Aerobic Exercise With A Bad Knee

Knee injuries or other knee problems, like arthritis or prior surgery, can be debilitating, especially if you are accustomed to aerobic exercise. Whether or not you are experienced with aerobic exercise, there are activities you can do with a bad knee to stay healthy and in shape. There are specific guidelines to follow to ensure you do no further harm to your knee or cause pain. Talk to your doctor for specific exercise guidelines if you have knee problems.

Guidelines

The American Council on Exercise recommends taking at least 10 minutes to warm-up with light stretching, especially the hamstrings, quadriceps and calves. Also, include very light cardiovascular exercise just to get the joints warmed up and increase blood flow to active muscles. If you are fresh off a knee injury, be sure you have completed the necessary physical therapy before starting your own program. If you have bad knees, make sure you start slow and do not continue exercise if you experience pain.

Swimming

Swimming is a non-weight bearing aerobic activity, making it ideal for weight loss, for those with arthritis that may be aggravated by weight bearing activities -- or those coming off knee injuries. Swimming laps is a total body cardiovascular activity that also helps strengthen and tone muscles. Many gyms and health clubs offer water group exercise classes so you can vary your workouts and do other activities besides swimming laps.

Indoor Rowing

Rowing machines involve both upper and lower body. They are designed to mimic rowing on the open water, which is both a strength and aerobic activity. Although you use your legs to push your body back during the rowing motion, it is still non-weight bearing. You can set the machine to a lighter resistance to take the intensity off your lower body. Place your emphasis on the pull of the cable with your upper body, ensuring your upper body gets a great workout.

Arm Ergometer

The arm ergometer is an upper body cardiovascular machine that involves holding onto two handles that rotate. Either you can spin them forward or backward simultaneously, or opposite like bike pedals. Many gyms and health clubs have arm ergometers, but they are commonly found in physical therapy offices. Often, athletes who are coming off knee injuries use the arm ergometer to maintain their cardiovascular fitness while they heal.

Stationary Bike

In small amounts, stationary recumbent bikes are easy on the knees but still provide lower body toning and an aerobic workout. Depending on the severity of your knee problems, you may be able to use an upright bike, which mimic outdoor bicycling better than recumbent bikes. In some cases, indoor cycling classes are tolerable because bicycling is non-impact. Just keep your resistance low and do not stand up and sit down repetitively.