or most productive route to go; mixed impact forces are as advisable as mixed anything. But to diss impact work simply because you yourself either don't like it or can't do it properly is just plain incorrect. And I applaud Cathe for continuing to acknowledge the value of impact work both for its bone maintenance effects and its superior cardiovascular overload effects despite th many thousand demands for lower impact everything.

A-Jock
 
I agree A-jock. Personally, I was doing just too much high impact and I was really feeling it. I do think it has it's place, especially for bone density. I found that after my 'barely any step' rotation, I could go back to high impact but I'm more careful since a little goes a long way for me. Also, I am extremely careful when it comes to form for plyometrics/high impact so that wasn't the case for me.
I don't think I've read that ACE article yet. Ironically enough, I did have to read an article from the International Journal of Sports Medicine this week. The study came to the conclusion that high impact aerobic exercise had no effect on the bone mineral density of females, although it did have an effect on males. They said that body weight, lean body mass, and/or fat mass were more related to bone mineral density than high impact exercise.

Michele, would you like me to PM you my rotation?? I'm off to see the Bourne Supremacy now but I'll do it tomorrow if you would like. :)

Carolyn
 
>Michele, would you like me to PM you my rotation?? I'm off to see the Bourne Supremacy now but I'll do it tomorrow if you would like. :)


I would love it! Just whenever you have time is fine. Thank you!:)

By the way, I LOVE the Bourne movies. We went to see the Bourne Ultimatum last weekend and it was fantastic. We'll probably go again! The next time I'll remember not to drink anything before the movie -- it's definitely not a movie where you want to leave in the middle to piddle :eek: :p
 
> If you don't like kickboxing or Cathe's
>kickboxing, I would suggest Kimberly Spreen's Kick box
>Bootcamp and Absolute Kickboxing. IMO, they are perfectly cued
>and so much fun. I think that even those who don't really like
>kickboxing would like those workouts.
>
>HTH
>Carolyn

I would say "ditto" to this and I'd add Kimberly Spreen's Cardio Camp--which is my favorite of hers. It's a combo of hi/lo aerobics and kickboxing (but the hi is not super-high). My rotations usually involve step 2 days a week (usually Mon. & Fri.) and kickboxing 1 day (Wed.) then I do weights or circuits 3 other days. When I first started doing step I tried to do it 5 straight days a week and my knees were killing me.

***Lainie***

http://web.mac.com/lainiefig/iWeb/Site/Exercise/Exercise.html

"The worst loneliness is to not be comfortable with yourself." -- Mark Twain
 
So two respected bodies of information about exercise have reached completely opposite conclusions? Is my understanding correct?

Haha - gee, research never disagrees with itself, does it? (She gently said, inserting her tongue in her cheek).

I think everything in moderation. I think a person's ability to do different exercises has to do with your physiological make-up inside (muscles, etc.) and your own body's conformation (height, build, proportion, etc.). Which is not to say you shouldn't be pushing yourself in all areas of fitness, but I think you do need to listen to your own body and respect it when it says, "Enough."
 
I just want to add that I've read conflicting information on the benefits of high impact exercise on bone density. I'm 52 years old, post menopausal, and I do very little high impact. I just had my first DEXA scan and my bone density is excellent!

I agree that a certain amount of high impact should be included in your exercise program, and I haven't eliminated it from mine, but I do limit it to once or twice a month at most... ETA not because I think it's harmful, but mostly because I don't enjoy it and I don't feel good when I do it. The dread factor kicks in whenever high impact moves are on the agenda.
 
Thanks everyone for the info. I've also got a bunch of Christi Taylor workouts, and while 60% of them are step, they're still much less impactful than the majority of Cathe's step, so perhaps I'll just sub those in occasionally when my joints need a break.
 

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