...after losing the latter half of my holiday in April to knee pain, I finally saw the docs, and they referred me to a physio, who diagnosed patellar maltracking.
He gave me some starter exercises to do to strengthen the muscles supporting the knee cap.
Since then I have moved to uni where the student health centre are utterly hopeless with sports injuries (stupid since we have such a large amount of sporting clubs) so no physio
Any exercises I can do to strengthen/support knees?
I am also quite overweight since last year due to various reasons including the knees, I want to get back to exercise and lose a lot of weight to help my knees (and looks obv) and get strong... any other cardio I can do apart from swimming to lose weight that won't damage my knees?
Thanks in advance to you all
Julia xx
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
crazy_skier_jules, there are quite a few recent threads on knee injury and exercises so a quick search should come up with the goods. Hope you get sorted.
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Annoyingly while exercise helps you get fitter, the route to thinner is just less/better food (30mins running == 350cals == a kitkat and coke)...on the plus side eating less def won't hurt the knee
Patellar maltracking is my major issue though I also have a partially torn meniscus and partially torn ACL. Maltracking is frequently caused by an underdeveloped/mal co-ordinated/inactive VMO or sometimes by overdeveloped outer quads/underdeveloped hamstring (part of my issue). Your VMO will "switch off" if you have any swelling in your knee which exacerbates the problem. My VMO was completely dead. Since realising this and focusing on it, I have found plies and step downs to be particularly beneficial for reactivating it. Lunges are too painful. Half squats borderline. Make sure you can actually isolate and flex it first. If stood up you should be able to flex it in isolation from your other thigh muscles and see it draw your kneecap upwards and towards the inside of your leg.
http://www.theinjuredknee.com/knee-injury-prevention/top-10-exercises-to-strengthen-vmo-vastus-medialis-obliquus/
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Any exercises I can do to strengthen/support knees?
Full squats and plyometric jumps. Full squats are excellent for balancing out the muscles around the knee and the full ROM doesn't really irritate the kneecap IME. Make sure you can feel them in your VMO. http://youtube.com/v/Xz5fUtv_NCA
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any other cardio I can do apart from swimming to lose weight that won't damage my knees?
Cycling, but possibly not if your VMO is weak as I think it may promote the muscle imbalance. Nordictrack classic pro skier (find a used one) is fantastically boring but an hour a day will drop weight quicker than anything other than a boot camp IME.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
holidayloverxx, I've been having a look, just wanted to make sure I was doing the right things.
a.j., Raceplate, that's great thanks guys yeah apparently some muscles in my leg aren't supporting my knee like they should.
Managing the last day's skiing of the holiday with an open patella knee support, after that, time to fix everything.
Ugh, my diet, I am always eating, I'm always hungry, and even when I am not, I eat when bored or down, also my diet is terrible - yay student - but I did treat myself to a cookbook over xmas so no excuse when I go back to uni
I struggle to find breakfasts that last me - cereal, porridge and a full English don't seem to last :/
crazy_skier_jules, VMO is really hard to fire up - mine is still concave and doesn't even twitch never mind draw up my kneecap
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
crazy_skier_jules, swimming is good rehab for injuries, very low impact. Most universities seem to have pools which are available for recreational swimming for very low cost to students, I'd go see what the options are. Also often they have classes doing things like aquarobics etc, this is something which has helped my mother who is overweight and has joint problems, and a regular class with others who are in similar position will build a social group that keeps you committed - too easy to find excuses not to go to the gym.
My knee problems were significantly helped last ski trip with a Mueller HG80 support. Not the cheapest things (but check out ebay) and it might help if you need support. A physio should be able to advise on what support will help with the specific problem you have, but since you have a diagnosis a bit of googling might help.
After all it is free
After all it is free
Raceplate, I'm not sure I can actually get that low and back up again! I'd give it a try, but the office will think I've gone nuts
In terms of cardio would crosstrainer and rowing work jules? They are hard-work if you dial them up a bit and keep at it, but I don't think put any undue impact strain on my knee (unlike jogging which is great cardio but def does)
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Mistress Panda, the Mueller HG80 looks cheap to me. My brace was £500 but it's bloody marvellous.
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Ski the Net with snowHeads
crazy_skier_jules, have a look at the 5:2 diet thread - it's encouraging and interesting - and join the crowd over there. Carrying extra weight is really hard on the knees. You fence, don't you? Once the muscles are better, that's probably quite good - though it's so horribly assymetric. Can you fence "switch"?
