Question:
What can I do for exercise with knee pain?

I have knees that dislocate frequently and I was hoping someon out there could give me some ideas on exercises that put next to no stress on knees. Walking is a problem for me. I need to do some kind of exercise to help me lose the weight post/op which will be after surgery 12/7. I appreciate any ideas you can give me. Thanks, Julie    — Julie M. (posted on November 30, 1999)

November 30, 1999
Julie,frist off good luck on your surgery day,I will be thinking of you.I am 9months post-op,and 90lbs. less feeling wonderful,but like you I had alot of knee pain,I also hate to walk,it was very painful anyway,so I started bike riding you get a good workout,and no weight on your knees,now I couldn't ride till about 8weeks after surgery,but now I ride at least 6miles a day out side,a real bike,I love it.Maybe even a statinary bike would help you.Good luck:)
   — Denise B.

November 30, 1999
I used to do water aerobics at the YMCA. Good exercise and not hard on the knees
   — snicklefritz

February 9, 2002
I am pre-op, but I hyper-extended my knee in 2000. My weight was around 300 when I went to my PCP and he prescribed a diet (of course) and he wanted me to work up to 10 minutes a day on a stationary bike. He said ride til I got tired and then push it another 30 seconds until I got up to the ten minutes. It took me about a month to work up to 10 minutes. In the beginning your legs will feel like you're lifting tree-trunks, but that passes after about 4 days. Then it becomes easier and easier. When you are no longer challenged, it's time to increase your time by 30 seconds to a minute. He told me to start out trying to do 5 minutes and then increase my time each week by 1 minute. It only took me a few days to be able to do 5 minutes easily. My knee healed and I don't have pain now. However, I've been lax about exercising this winter and my thigh and knee muscles are weakening. I can feel my knee getting vulnerable again. So, I would think it would be imperative (and all statistics support this) to keep in shape. Duh? :-) If us pre-ops were generally good at exercising, we wouldn't be having as much problem, huh? Anyway, the doc said that no impact exercise (the stationary bike) would be the only way to facilitate healing of the knee, and then when my strength was built up I could start walking and doing other things. Slow and steady wins the race. Good luck!
   — billiewallace