Just joined couch to 5K

[lottidog1]

Hi I have just run my second run in week 1 - I thought I should bite the bullet and try to get fitter and lose some weight. My problem is that I have a bad knee - I had a torn cartilage, then surgery, and the knee has bad arthritis. How can I run without causing major pain and inflammation. I do a lot of jive dancing, but it is not as heavy on the knees as running is. After the run today it was tweaking so I put an ice pack on the knee and took some anti-inflammatories which have helped. I can't say that I am enjoying the experience yet but I am determined to persevere!

[Hidden]

Hi difficult one my dad has knee arthritis and was told not to run. He goes swimming and has just started Pilates (because I kept telling him to!). He has said himself that this seems to help because it is developing the muscles around the joint to give the joint more support. Perhaps it may help you too.

[lottidog1 in reply to Hidden]

I did do one pilates class recently, but have not been since due to other commitments but it certainly helped to free up my knee and make it more mobile, so perhaps a good thing to keep up - many thanks

[kickibro Graduate]

I'm a great believer in mind over matter but I do suggest you take it really slowly to you avoid injury. You really should consult your doctor. I too would suggest that you look at doing knee strengthening exercises.

[carole01 Graduate]

Be careful and take it slow. Check with your doctor and take longer breaks between runs to avoid impact injury. Good luck and you will enjoy the benefits of your achievements.

[lottidog1]

Thanks for your helpful comments - when I saw my Doctor and told him that I dance he actively encouraged this to keep the joint moving (the muscles are very tight around it and I cannot straighten the leg entirely) so I guess he would be happy for me to do some running. I think I may take longer to get up to speed, maybe do each week twice to give my knee longer to acclimatise?

[Nilzed in reply to lottidog1]

Or take two rest days between runs. I learned here that the strength is built during the rest period, not during the run when you are putting stress on the muscles and joint. You may need extra recovery due to yours being more stressed. ?

[Hidden]

Well done for starting the programme. If you feel better doing each week twice then by all means do so - lots of people repeat weeks, myself included. Be kind to your self and don't go too mad at the moment - take it slow and steady. I agree that Pilates is great for freeing up the body - I love it and it seems to go very well with running. Good luck with your next runs. Best wishes.