Squats as low as those above are not, IMHO, good for those of us with less than excellent knees.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
I had this, I found cycling really helped. I went to the physio for ages and the exercise helped but certain things kept bring the pain back, the only thing that finally got rid of it was taping it for a month then when doing sports. I bought a roll of tape and used this video
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
pam w, My physio advises not to go extreme on squats - too much stress on the knee. He does advocate sumo squats (which look similar to plie)
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
Quote:
My physio advises not to go extreme on squats - too much stress on the knee.
This is common advice but may well be a massive fallacy. Somebody else on here advocated full squats which surprised me so I did some research and decided to change my routine to doing them. This is one of many articles around that debunk the myth.
http://www.biomechfit.com/2012/02/09/3-squatting-myths-that-refuse-to-die
My experience is that half squats and lunges are painful and at best only maintain my knee at it's 'injured' level. Changing to full squats has been much less painful and they are rapidly strengthening and stabilising my knee. I've only been doing them about 4 weeks and my knee is almost completely pain free. I reckon another 4-6 weeks and it will be as close to normal as could be reasonably expected. This is an injury I've had for 3 years that stopped me doing all sporting activity!
I can also now do step downs with the weight on my heel, hop and I've even run a short distance at full pace - all these things have been impossible for me to do for the last 3 years due to kneecap pain. I should also add that my meniscus tear occurred right after I'd been doing 'safe' half-squats as rehabilitation for my kneecap.
I definitely believe half squats put more stress on the knee than a full squat, not less.
You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
Any exercise for patella maltracking should not bring on the pain.
If it does it won't work.
Jonathan Bell
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Well it turns out I can do full squats, but they make my right knee crack in a worrying sounding way every 10 or so....definitely a workout though!
Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
Wow, that's such a brilliant response - thanks guys, so much info! I am already a member at the sports centre at uni, only offpeak, grrr wish I had paid for the full time one now! They have a pool I already use every so often and my archery coach has invited me to go swimming every morning like she does - at 6:30am though
Crosstrainer and cycling if without pain will be my next steps I think.
I'm going to have to exercise a hell of a lot as I like to eat what I want, will check out the diet stuff but it's never succeeded so far... here's hoping!
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Quote:
I like to eat what I want
but if it's a choice between that and keeping your body in decent shape for the sports you love? A lot of the people doing 5:2 have reported a long term positive change in "what they want".
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
crazy_skier_jules wrote:
Wow, that's such a brilliant response - thanks guys, so much info! I am already a member at the sports centre at uni, only offpeak, grrr wish I had paid for the full time one now! They have a pool I already use every so often and my archery coach has invited me to go swimming every morning like she does - at 6:30am though
Crosstrainer and cycling if without pain will be my next steps I think.
I'm going to have to exercise a hell of a lot as I like to eat what I want, will check out the diet stuff but it's never succeeded so far... here's hoping!
That's the beauty of the fast diet, 5 days a week you can eat exactly what you want, you only need to restrict your diet on two days. Certainly the easiest and most effective diet I have ever tried / followed.
red 27, yep, and it's all a bit overwhelming changing everything! My brain is mushy right now.
Doesn't help that my boyfriend is saying I need to spend ages in the gym/pool burning off fat, but is convinced he can "convert" his fat beer belly into muscle with 15 mins of weights twice a week.
I might be confused but at least I am not deluded like him, and I know the importance of CV exercise
Where is this 5:2 diet thread?
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
102 pages - some of them have become a little obsessed.....
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
Ohhhhh that's the one - thanks! I did search for 5:2 and got nothing, so I was a bit confused.
I really shouldn't do this stuff when I am tired (and rather irritable as boyf has found out to his chargrin) - still suffering from the long trip back from Swiss Alps yesterday - plane was delayed >.<
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Referred to a dietitian today by my GP.
Along with anti-depressants being doubled and counselling booked
University/fees stress and body stress caused me to have a break down last night with self harm. Very rare
So, we'll see how it all goes. I want to start exercising already though as this will help with depression.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
crazy_skier_jules, sorry to hear that; hope you feel better soon. If you can get some exercise going it might well help.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
Sending good thoughts your way...Swimming is great for clearing the mind and getting fit at the same time, give it a whirl - I did a 7am morning fitness class for a group of weeks last year and if nothing else it's great for your mood, feels like you have got one over on the day before most people even get up
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
crazy_skier_jules, my advice is to mix up different exercises like cycling, swimming, step? through the week, and up the amount of walking, should b' eas'eh en tut hills eh?
you can always add a few Kgs in a backpark which helps to burn more calories too.
Get well soon
You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
Good idea dbeatski, and a.j., when I manage an early morning it feels good. Maybe one day I will join my archery coach on her 6:30am swim! Thanks to both of you and pam w and everyone else for all the support <3
FAQ
Poster: A snowHead
yeah apparently some muscles in my leg aren't supporting my knee like they should.
Thanks to both of you and 