The Short Answer:
"Bad knees" is a broad term, but in general, the more you can work
your knees, the stronger they will get. Unfortunately, this turns into a
Catch-22 when your knees hurt during exercise. You need to exercise to
relieve the pain, but the pain is caused by exercise.
The key is patience. Seek expert medical advice and follow the rehab
exercises they give you. Then, when you're ready, return to your
regularly scheduled activity, following the advice of your therapist. If
that activity happens to be a Beachbody® program, you'll find
additional advice below.
The Long Answer:
Here's a five-step rehabilitation plan to help with those aching knees.
Step 1 – Talk to your doctor. Some doctors, whether
through laziness or fear of liability, shell out advice akin to "if it
hurts, don't do it." Unfortunately, most of us have knee pain at some
point in life. If we don't work through it, the situation gets worse.
Regardless of your doc's optimism, your rehabilitation begins with a
diagnosis. That's why you need a doctor. Whether your knee pain is
debilitating or just nagging, it's well worth your time to find out
exactly what is going on. The alternative solution is trial and
error—and that can make your knees worse.
Step 2 – Do your rehab. No matter what your problem
is, your doctor will recommend some physical therapy (PT). Like doctors,
some PTs are better than others, but do what they say regardless. Even
archaic protocols shouldn't hurt you. A good PT will just push you
harder and take you further. Either way, you must do your PT before
moving on. I know, it's boring (everyone says this), but if you're
serious about fixing your knee issues you need to take this step
seriously. It's the foundation for everything else!
Step 3 – Think holistically. Most chronic knee
problems don't begin with your knee. Unless you've had an acute injury,
most knee (and back) pain radiate from imbalances in your pelvic girdle
(your hips). The simple exercises and stretches in these videos should
be incorporated into your regimen as soon as you're cleared from your
PT. Hopefully, they're similar to what you've been doing with your
therapist.
Watch this video Strengthening Exercises from Steve Edwards - TBB
Step 4 – Assess your doctor's clearance advice. This
is where the steps diverge, as all knee issues are not the same.
Eliminating knee pain follows a "what doesn't kill you makes you
stronger" rationale, meaning that the more you're able to handle
training-wise, the quicker and more effective your comeback will be.
Along with that advice, however, is the more important logic that you
don't want to reinjure your knee. That is first and foremost, and should
dictate all of your actions.
For simplicity sake, we'll use the two most-common diagnoses: 1) You
are cleared for any activity, and 2) Avoid anything that puts excessive
stress on your knees, like running.
Step 5, part A – If you are "cleared for any activity."
Congrats! Go start exercising! However, if you want to make sure this
doesn't happen again, I strongly recommend a round of P90X2®, by far
Beachbody's most effective workout program for knee issues. It's
designed around protocols used to keep professional athletes on the
field—and keeping knees healthy is the biggest challenge they face. The
program targets stabilization, especially in the hip area, and building a
super-solid foundation.
Whether or not you're fit enough for X2 is a different discussion. It
has an extremely modified version (hotel room modifications), so you
can do the program if you aren't super-fit, but it's still very
advanced. If you're in reasonable shape, this would be your go-to. If
you are unsure, try the
P90X® Fit Test, which you'll find here. If you can handle
P90X, you should be fine with
P90X2.
If you can't do the Fit Test, start with an easier program (see
below). Body weight is stress for your knees, and losing extra weight
will function in the same way as making your body stronger. So even if
you're cleared for anything, if you have a lot of weight to lose,
pretend you're cleared for limited activity.
Step 5, part B – If you are "cleared for limited activity."
Again, congratulations! (Sort of.) This diagnosis usually happens after
an acute injury or for those who've ignored pain for years and lost
knee cartilage. You still have the same biomechanical goals of
stabilizing your body, but you have to be more careful about how you do
it.
Almost any Beachbody entry program might be right for building knee
strength in this situation, depending on the severity of your condition.
The rule to think on is this:
Whatever you do that doesn't make you worse, makes you better.
So every time you finish a workout without pain, or pain worse than you
already have (if you're at a constant dull level of pain but still
cleared to move), you're improving your ability to eliminate the pain
altogether. Also, every pound you lose is less stress on your knees,
which will help lessen strain, and, thus, pain. So watch your diet, and
move as much as you can. Your body will respond in kind.
Here's a rundown and synopsis of some options to consider, from easiest to hardest.
Tai Cheng® – This is a great
mobility and stabilization program that almost anyone can do. Downside
is that it won't burn many calories or quickly change your body
composition. Upside is that, no matter who you are, it will improve your
knee issues.
21 Day Fix® – Currently,
Beachbody's best entry-level, knee-friendly program for those who need
to lose some weight. While there is some jumping in this program, and
even a "plyo" workout, there are always modifiers you can follow.
Hip Hop Abs® – This
predecessor to INSANITY® takes jumping out of the equation, combining
basic hip hop (you don't need to know how to dance) and a lot of ab and
hip work in the entry-level weight loss program.
Brazil Butt Lift® – There
is some light jumping, and a lot of squatting, but if you can handle it,
this program focuses on your butt and hips and greatly improves the
stability of your pelvic girdle. This makes your body "track" better,
reducing the strain on your knees.
Body Beast® – Controlled
weight training is a great way to change your body composition without
putting a lot of stress on your knees. If you want to lose weight, don't
follow the "bodybuilding" focus of the nutrition guide. You can both
lose weight and strengthen your knees effectively pumping iron with
Sagi.
PiYo® – Chalene Johnson's
combination of yoga and Pilates is great for hip stability and core
strength, both vital for combating knee pain, making it a good choice
for those who don't have specific ACL/MCL (or lateral) knee issues, as
there is a lot of twisting at speed.
P90X3® – While it's a hard
program, you can modify every move in every workout and have it serve as
an effective entry point. This program, like X2, builds a super-solid
foundation. It lacks the specified stabilization movements (because it
doesn't use stability balls) but that also makes it a bit easier to
adapt to.
~ Article via TBB
Reset your body, a great way to begin a Fitness Journey!
