How To Get Fit With Bad Knees

When your knees hurt, you don’t feel like exercising, but not exercising makes your knees hurt even more. The key is to get fit doing exercises that don’t put stress on your knees. Keep away from running and calisthenics, instead focus on gentle exercises like swimming and walking.

Making sure you keep fit has big benefits in the way your knees feel. By strengthening the muscles surrounding your knees, you can actually reduce your knee pain. Incorporate these exercises into your fitness routine.



Swimming is the best exercise you can do if you have bad knees. It puts no stress on your knees and tones your entire body. Being in the water is enjoyable, and you will definitely stay fit and burn calories if you swim three or four times a week.

You don’t need to swim for a long time either. 20 minutes is enough to get the cardiovascular benefits. The kicking motion of your legs will strengthen the muscles that support your knees.



Try focusing your workouts on your upper body. Rowing machines are easy on your knees, and the bending motion will tighten your leg muscles. It’s a good all over toner that works wonders on your arms.

The upper body ergometer is a common piece of equipment at gyms that gives your upper body a good workout. Instead of using your legs to pedal, you use your arms to pedal.



Bicycling is also a low impact exercise that strengthens your knees. Use a stationary bike or get out in the sunshine and ride outside.

Stationary bikes put less stress on your knees, so you might want to start with those. Riding a bike strengthens your knees and is great for your cardiovascular system.


The elliptical trainer has the same effect and works well for people with bad knees.



Along with cardio exercises, you need to incorporate stretching exercises that strengthen the muscles surrounding your knees.

The muscles that support your knees are on the front of your thighs, back of your thighs, inside your thighs and outside your thighs.

Strengthening these muscles ensures your knees are strong and resistant to injury. Stretching these muscles will keep your joints from stiffening too.



The first stretch to try is a heel slide. Get on your back bending your right knee with your right foot flat on the floor. Slowly slide your left heel towards the floor.

Hold for 5 seconds and return to the starting position. Repeat 5 to 10 times on each leg.



Next try a hamstring stretch. Stand up and put one foot in front of you with your toes facing up. Hold on to a chair if you need support.

Bend your opposite knee and hip until you feel a stretch in your hamstrings. Your upper body will move at your hip. Hold for 10 seconds and release. Repeat 5 to 10 times on each leg.



Bad knees don’t have to hold you back from starting or sticking with a fitness routine. Keep your knees strong with these exercises and stretches and you can lose weight and get fit.

These exercises are easy to do and give your knees the workout they need.

Learn more in here about our lifetime fitness exercise guide

Warren Tattersall has been a nutritional consultant for over 20 years and has a personal interest in weight lifting toward reaching competition level.

If you would like to learn more about safe healthy ways to get fit, and about the natural supplements that I recommend and use myself, just drop me a line here and you'll get a free consultation ... CONTACT ME - no obligation, we'll just have a chat about your weight and health goals and the best ways you can achieve them while improving your overall health.

Swim Your Way To Slimness, Fitness and Health

So you want to start a new fitness regime to lose a few kilos, to feel good about yourself or to keep your body healthy? Great! Exercise plays a major role not just in our physical health, but in our emotional and mental well-being too.



The problem, you may say though, is which fitness regime to follow? There's running, power walking, going to the gym, yoga, and numerous fitness classes too - how do you choose which will work best for you?



All fitness regimes have pros and cons, and by all means try out a few to see how your body responds. But before you rush to join the gym, buy running shoes or check out the latest fitness classes, take a moment to learn why swimming may answer all of your fitness dreams!



A Sport That Is Easy On Your Body



Running, walking and other such like sports can be great for some people, but for others can result in pain to ankles, knees or hips. Of course you can learn how to protect your body when engaging in such sports, but wouldn't it be great to participate in a sport that has the lowest impact on your body's joints?



Swimming not only gives you a whole-body workout, but when immersed to the neck your body will bear only 10% of it's weight. Ideal, not only for those with physical limitations, weight limitations or arthritis suffers, but for all who want to protect their body whilst staying fit.



A Sport That Is Great For Your Fitness Levels



When you swim your body uses all your major muscle groups, legs, hips, arms, shoulders, back, abdomen - everything is getting a good workout. Interestingly swimming is also a great sport for building strength in your body due to water giving twelve times the resistance that air gives.



Great, you may be thinking, swimming sure does sound like the sport for me, but how do I get started?



Really it all depends what level you are at. If you're experience of swimming goes as far as a few swim classes when you were at school, or a paddle around the kid’s pool on holiday, then you may want to consider a swimming class. Don't be put off by joining a class with others, you will likely find that most of them are in the same situation as you and the company and encouragement can be worthwhile.



If you know how to swim but simply haven't been in the pool for a while then set yourself a swim time each week and make sure you stick to it! Start with setting a small goal, even if it's only one length, then increase your goal each time. It's up to you how many times you can schedule a swim into your weekly plan, but if it allows for two or three time per week you will quickly find yourself swimming for longer and further.



So are you going to give swimming a go? If you do, you may well find yourself swimming to a slimmer, healthier and fitter you!