Advice needed to keep active with damaged meniscal :(

[cer2dwin]

Morning All. I am getting frustrated with the exercises I cannot do until MRI and onwards.

I used to spin, power walk, box step and swim weekly.

I have started to power walk again as physchologially I need to hit my 10,00 steps a day, in order to keep healthy and trim down. However, I then pay the price with a sore knee afterwards. So am having to cut down on that.

When asking the consultant, she told me to be sensible.

So, I am hoping somebody may have a similar experience or guidance to get me moving healthily...?

Thank you

[moreless Administrator 7 stone]

It's not really for us to advise you, cer2dwin, so I suggest you ask your GP for a referral to a physiotherapist, unless they, or your consultant, can come up with more helpful advice than be sensible!

Having said that, I think you're trying to do do too much! I suspect the extreme exercise you used to do, is what contributed towards the injury to your meniscal in the first place, so instead of ignoring the lesson you've been taught, why not re-think the way you exercise? Try walking, cycling and swimming more gently and give yourself a chance to recover?

You don't need to be exercising like a demon to keep yourself healthy and don't be fooled into thinking it'll help you lose loads of weight, because it won't! The guidelines are for 150 mins of aerobic exercise per week, which is just a 30 min brisk (not power) walk, on 5 days a week.

You can reach 10,000 steps a day, just wandering around, so if it's the number that motivates you, go shopping, you'll soon clock it up!

Wishing you all the best

[cer2dwin in reply to moreless]

Thank you..that sounds really sensible advice.and you are probably right about trying to do too much too quick..I am so impatient...

[IndigoBlue61]

I feel your frustration but I agree with Moreless, don't try to do too much 😕

I have arthritis (among other things) and exercise is a balancing act between keeping moving and flexible without overdoing it and causing inflammation. 😊

And don't forget? For weight loss, it's much more about what you eat than exercise

[cer2dwin]

Thank you Anna.. will keep plodding..it's nice to know therevis always helpful advice here

[MrNiceGuy]

Injuries are frustrating, particularly if you're used to exercising, but you need to be mindful of not causing further damage.

Although you may not be able to work the lower body too greatly, there's nothing to stop you from using resistance training to exercise the upper body.

Most importantly, though, since level of activity may have decreased in recent weeks, calorie intake should decrease accordingly, to prevent unwanted weight gain.

[cer2dwin in reply to MrNiceGuy]

I knew you would have some advice..have been swimming with a pull buoy today,so upper body had to work hard !.

Thank you

[MrNiceGuy]

Although you may not currently be as active as you'd like, a pull buoy between your ankles certainly will ensure that the upper body receives a good workout.

If you're restricted to front crawl, consider researching the Total Immersion swimming technique, since it relies upon body roll to generate propulsion through the water, with very little effort required by the legs.

It's an incredibly relaxing and effortless way to glide up and down the pool.

[cer2dwin]

Will try that, at the moment I alternate between backstroke and breastroke (no legs)

Thank you.