Workout for bum knees???

[J-Daddy]

OK, I've got 2 knees that are just piles of steaming crap...I'm 38 and have had knee issues my whole life it seems like, I always just tried to ignore it and go on, grew up racing motocross "which is hell on the knees" and then played tournament paintball for a lot of years "which you just throw your body around and beat yourself up all the time". Well after years of beating the hell out of myself I have now gotten fat and out of shape...Friend of mine is a Ortho. Surgeon and I went to have her check my knees last year...Turns out I've got bone spurs on the back side of my knee caps and they are growing back through my legs..The fix is pretty much this, Cut the knee cap off, flip it over, grind the spurs off, flip them back over then reattach them to my knees. Painful deal and she said I would probably be looking at 6 months to half way recover from it and I need both done...She will only do 1 at a time, if she did both I'd be in a wheelchair for a long time. Her advice "Suck it up and live with it cause it's not an easy operation, grit and bear it until you can't anymore".
So with all of that said what's a good routine??? I've got to get back in shape, sick of being a fat slob...But running is out of the question, tried it on the treadmill and it kills me..Riding a bike ain't much better honestly. I tired P90X last year and it was pure hell on my knees, to the point where I couldn't hardly walk in the mornings.

 

[robby denning]

J-daddy,
in managing 100's of clients for my staff a month, I've seen this issue before. Here's the quick & dirty:
1) Lose weight the right way (by losing it slowly in a sustainable fashion); Weight Watchers would be my pick for you. You won't see big losses fast, but you'll likely keep off what you lose, unlike the crash diets. If you're single cooking for yourself, nutri-systems is OK, too.
2) Become a swimmer or join a hydro-fit class. You need activity 5+ days per week so it needs to be joint-friendly
3) Ice is your friend; buy a big bag of peas, everynight when you're on Rokslide ice 'em for 15-20 minutes each.
4) Start researching for a college-degreed trainer with at least 10 years experience. A good physical therapist who practices what he preaches is good choice, too.

God bless you man!

Start now, life rides a fast horse.

 

[J-Daddy]

Robby, thanks for the advice...
I know I shot Bowcast at the Bird last year and I was hurting... My knees were killing me, I gotta do something that's for sure.

 

[RosinBag]

J-Daddy, I would get a second opinion also. I have a co worker that just had what sounds like the same surgery. He was out 2 months then back to work light duty for 2 more. As many things that you can't do I would do surgery and just get it fixed. Quality of life in a year from now should be much better. I have had 3 knee surgeries and acl took a year and both miniscus' took about 3 months each

Robby was spot on if you don't do surgery. Lastly, SWIMMING. The most underrated bad a$$ exercise out there.

 

[les welch]

I'm no doc, so I can't help you with what to do correctively. I would also suggest the swimming. There are plenty of swimming exercises that will kick your a$$, give you a great cardio workout, and really strengthen those legs.

As for diet, I am not a fan of weight watchers. IMO its too much trouble counting points, and unfortunately it doesn't cut the shit food out of your diet. I would suggest Eating Clean. Doesn't mean you give up everything in your diet, just clean up what you eat, and practice portion control. If you cut the procesessed foods out of your diet and watch the portion control you'll see the weight come off.

 

[philw]

One other thing you may want to try is a bike. See if you can ride without pain. I have a friend who's over 60 and he had a bum knee, injured it falling off a ladder. He thought his backpacking days were over, then he started with the bike. He rides for distance at moderate speeds. His knee got better and he rides 25 miles regularly, and still backpacks, worked for him but his knee injury sounds different than yours. Worth a try anyway.

 

[Larsonthegrind]

Try wide stance box squats (focus on hips and glutes)....and lots of mobility work with voodoo bands