Help - Novi,MI

S.,

When we go through a program to be fit and healthy, it is wise to think of it as a lifestyle change. Do you think that you will continue for the rest of your life to go to the gym 5-7 days a week? It is great that you are concerned about being fit and want to be at your goal weight. There are countless people in America who should want the same goal. But it sounds like the 5-7 times per week at the gym is too much for your knees. Do you ever walk with your 2 year old? Great bonding time, not so much stress on your knees yet you are getting exercise.

Also there are supplements and food that can help with the "crabby" part.

Diet, exercise and supplementation are what make up a great lifstyle.

M.

It is very important for your body to get some down time!! Trying taking a few days for walking at home. Walking is great for your body, and you will continue to still burn calories. Don't worry about gaining backthe weight because it won't happen as long as you are active and eat healthy. good luck!!

My favorite at-home cardio workout is Walk Away the Pounds. I have three different videos that I rotate through because I like them so much! A three-mile video is about 45 minutes, and a 4-mile video is about an hour.

Try biking (spinning) or swimming. Be careful. I ended up with osteo-arthritis in my knees.

S.,

I know this may sound kinda crazy, but on the days you don't go to the gym you might want to try tanning.

I have always been tired and since working out I have felt better, but I go to the tanning salon every other day and on the days I go I get a burst of energy! I feel great and it only takes 3 or 5 minutes of this to give that feeling to me.

I have never tanned before, but started last week because I'm going on vacation down south and I didn't want to fry (I'm really white on my back and legs).

I don't know if this is a solution for your mood, but it may help.

Remember your body and heart needs some down time. Your heart is a muscle too and you don't want to strain it any more than you would want to strain your knees.

Try to stay positive. Good luck.

-C..

Have you thought about water aerobics. It is great on the joints and you can still lose weight. I lost 40 pounds with just water aerobics. Be sure to let the instructor know what problems you are having with your knees and what your goals are. A good instructor can also tell you what you should be doing at home to avoid any futher injuries. I use to play a lot of sports through my school days, I know suffer from several knees, hip and back injuries. Water aerobics has helped my alot.

jump roping is great cardio. if you can work yourself up to 30 minutes its supposedly equivalent to a 4mile run in terms of calories and cardio.

Go swimming at a pool! Swimming is great for burning calories and is also great on your joints!

As mentioned the eliptical should be ok on your knees it is pretty low impact.

At home, you could have a 'dance party' during the day with your son. This would get him moving and you would be doing something together. :-) Put on some music, crank it up, and no one sits down for 30 minutes!

Swimming is also GREAT exercise. It uses your whole body and burns lots of calories.

Congrats on the weight loss!!!

Hi S.,

I am a Personal Trainer, and I would recommend adding more variety to your workouts. Strength training would help your muscles supporting your knees to get stronger, and Yoga would be a great addition to help reduce some of the results from impact activities. Videos are a great way to get your workouts in at home, also try intervals such as walk/running outside.
I hope that helps, and there is also a Shaklee product called joint health that works incredible to help with aches, pains, arthritis, tendonitis, bursitis, etc. Feel free to check it out at www.shaklee.net/avwellness, and again it is called Joint Health Complex.

Best Wishes,
A.

S., Congratulations on succeeding....getting to just 9 # from your goal!! That is terrific! How much have you lost so far? What is working for you? Are you working with a coach for your weight loss? If you are comfortable with calling me we could have a conversation about some ideas for those last 9 #. They may or may not be a fit for you; I would love to have you to call me at your convenience ###-###-####.

BTW it's great that you get to stay home with your little guy...when our son was 3 it was one of our favorite ages. He just turned 24. They grow so fast!

Warmly, M. G

I know from experience that the stair steppers are the worst on your knees (well mine anyway). The elliptical should be fine. I have not had knee pain since I started using one of those. Also the treadmills should be fine and maybe a stationary bike (not sure about that one). Congrats on your weight loss!!!!

Hi,
I, too, love the gym and if I could get there 5-7 days a week, I would! Anyhow, cardio is fine, but you should throw in some weight training, too. I was skeptical but it really adds a new element to the workouts and if you do high reps you can get your heart rate going pretty well. Also, for the aching knees, get into the pool if your gym has one. Great upper body workout and great for breathing. If no pool, get off the elliptical and try some backward walking on the treadmill uphill and at a speed you can do without falling off.
Good Luck!

Stick to elliptical for a while. The others are too hard on your knees. Yoga was also a great suggestion... Get a tape for home. Good luck and keep up the good fight!
S.

I am a runner and like to run several times a week. Even the experts say you should mix up your workouts so you're not doing the same thing all the time and working different muscle groups. You might try swimming or bike riding a couple of times a week. When I got sore knees and shin splits from too much running my Doctor recommended biking as a good alternative as it was low impact on joints and shines. You could also include your son and husband in those workouts so you spend more time with them and still have your own work out time alone at the gym. I love my runs because many times it's the only alone time I have and it lets me think and problem solve at the same time. Put a seat on the back of your bike or purchase a pull behind for your son which will encourage outdoor activity for him at an early age. If I were only 9 pounds from my goal I sure wouldn't give up!

S.

I dont know of any home exercises to do but I had the same problem because I LUV cardio...my knees would hurt SOOO bad....anywho, my friend is a trainer and he told me to swim instead bc our High School has a pool I am able to go in there and it is a great cadio workout....in fact its a great everthing work out....abs and all! There is not hard contact with the ground (I always ran) so my knees dont hurt at all! Good luck!

Go to Beachbody.com and check out some of their workouts. I am about to order Rockin Body cuz I too (like you) workout a lot, but I usually do taebo or kickboxing workouts and my body needs a rest from that so I thought this fun hip hop dance dvd would be a good change for now. Hope this helps.

Another great website that is free is sparkpeople.com. They have exercises, recipes and a great support system

The elliptical should not be too hard on your knees, I'd stay away from teh stairmaster/treadmil for a while. Also-- doing weighs to strenthen your quads will take the pressure off of your knees.

Try working in some weights and less cardio for a week or so.