okay, here's one for all you excercise addicts, help me out here......

[fryalot]

I have arthritis and I would like to get fit.

I don't do any actual excercise, but I do run around after my two littlies all day....

I can't run due to dodgy knees, and I don't have much time - if any - away from the kids.

So, any suggestions for an old, knackered demic like me to become a fit, healthy yummy mummy?

tia

btw: my fingers are totally excercised thanks to mn!

swimming.

swimming

swimming.

will not hurt your knees.

I know, but what do I do with a two year old and a one year old whilst I am swimming?

Can't afford to join a gym, btw.

I suppose swimming is the obvious thing but not easy if you can't get away from the kids. I go late in the evening when DH gets home from work before 7. Is that a possibility?

cross posts

not at the moment - he has so much work to do at home, that it really wouldn't be fair of me to dump a night's babysitting on him as well.

They don't sleep either, so do actually need looking after

How about cycling? I know there is some initial outlay - but I have a bike with a trailer. It would easily fit in two littlies like yours. Cutting out all short car journeys and using that instead would help?

that's a good idea, norma.... but I live on top of a hill in the middle of nowhere, so am a bit concerned about having to ride for miles, and then end it with a large hill - I would need to be less of a novice cyclist, I think (I'm not trying to find excuses, honestly)

But I may get dp to mind the kids for half an hour or so whilst I try it out on my own before I buy a trailer for the littlies.

Definitely worth thinking about.

I do have a bike, btw - it's been in the shed for ages, but should dust off ok

Are you sure you can't run? Have you tried strengthening your knees?

how do I do that then?

Hi Squonk swimming would be the best bet, difficult though I know, what about getting a tredmill and walking on it not run, I love my tredmill, I have osteo-arthritis although I do pelt it out on mine walking is good for every muscle in the body especially the heart.

hi hilllllllllls

Thanks for the input everyone.

so, this treadmill, I could set it up in front of the telly? And get fit whilst being a couch potato?

there are a lot of them for sale on ebay

any recommendations?

Well, it depends what's wrong with your knees, but if you just suffer from pain after running, there is plenty you can do about that.

NQC is good on knees (perhaps I should rephrase that? ) but she is out tonight - as is my dp, who has overcome dodgy knees with a combination of strength training exercises, the right trainers for his body, and cold packs

I have arthritis badly in my knees... some days they are ok, other days they give me a lot of pain and on really bad days they hurt and give way unexpectedly.

I suspect that the right excercise would help with some or all of these, but I don't know what

If I try to run, I get shooting pains up my legs and my knees sort of wobble and kind of collapse

Oh Squonk

I don't know if there are things you can do to improve that, but I would try to find out if I were you

have you thought of seeing a physiotherapist? Would that be the right person? I would think your GP would refer you if you explained you wanted to start exercising but did not know where to start

I think that they probably would, but I'm worried about them going to the trouble of organising something for me, and me turning round and saying "nope, nobody to mind the kids, cheers and all that "

And it's not like I can't live like this - I really am ok most of the time, I just want something different now.

I am sensing "yes but" syndrome here

so you want exercise that won't hurt your knees

that you can do with two children

that isn't cycling

or swimming

or going to the gym

or running

or involve seeing a physiotherapist

is that about right?

Your consultant will probably refer you to swimming, or physio do you have a hydro-pool in your area? thats what we get, if you have it bad like that then bulding muscle will help by supporting the joint but you must do it slowly or you will cause wear on the joints. Walking is good but simple stretching excersises will be good enough to start with, like you would do to warm up or cool down, thats what physio will do.

Do make an appointment first before taking on anything stressful.

erm.... yup.

I quite liked Hill's idea of a treadmill, as I can do that at home, but I've always taken the piss out of people who drive to the gym to walk on the treadmill for half an hour, but this would be different wouldn't it?

I think I will pop in to see doc.

yes treadmills are wonderful, you dont have to run on them and you can do it at your own pace. I dont do mine in front of the tv but you can if you want to Dont spend all out on a top of the range model just get a cheap old one and see if you like it, perhaps go to a local car boot sale or have a look in the newspaper.

I would imagine you would probably walk a lot anyway, though, with two young ones. Is that not the case?

Sorry to be discouraging but spending all day doing....what? then walking on the spot for half an hour every evening in front of the tv, seems remarkably pointless and unenjoyable to me. Get out and skip around in the sunshine!

Gosh I am mithering and bullying you aren't I? Sorry. Do you mind?

don't mind at all, that's why I started the thread, to get some inspiration! All ideas and bullying accepted

I know I am making excuses, and I suppose I need something to give me an incentive.

My issues are real, though; and I'm sure that they're not insurmountable, it kind of seems that way.

I will have a chat with the doctor and see if there is some kind of physical therapy that I could realistically do, which hopefully could lead on to proper excercise.

Thank you for the bullying - keep it up