What exercise can I do with all these ailments? Advice please!

[trythisforsize]

Ok so I've always been active and sporty so the last 2 years has totally thrown me. I walked, cycled and played team sport from 16 to 36. Then had DC and mainly walked.
I'm now late 40's and hit peri 2 years ago, on HRT - all good.
Joints however are a nightmare. I currently have tennis elbow in the left, a creaky clanky right shoulder, painful kneecaps (can't crouch or squat). I started gently walking 7-10K steps a day a week ago and I've pulled hamstrings in the backs of my knees. Today I'm back on the couch but I want to keep some activity up.
I hate swimming.
Is there anything else I can do or do I just need to sit it out for a few days? If I don't keep moving my whole body seems to seize up. I feel a bit low about it all now. I just want to regain some strength and fitness like I used to have but everything I try seems to cause an injury even if I'm slow and gentle.

yoga? Its amazing the strength it will build. Then you might find you can do more of the other sports too.

Consudering what you say, walking 7-10 k and steps, you are putting yourself through far more your body can manage.

I suggest you take a full month off exercise, let your body rest and recover a bit, then start with gentle exercise. You may want to Google Jessica Valance Pilates. She is a physiotherapist so her sessions focus on different point you want to improve. They are not very long sessions at all but are massively effective so I suggest not overdoing it until you feel much better.

Thanks @Stickmansmum. I do like the idea of yoga but I've had a look through some examples and most of it seems to be either on all fours or knees and stretching backs of legs. I just can't do that yet. I can't find any yoga exercises that wouldn't be painful on the knees or hamstrings.

Pilates. Reformer Pilates if you can find a class near you.

You're right, I think I did start off a bit too quick @MonkeyMindAllOverAround

I think I'll rest for a week then and start with just a 10 minute walk. It just seems so little after being able to run 10 miles 5 years ago.

I've had a look at Jessica Valant but even her photo balancing like that on her arm on her opening page makes my shoulder and elbow twinge! I'll have a another look once I've had a weeks rest as she does cater for people with a few physical weaknesses by the looks of it.

I think I might have to do dreaded swimming as it seems like the only option at the moment.

Following with interest. I’m the same. Any exercise seems to inflame something else.

I remember trying to do Pilates. I had to put my hands on the floor. They weren’t strong enough to support my weight, and really hurt.

Its been diagnosed as neural tension. The best thing that helped me was a physio son treated the whole body at a pain clinic.

Apologies for my ignorance @NancyJoan, can you explain the difference between pilates and yoga?

Pilates

Which is about strengthening muscles and joints rather than yoga which promotes meditative breathing and flexibility.

Pilates will help you build core strength and strengthen your joints, working safely within your capacity. Especially if you do it 121.

Many pilates exercises are similar or identical to exercises prescribed by physios

This might sound bonkers, but look up chair exercises for ancient people! It will be slow and gentle, but at least you will be moving a bit. Much sympathy to you, I have a bundle of ailments too, and have built up quite a repertoire of one legged, or one armed, things which I can do. Don't give up!

Mat pilates with the right teacher, someone knowledgeable about your issues and able to adapt their classes to your needs.

Yoga is lovely, but doesn't have the same focus on strength building like pilates.

I was also going to suggest pilates, +/- yoga.

However, I would also see a physiotherapist to get advice about what kind of exercises would be best for you. Ask whether he/she recommends that you initially see a personal trainer to help you do your exercises correctly. Also check whether some form of weight/resistance training might be appropriate for.

In the meantime, have a look at Dr Jo on YouTube. She is a doctor of physiotherapy with a huge catalogue of exercise programmes for all kinds of physical ailments.

Lucy Wyndham Reed has lots of short, easy workouts on YouTube.

I'd suggest aqua aerobics or aqua jogging, a lot of runners do this when injured.

I'd also strongly recommend clinical pilates (physio led, either mat or reformer classes) as online classes can do more harm than good if you're not using proper form. As you get older your core strength protects a lot of joints etc, and if you're not activating your core when doing other exercise you are going to be more injury prone.

Cycling? Low impact, but still good for cardio and getting out in fresh air. Combined with yoga or strength training.

Just to add, pilates is a long game. You might not love it straight away, as there won't be the instant buzz like with team sports and cardio. I remember spending my first lesson wondering if I was actually doing anything and then worrying I was going to wet myself because I'd never done so much core work 😅

I agree with @comebye - start with some seated exercises while you’re stuck on the couch.

Pilates.

Not yoga you will really struggle

Would spinning at home suit you?

Machine based strength training. That way, you can avoid the action that gives you tennis elbow, strengthen the back muscles without irritating the clunky shoulder, no squatting because you get to sit down and strengthen the leg muscles without going past the point of pain, strengthen the waist, lower back and obliques without having to overstress the clunky/painful bits and you can nope out of anything without the risks of dropping lumps of metal. And you get your heart rate up without pounding down on your knees hundreds of times in an hour.

If you don't fancy moving metal right now, you could use bands at home, look into ballet barre stuff (as that will be completely under your control) and using a wobble board - just balancing on that will get your heart rate up.

@trythisforsize I think you might be going too fast, too soon, with too much pressure on the same muscle groups.

I have similar issues and have found that I really need to mix up my activities.

The best thing I've found for myself is a local class that focuses on functional fitness using appropriate weights. Each class has different exercises, so you never overdo it.

It has helped me more than any amount of physio sessions, probably because of the whole body focus. I started going with a rotator cuff injury which had been niggling for a year - it was completely within two months.

There might be something like this in your area.

Pilates or yoga.
Please do NOT just try that at home from a YouTube video.

Eg you think that most poses in yoga are on your knees. But that’s nit the case plus most poses can be adapted which a GOOD yoga teacher will guide you through.
Same with Pilates.

And I agree with rest!!. Too much too soon, too quickly.

Wow thank you so much everybody.

I have learnt a lot of new phrases to look up, 'functional fitness', 'clinical pilates'. I think I'll start with trying some chair exercises so that I feel like I'm doing something whilst my hamstrings heal.

I really hope I can find someone locally that can help me with some tailored pilates or machine based strength training. I certainly won't be purely following you tube video's - I don't want to make my injuries worse!

I'm feeling much more positive now.

Thank you so much for your brilliant advice everybody!

Do you hate swimming or hate being in a pool? If only the former - I'm useless on land and have frozen shoulders so I do a 45 minute brisk walk in a 1.2m deep pool, some squats and lunges in water as well. No pressure or pain on my arthritic knees and feet either.

Both really @UnattendedPotato . Swimming makes my shoulder click horrifically and it's just really uncomfortable, the rigmarole of getting swimstuff ready, making sure I'm shaved and toenails clipped, then getting wet and cold, then having to wash to chlorine off and wash hair, get dry etc - I find it all too much and the thought of the water being in and out of other people eyes, ears and mouths is just gross to me.

I go in the sea in summer though even though it's probably 100 times more filthy! I don't put my face in it though - just walk around.

I have a long history of joint issues and suggest swimming and spin/ cycling (you'll need to use your common sense and skip some of the stand up / tough resistance bits of your knees are sore)