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Wishing you speedy healing. It's so hard not to exercise when we're so used to it! I swear I can feel my body puffing up with extra weight when I curtail my usual routine.
Will be walking more outside when the darn heat and rain stop..it's been an incredibly wet and humid Sept. here on the coast of NC...
After having a painful knee for months, most especially going down steps, finally got it checked out. Ortho surgeon did x-rays, exams, diagnosed it as runner's knee. I've been having ankle pain on the same leg, too. He told me to lay off the treadmill, my cardio go to exercise. The elliptical hurts my knees as does the stairmaster.
He said I could try the bike after knee heals.
Bummer. I've been using the treadmill for years for cardio.
Still can do circuits at the gym and some weight-lifting (squats are out now). I'm wondering if ramping up the circuit training would be enough to get my heart rate up and serve as a cardio replacement?
Your suggestions are most welcome. Thinking about swimming laps?
I sprain my left knee in 2005. I just remember the "pop" and immediate swelling. It was awful. It took about 4 months to recover but was never the same again. However, I eventually did get back to my lifestyle of running 10ks and half marathons with some occasional mountain hiking.
A "runner's knee" means damage to the connective tissue. This takes significantly longer to recover than muscle tissue. The skeletal muscles recover in a couple of days, but the connective tissues do not get a lot of circulation. So for a damaged knee if you run you can probably only do it once or twice a week comfortably. You still can do it with intensity and passion as before, but the REST PERIOD is much longer for recovery.
That has been my experience.
I do most of my cardio on the bike and elliptical machine. I save fierce running for the weekends and spend the week doing low impact exercise. This works for me. For example, last weekend I ran about four miles through rugged desert foothills of rural Arizona. But I only did it once then I waited about five days before running the treadmill. Before running the treadmill I usually ride the bike to warm-up. The warm-up is key to prevent another injury. Then I waited a few days before hiking up a rugged mountain in Central Phoenix. It's like going up a staircase for over a mile. I can still do a fierce uphill hike at a fast-pace. I no longer run downhill like I did twenty years ago. I don't want to re-injure my knee.
So I run about once or twice a week with a "wait" period in-between. The "wait" period involves either low-impact cardio or just a day of rest with no workout. The "wait" periods are key in the aging runner.
I can still play basketball. I am looking forward to it. Since I moved back to Phoenix I have reinvigorated my "mountain running" with careful strategy and recovery phases. It works for me in my late 40s. Recovery is the key. I want to play some games this summer and fall - relive the "90s" in AZ - LOL. I used to play at the ASU and U of A Rec Center all the time.
For some people, for one reason or another, running is just not going to be a good fit for them. Even if it works-out in the near-term....long-term it is just too hard on their body.
I think the percentage of people who can distance-run, on a regular basis, and do so without too much strain, wear/tear/injuries to their bodies.......is very low.
IMHO, there are much better/enjoyable exercises, that are easier on the body, for increasing strength and endurance, than running
Runner's always have runner's knee but we still run with it. I have been a long distance outdoor runner for 17 years and i have runner's knee and other issues also with my joints but it's not painful enough to stop running. I'm surprised you got runner's knee on the treadmill though. From what I have seen runner's knee usually happens to outdoor runner's who run on harder surfaces. I would just say listen to your body. If it doesn't feel right then don't do it.
I'm kind of surprised that the elliptical hurts your knees. I have moderate to severe OA and the elliptical has been great for me. Then again, I also use the stepmill and the treadmill and don't suffer any effects. Maybe it's overuse and you just need to scale back a bit? Squats are definitely off limit for me.
I've had bad knees since my teens, and I'm in my 40s. Since my teens, I've never been able to jog/run more than about 1/3 of a mile without my knees starting to hurt. I chalk it up to bad joint genetics - my other joints have issues sometimes too.
I don't have any problems walking on the treadmill. I can walk for literally 10 miles a day (treadmill desk) and my knees are still OK, as long as I'm not walking more than 2 miles per hour. For actual cardio, where I get my heartrate up into the 90+ bpm range (resting is about 55-60 for me) I use an elliptical machine, swim, or have fun with my kettlebell and punching bag. None of those bother any of my joints. If an elliptical is bothering your knees, try a different one that has a wider stride.
I've had plenty of problems with my knees and also a foot,
I found a gym with one of these machines, and it takes away just about all the impact for me.
The key with it is that unlike a regular elliptical where the stepsize is fixed to a midgets tip-toing your range of motion is relatively free.
Although I haven't suffered from this condition so far, note that there are specific strength training and stretching exercises recommended for this condition. I'd start doing them, and lay off or drastically cut back on the running/treadmill mileage.
You can run with it. There are leg extension exercises you can use to strengthen the muscles that stabilize the knee. One was to hold the leg straight at a certain angle or 90 degrees for a period of time, such as 30, 45, or 60 seconds, and repeat. As others have said, stay off the banked sides of roads. It may be that you're running for too long and the fatigue is causing you to put more strain on the knee.
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