Lower back pain and bad knees... how the heck do I work out now?

Hey Everyone,

I need some advice.  I am 2 years out of WLS surgery (down 85lbs) and I am trying to get to 100+.   I am not motivated lately because of various things but one is also my lower back pain and my knees.  I;ve been to a chiropractor and he's told me I need to strengthen my back.

Any advice on ways to strengthen my lower back?   I'd love to reduce the size of my thighs but squats are out of the question because of my knee problems.   (doctor's orders)

Help me meet my goal!

Jamie

There's a lot of core exercises you can do on the floor to help strengthen your lower back. Those shouldn't affect your knees. I had chronic lower back pain with at least a couple big blow outs a year. I've been pretty much pain free the last year after exercising regularly for the last 18 months or so.

I highly recommend yoga - awesome for building your core.  Find a studio that has a beginner series (usually 6 classes) - that is the best way to learn the basics.  Once you get the basics down, you can pretty much jump into any class. 

I herniated L4 and L5 about 15 years ago - even when my back is bothering me, I am able to do yoga, and it feels better.   It's also pretty gentle on the knees - just let your instructor know what your issues are before class - they will help you modify poses to make it comfortable for you. 

Water, water, water!

You can do a lot of exercise in the water. Water zumba, water aerobic, water running, swimming, etc.

Hello. I'm new here. I had my surgery Sept 26, 2011. Every since the surgery I have had low back pain. I can't figure out way. Any suggestions?