[robinbrum]

I joined my gym back in March last year with the aim of getting myself back into shape after years of neglecting my physical health. Initially I started off well and was going 3 or 4 times a week until my enthusiasm waned and extra work away from home meant I could not access my gym as much as I would have liked to.
In between times I kept on running 2 or 3 times a week, 15 minutes here, 20 minutes there.
Very soon after starting my regime I noticed that my left knee had become slightly sore. I thought this was normal and that given time my body would adjust and it wouldn't be a problem. When it didn't go away after a couple of months I went to see my doctor who just suggested it was probably a minor cartilage problem and nothing too worry about. She recommended gentle stretching exercises so I tried this combined with a bit of yoga hoping it would it would have the desired effect. I t didn't and the soreness of the knee got no better.
I have just recently stepped up my activity at the gym spending a good 40 minutes the last three days working out on the treadmill and the bike. Result, I am incredibly sore and stiff and the knee is worse than ever. I guess I have overdone it but once I get into a workout I really start to enjoy it and keep thinking of how many extra calories I will bun if I prolong my session by 5 or 10 minutes each time.
I have recently put on a lot of weight and now am about 18 stone 6lbs. I am 6 feet tall, nearly 46 years of age. I don't look that heavy but no doubt about it I am clinically obese and I hate it.
I am now really worried that I may have done some serious damage to my knee and I am finding it incredibly difficult to bend (something which is required in my line of work) . Even walking is difficult and sometimes I have a noticeable limp and can not move with the same freedom as before. I am going to see my GP next week but they don't even give you a proper examination.
In the meantime, I don't know whether I should resume my activities at the gym or not.
I worry that I may have arthritis or that i have seriously damaged my joints by putting too much pressure on them too quickly.
Sorry for the long post, any advice will be greatly appreciated.
Rob.

[faz]

robinbrum, on 17 February 2012 - 09:40 AM, said:

I joined my gym back in March last year with the aim of getting myself back into shape after years of neglecting my physical health. Initially I started off well and was going 3 or 4 times a week until my enthusiasm waned and extra work away from home meant I could not access my gym as much as I would have liked to.
In between times I kept on running 2 or 3 times a week, 15 minutes here, 20 minutes there.
Very soon after starting my regime I noticed that my left knee had become slightly sore. I thought this was normal and that given time my body would adjust and it wouldn't be a problem. When it didn't go away after a couple of months I went to see my doctor who just suggested it was probably a minor cartilage problem and nothing too worry about. She recommended gentle stretching exercises so I tried this combined with a bit of yoga hoping it would it would have the desired effect. I t didn't and the soreness of the knee got no better.
I have just recently stepped up my activity at the gym spending a good 40 minutes the last three days working out on the treadmill and the bike. Result, I am incredibly sore and stiff and the knee is worse than ever. I guess I have overdone it but once I get into a workout I really start to enjoy it and keep thinking of how many extra calories I will bun if I prolong my session by 5 or 10 minutes each time.
I have recently put on a lot of weight and now am about 18 stone 6lbs. I am 6 feet tall, nearly 46 years of age. I don't look that heavy but no doubt about it I am clinically obese and I hate it.
I am now really worried that I may have done some serious damage to my knee and I am finding it incredibly difficult to bend (something which is required in my line of work) . Even walking is difficult and sometimes I have a noticeable limp and can not move with the same freedom as before. I am going to see my GP next week but they don't even give you a proper examination.
In the meantime, I don't know whether I should resume my activities at the gym or not.
I worry that I may have arthritis or that i have seriously damaged my joints by putting too much pressure on them too quickly.
Sorry for the long post, any advice will be greatly appreciated.
Rob.

it sounds like your cartilage needs cleaning out,inbetween the knee bones you get jagged bits of bone growth that needs cleaning out,i had mine done a couple of yrs ago,but my knee had swollen right up and the doctor sent me to the hospital for an xray.
avoid impact cardio for now like jogging,stick to cycling,stepping,rowing,cross-trainer etc,maybe pay for a physio session if your not happy with what the doctor says.

[Theo M. Whittington]

I second what faz said regarding impact cardio. Your weight goes through your legs every time your foot hits the treadmill and unlike proper running it doesn't activate the hamstring muscles in the same way which provides some protection over the treadmill variety.

Also get to grips with your diet, dieting is still the most effective way to lose fat in most cases. While I'm not biased one way or the other, I suggest that you include a calorie deficit, even if slight with your cardio simply to make your life easier.

I would suggest that you take a few days to a week off and then resume using exercise bikes and rowing machines if you've recovered.

I hope this helps

Theo

[robinbrum]

Thanks to both of you. I am seeing the doc on Friday to discuss this.
As regards to the exercise I have been back on the treadmill but it was more power walking than actual running and I only did two session at 1o minutes each...my knees don't seem to have reacted too badly.
I have invested in a pully rower which is in the hallway waiting for me to assemble!
I am trying to diet, restricting my carbs to the bare minimum and trying to increase my protein intake. More fish too.
Someone told me this is the way to go?

[Theo M. Whittington]

Hey there,

You're welcome, the low carb route is legitimate but it is an aid and not the actual reason that fat loss occurs, carbs are easy to over eat on whereas protein and fats are not, therefore by cutting carbs you can reduce calories pretty easily. It does make it harder to stick to though. I never cut carbs significantly when I diet and I get pretty lean, it's all quite individual. The advice on protein sounds good to me, I always get my clients on higher intakes because it does have so many little benefits that make a major difference overall.

Calories are the most important thing to monitor, protein is second and carbohydrate and fat are more for personal preference. You need a calorie deficit to make anything happen so get that right first.

I hope this helps

Theo