Stronger legs and glutes with bad knees

[Bananavibez]

How arr you supposed to work your legs and glutes when you have really bad knees?
Squats, lunges etc all feel really bad

Someone once said to me that spinning actually helped them get their knees better, and I have found that I can spin easier than gym when they’re sore.

You need to work with someone who can guide you properly. Either a personal trainer or a small class where the teacher knows the situation and can make adaptations for you.

I guess it depends where and how it’s dodgy. Maybe get assessed by a physio? They can see where your issue is and movements that will aid or not annoy the knee?

I have a dodgy left knee but do some strength and squats really help mine. All the weigh is going behind into the glutes. I also do spin classes including resistance climbing which doesn’t aggravate it. I do yoga too. I figured anything that strengthens muscles around it is a good thing for support.

To start with you could try doing leg raises from high plank or down dog positions, so the knee isn't weight bearing but the glutes are still engaged. Might be wise to wear flexible knee supports while doing these.

Lie on floor on your side and do leg raises with legs and feet at various angles to work different muscles. Look up Callanetics for some really effective old-style leg sculpting.

For quads you can sit upright in a chair, core pulled tight, extend straight legs and lift them to parallel wiht floor. Harder than it looks.

Try out all the other variations and find one that's comfortable.

Other variations include things like:
Romanian deadlifts (RDLs) / Stiff leg deadlifts
Normal deadlifts
Box squats
Anderson squats from above parallel
Reverse lunges/ forward lunges
Bulgarian split squats/split squats, front foot elevated split squats
Cyclist squats

What about using the machines in a gym
Leg raise
Glute machine
Adductor/abductor machine
Different leg presses?

So limiting the range, or trying a different movement pattern.

Or is it heavy ones than hurt? Can you change the rep scheme to be more reps, lighter weights?

I think the issue is im also extremely lanky. So on top of the knee issue I find my body shape makes it really hard to do these moves. Not sure if im just imagining that though

Maybe a PT would be best so they can see how you move and what you can do and then advise and build from there?

Im thinking of joining a "body sculpt" pilates class that runs near me, they specifically mention glutes. Might help me build a bit of strength without putting insane load on my knees

My trainer suggested walking backwards on a (slow) inclined treadmill as being really good for the knees. You get some odd looks but it seems to work.

Unless there is a medical problem, then read below…

Pilates once a week won’t cut it. You need DAILY exercises specifically to support your knee

I have bad knees - one knee had a major surgery, and I’m 50 and heavier than I should be.

Weight loss helps if you are overweight.

I had a physio and honestly the best place to start is by following a physio program. For knee health you need to focus of the entire leg for the hips down to the ankles and foot.

Start small and every day do the exercises.

If you are having a lot of off-putting sharp pain when you exercise - that is too much. No more than a 2 to 4 out of 10 for pain.

I start with a warm up on a stationary bike ride at home or if I have time to go to the pool, a half hour swim. This loosens up my knee like magic - no pain.

Then

• raises up onto my toes, double then single leg.
• stand on one leg - eyes open then eyes closed. Balance is important.
• wall sits. Do it properly - watch a physio video online.
• If wall sits are too painful, do slow sit-to-stand and back to sitting (with no hands) from a dining chair
• squats, if they are too painful put a thick hard book under your heels to help reduce the load to start with. Make sure you are doing them properly ! Again online physio video.
• once you are good at squat's You need to do them bearing a weight - fill a rucksack with heavy tins and wear it on your FRONT ( to discourage you from leaning back which will ruin your squat)
• atretchy physio bands - a range of movements to repeat and you can get ideas online
• lunges. Once they don’t hurt, you do need to do them. If they hurt don’t do them yet.

https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/exercise/knee-exercises-for-runners/ if this is too hard now, step back and start with an NHS list of knee physio exercises.

Something like this is a good basic place to start.

@Bananavibez Exercise in water - the water supports you.

I agree a PT can help - I find machine based strength exercise allows you to target muscles.

My knees are probably very shot - but it’s nearly 20 years since the hospital threw one last “probably won’t work “ option at me

it was a hospital run physio program. The people who benefitted did the exercises every day every week for a year or so

it focussed on the lower body - so think planks and Russian twists and bridges ( posterior chain ) down to ankle raises and pops , and every muscle in between - strength, flexibility, cardio and balance exercises

different levels / the initial squats are very shallow . You build to sitting and rising from a chair finally with single legs and weight.

lunges - a step forward with a bit of weight, step ups onto the stairs, step up on stairs with only one leg , drop down onto a cushion with your back knee

the sessions started with cycling around 100rpm and gradually build the resistance

you can do it - try searching nhs knee physio because the exercises are probably on line somewhere ( edit … well that took me a while to write / see PP for a link)

i was discharged with instructions “no marathons , don’t run through pain”

depends on why they are dodgy

often knees are because hips/core are weak

see a physio, at a push a pt with experience

exercises mild on knees are for example clamshells, dead bugs, calf raises, heel raises.

As PP said it depends on the issue. When it gets bad, i put some ibuprofen (cream) on my knees and it helps manage the pain. I am hoping that exercise is better than no exercise for my knee health

You should try the free Nuffield Health joint pain programme, which is run at all their gyms. 12 weeks guided exercise and group sessions followed by another 12 weeks free gym membership to put it all into practice. I did this end of last year through to a few months ago and now have very little knee pain. I have lost 3 stones and exercise most days. I do 3xyoga, 2 x spin and two sessions in the gym most weeks. Spin is really helpful in keeping my knees pain free. This has really turned my life around.

Yes to free Nuffield Health joint pain programme, which is run at all their gym

Lanky? Do you have marfans?

Please see a physio one on one you can self refer on nhs but go private if you can for more one on one sessions