I need the same lung and heart workout as running, because the hip joints don't like running. Having never been a runner they aren't coping with it. Damn. I was sorta into it. Both hips have a deep ache sorta toward the side/back. High side/back.
So, what's a good replacement? Biking is possible but nowhere near as lung/heart taxing for as long in hilly country where you coast downhill. Or maybe it's just how I do it.
Last month for better lung and heart function I started running a little; twice a week. It was humbling how quickly my breathing and O2 conversion got overtaxed, but I pushed on to get better. I think maybe 1/4 mile is all I managed day 1. Day 2 was farther, as was each day after. Got up to 1.5 miles before a breather walk before starting again.
My lung capacity was always a little greater than the next person's, until the last several years of inactivity. My heart never seemed to struggle but it also felt a little "restrained" at rest compared to younger days. It's time to get on it before I'm too old.
Running was never on my list of fitness activities, until last month. But my hips don't seem to want to tolerate it at my senior age. For 2 days now both hips ache like it's joint related. So, I don't think I can keep up so much running.
Wife and I cycle about 5-7 miles most days but we do it on rural roads with a combination of grades and level terrain. Make sure your bike fits you. I'm tall and use a 29" bike. My hips, knees and shoulders are worn out from 71 years of abuse, but it's well worth the painfull effort IMO.
In inclement weather, we use treadmill and exercycle. In good weather, the 2 indoor implements are just good for hanging clothes on...
It takes several weeks at first to get used to the regimen.
[This message has been edited by maryjane (edited 04-17-2021).]
Jogging and running are bad for your legs, the impact stress is bad for your knees and you risk hurting yourself. I would also suggest looking into biking. I just got a stationary bike as my girlfriend is insistent that we limit our time outside.
One of the good things about a stationary is you can very the resistance. But you will miss the outdoors.
I ain't seen the sunshine since I don't know when I'm stuck in California, and time keeps draggin' on
I have knee replacements and can no longer run to avoid loosening the artificial knees. I am using bicycling as a replacement with some occasional BowFlex work. I normally use a mountain bike (heavier than a road bike) and alternate between paved and natural surfaces. Normal routine is 20-25 miles every other day (unless something interferes). My longest ride has been 42 miles in an afternoon but that seldom happens now due to other constraints. I am currently limited to about 15-20 miles per day for the next four or so months until my hand/wrist is fully healed after surgery related to torn ligaments. I hope to be back to a normal routing in about four months.
Jogging and running are bad for your legs, the impact stress is bad for your knees and you risk hurting yourself. I would also suggest looking into biking. I just got a stationary bike as my girlfriend is insistent that we limit our time outside.
One of the good things about a stationary is you can very the resistance. But you will miss the outdoors.
I ain't seen the sunshine since I don't know when I'm stuck in California, and time keeps draggin' on
Bones get brittle and as we age, don't heal as quick or easy. I do a lot of walking too. Even tho I don't own cattle any more, I still look at all the fences every day. 3 days/week on the 4 wheeler, 4 days I walk them. About 5 miles altogether, about 1/4 of it in forest and thick brush.
Muscle loss in arms, back and legs is a big problem once we become inactive. Hard to get it back too.
Get a Maxiclimber XL. You'll work your legs, heart, lungs, and arms. They're hydraulic so low it's a low impact machine. They're under $400 but on backorder until June.
[This message has been edited by IMSA GT (edited 04-17-2021).]
Bones get brittle and as we age, don't heal as quick or easy. I do a lot of walking too. Even tho I don't own cattle any more, I still look at all the fences every day. 3 days/week on the 4 wheeler, 4 days I walk them. About 5 miles altogether, about 1/4 of it in forest and thick brush.
Muscle loss in arms, back and legs is a big problem once we become inactive. Hard to get it back too.
Sprained my ankle so bad that it had to be put in a cast/splint for 12 weeks. I only run when I have to. The hardest part is to get motivated to start something new when you are not able to do the things you use to do to keep fit.
I use to walk allot, trails and just being outside. I got a boxing VR game and while there is no feed back I was left sweaty and out of breath after one session. You don't notice when you are focused on the game then when you stop wow. Use to play a lot of active VR games but I just don't have that kind of space here.
I am a runner, and my knees are starting to go. The problem is I don’t have the same drive with any other exercise. Biking can provide a good workout but I just don’t get as into it. A rower actually gets close to the same level of workout, but it’s not the same kind of workout so not sure if that’ll scratch your itch.
An 'Endless Pool' is amazing. It's very expensive though. A family friend in his late 60's had joint issues and weight gain and invested in one. He's been swimming for over a year and lost all the weight and went on an anti-inflammatory diet (basically adding concentrated fresh tumeric/ginger/berry) juice shots and bone broth to his daily diet and removing sugars and a lot of highly processed carb foods and has no joint issues now. He uses the pool 15-30 mins a day, sometimes more. I tried it out once when I helped install it, very fun swimming in place.
Otherwise everything mentioned above is good, Crosstrainers are amazing for cardio as well. I'd recommend a refrub'd Gym quality unit if you have the room they're so much better.
I am a runner, and my knees are starting to go. The problem is I don’t have the same drive with any other exercise. Biking can provide a good workout but I just don’t get as into it. A rower actually gets close to the same level of workout, but it’s not the same kind of workout so not sure if that’ll scratch your itch.
Sour and BDub,
I am extremely pleased to be able to report that I may have The Answer for You. OK, it is the answer for ME but I think this is something you both should consider. As a former runner with two blown-out knees I have to be really careful what I do as exercise or I develop knee pain pretty quickly. Like BDub I tried several times to get into cycling and swimming but find it too boring to stick with it. Today I do two different things:
Elliptical Glider for in the house. Zero impact on knees (and I imagine on hips), and with variable resistance you can work your legs and arms as hard as you want. It can be boring but the TV helps in that department.
