Diet & Fitness 

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Good moves for bad knees

Weak knees are a common problem, especially in women. Loads of us have bad knees from too much running, high-impact aerobics and sport in general.

Cycling is a great choice for low-impact aerobic exercise. If you can't get outside on a bike, you can cycle indoors in a gym. You can even take a bike on holiday and get some exercise while seeing a few of the sights.

Another great non-impact workout is cross-country skiing. Of course if you don't have snow, you'll need access to a cross-country ski machine. Or you can always try swimming, which is the gentlest exercise in terms of impact on your joints. It's also one of the few great upper-body aerobic exercises.

Check out the upper-body ergometers (UBEs) in some gyms. Think of this contraption as an arm bicycle where you crank your arms in circles, while your legs stay still, for a cardiovascular workout. You get a major ‘burn’ after about 20 minutes.

Try strengthening the muscles surrounding your knee. Quads and hamstrings are the muscles that flex and extend our knees. Leg extensions and leg curls will strengthen these muscles and take some pressure off your knees.

In time, you may get to the point where you can play tennis or ski without undue discomfort, or you may need to play it safe with low-impact workouts. Be sure to check with your doctor before participating in any potentially painful activity.

Why not chat to other iVillagers about low impact on the Yoga & Pilates message board. Take a look at some of the LIVE discussions happening now on the board:

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