If you gave up the gym how would you keep fit?

[Urban Sports]

To cut a long story short the gym is wrecking my knees I've been suffering particularly badly over the last 12 months, I've stopped using the treadmill and have basically gone to only using the bike.

I'm lying here now wide awake as I'm in agony again after going on Wednesday.

I've seen pretty much every specialist in the north west and things aren't getting any better. Enough is enough I need to either give it a rest or give up

Trouble is I genuinely still want to keep fit, I like a drink and my food and the gym can keep me pretty trim when I'm going regularly.

Are there any decent alternatives that genuinely keep you fit, to the gym which would be knee friendly?

[Shaw Tarse]

Swimmin!

[Digger]

Give us some specifics ya numpty . . .

Such as age; most importantly what your consultant has diagnosed re your knee ... your fitness goals etc etc

[Stu R]

Get a new knee, worked for me

I hadn't been to the gym in months until recently. I didn't keep fit.

[Urban Sports]

Digger said:

Give us some specifics ya numpty . . .

Such as age; most importantly what your consultant has diagnosed re your knee ... your fitness goals etc etc

Soz

33 I've got mild arthritis in my right knee and the left is similar, not uncommon apparently.

I'm currently having my arches looked at to see if that is the issue.

Long term is just to keep relatively healthy and keep my weight down in the same way the gym does.

[Urban Sports]

Stu R said:

Get a new knee, worked for me

I hadn't been to the gym in months until recently. I didn't keep fit.

This is it, even though there are issues with my knees apparently there is nothing any surgery can do.

[ClintonB]

Shaw Tarse said:

Swimmin!

Yup, swimming, something like Pilates??? & (of course) the right diet.
Obviously don't know your height, build, weight etc, but own experience suggests that while you may never ditch the issue, less heft (in any form), will definitely help.
I know how you feel - my joints are (to be blunt) fked. 10 miles on the bike = hobbling for a couple of days. Daren't run, not that I want to.

[Sheets Tabuer]

Gave up muay thai and kung fu 5 days a week and started to put on weight like mad, got an MTB and do 10 miles a day and the weight is dropping off. I also do upper body in my home gym 3 days a week.

The OH keeps saying I need a good meal however her sister keeps having a feel

[Carpie]

Weight training? But skipping the squats.

Benching etc isn't going to affect your knees, and I have read in multiple sources that squats etc done properly can help enormously with knee pain.

[996 sps]

Don't know how much a rower will effect your knee but it is low impact same with cross trainer.

Failing that open water swimming makes you feel alive and a great social, in the gym hand bikes are cheeky, grappler rope machines, upper body heaves, ropes the world is still your oyster its just hard dealing with the fact you can't run or squat etc.

Sports psychologists say its a grieving process for athletes to deal with I.e depression, anger, denial and then acceptance.

Edited by 996 sps on Saturday 22 October 11:38

[deckster]

996 sps said:

Don't know how much a rower will effect your knee

Bzzzt. Rowing is terrible for the knees, even if done properly (ie not locking them out). Rowers generally retire because either their knees or their back has gone...it's just a question of which one goes first.

[BliarOut]

I'd suggest a mix of cycling and swimming. From my perspective anything that can be done without weight bearing seems to work

[996 sps]

deckster said:

Bzzzt. Rowing is terrible for the knees, even if done properly (ie not locking them out). Rowers generally retire because either their knees or their back has gone...it's just a question of which one goes first.

I was on about the op's knee, someone put the link on here the other week, however the op may find its pain free and low impact therefore may work. I've used it with acl patients and had no problems at late stage rehab.