Classic Roller Skiing for outside, which I can do all year around here. Because this sport is relatively unknown I will go into some detail below.
Skate Roller Skiing is much like roller-blading except you have two Poles that give your upper body a workout, something totally lacking in cycling. You do the same side-to-side motion angling the skates as a way to push off and propel yourself forward. The roller skis are longer than blades and many people focus on maneuverability drills like jumping over obstacles and going around pylons, etc. There are competitions you can get into. With my KNEE problems I decided to not even try this avenue and went for Classic Roller Skiing.
Class Roller skis work like Cross Country skis on snow except you are on wheels. The Classic skis are much longer than Skate Roller skis so it gives you more stability. Also, one of the wheels on each skate is clutched to lock if you push backward so this propels you forward, just like the snow ski experience. This version also uses poles and since you are just keeping your feet straight and moving your legs back-and-forth there is no side-stress on the knees or hips. Between pushing down with the poles and kicking off with each leg, I get up into my cardio range very quickly. A concern I had was braking and there are some foot-actuated brakes and other gimmicks. I modified my classic skis with mountain-bike brakes so I can stop to avoid road hazards but also use them to provide myself resistance. That way I can ski Down a hill and keep my speed low while demanding more power to keep moving.
Guys, the Best Part: this all takes place Outside so I get the mental boost I used to get during running, and since Legs and Arms are working the cardio is intense. I'm going to stop here and look for a couple of videos so you can see the difference between Skate and Classic Roller skiing.
[This message has been edited by Notorio (edited 04-19-2021).]
Would biking work just in a low gear so it takes lots of peddling to move?
You would need a good bit of discipline to keep it low gear for very long as the need for speed I think, is an All American construct that is hard to ignore. On my 21 speed bike, (Ozone brand) staying in low gear would wear me out quickly and the whole concept is mostly (for me) the cardiovascular improvement that is gained over a longer period of exercise time, not to mention, no matter how fast you pedal in that gear, you would still shed forward speed on sharp turns and long low grade hills. It's like the difference in a sprint runner and long distance runner, except with the sprint runner having to limit their running speed almost down to a walk.
I've done a lot of sports and next to running, none gave me such a workout as playing squash.
Swinging a sledge hammer is a good workout. A sport too. We in the oil field used to bet on how many swings it would take to break that union (hammer union) or to remove or install a "pin" (anchors two parts together).
You would need a good bit of discipline to keep it low gear for very long as the need for speed I think, is an All American construct that is hard to ignore. On my 21 speed bike, (Ozone brand) staying in low gear would wear me out quickly and the whole concept is mostly (for me) the cardiovascular improvement that is gained over a longer period of exercise time, not to mention, no matter how fast you pedal in that gear, you would still shed forward speed on sharp turns and long low grade hills. It's like the difference in a sprint runner and long distance runner, except with the sprint runner having to limit their running speed almost down to a walk.
Due to some fairly recent hand/wrist surgery and residual pain issues, I am riding my nominal 21 speed mountain bike (S Works Stump Jumper 120) as a single speed bike. This way I can avoid most of the pain since I do not have to shift. I am not using the absolutely lowest gear, but use the middle chain ring and a cassette low for 99% of my riding. I can still manage 20+ miles without a tremendous amount of pain. When I am fully healed (3-4 months) I should be able to go back to normal riding. Meanwhile, I can get some cardio exercise with minimal impact on my knees.
Get a Maxiclimber XL. You'll work your legs, heart, lungs, and arms. They're hydraulic so low it's a low impact machine. They're under $400 but on backorder until June.
You can a Tony Little Gazelle.
I do 20k minimum a day. Around ~10 my cadence. I'm still a bit heavy though. 205 5'10. I've dropped to 160 once. I looked skinny fat. Meh
Due to some fairly recent hand/wrist surgery and residual pain issues, I am riding my nominal 21 speed mountain bike (S Works Stump Jumper 120) as a single speed bike. This way I can avoid most of the pain since I do not have to shift. I am not using the absolutely lowest gear, but use the middle chain ring and a cassette low for 99% of my riding. I can still manage 20+ miles without a tremendous amount of pain. When I am fully healed (3-4 months) I should be able to go back to normal riding. Meanwhile, I can get some cardio exercise with minimal impact on my knees.
Nelson
I really wish I could physically do 20 miles/day out of my old bones but to be honest, I cannot, and probably never wil &, there isn't anywhere here I can safely do that long of a stretch. Once I move back to a less populated part of the state, maybe.
Originally posted by hnthomps: Due to some fairly recent hand/wrist surgery and residual pain issues, I am riding my nominal 21 speed mountain bike (S Works Stump Jumper 120) as a single speed bike. This way I can avoid most of the pain since I do not have to shift.
Motorcycles have foot shifters. You can become rich, inventing one. You owe me a beer.
Thanks, all. The hip joints probably got inflamed. It took about 6 days for the discomfort to abate in one. I walked at day 4-5 and prolonged it. It might have been the duration of friction from rotating so much instead of the impact? Not sure.
Since I have bikes and being outside for stimulation would be optimal, I gotta do some of that, but main road biking makes me very nervous.
That maxi-climber would be nice to have and looks compact. Bet it's intense, working quickly. The stair stepper we have, isn't intense, or the way I've used it anyway. I'm limited on rowing machine space. Probably moving before long.
A racquet sport is excellent. Rope jumping works quickly, but the rope is about as hard on joints unless it's on some sort of jump surface. Road skiing would do it for sure.
That's a peaceful view off the porch, maryjane. I need more of that.
