Discussion on exercising

[newlybionic]

You can try doing upper body exercises. Swimming as little red canoe suggests is a good idea as long as your incision is fully healed. A stationary bike can also be used to raise your heart rate providing you use no or very little resistance. I treated myself to a bike (haven't had one in many years) and bought a trainer stand so I can ride it in my house and when the weather gets nice I will be able to ride it outside.

 

[Spex10]

I do have my little pedaler and go at it on that but, while its great for working on bending my knee, doesn't exactly get me out of breath. I plan to go back to Aquafit when I can get down the ladder to the pool or more accurately, back up the ladder!

 

[Celle]

One thing to be careful about when you start swimming or any water exercise - it is all too easy to do too much without realising it, because the water takes much of your weight. It's only when you get out of the pool (or try to climb that ladder, to get out) that you are suddenly aware that you have tired yourself out.

When swimming, it's best to avoid the breast stroke kick, which is very hard on your knees.

 

[newlybionic]

I found going into the pool for the first felt great. But once I was back on land I couldn't believe how tired my knee felt and the amount of pain I felt. Fortunately the pool I was in had graduated steps with a handrail to use to get out. Otherwise I might still be there!

 

[Josephine]

Is there an index some where

Yes there is an abbreviations and acronyms in the Forum Library

I worry that my health in general will suffer by all this sitting about.

Who ever said anything about sitting about all the time? Walking is a great exercises - good for cardio, muscle strength and fitness and general well being. There have been many reports advising that even just 30 minutes brisk walk a day can ward off all sorts of thing such as weight gain, high blood pressure, diabetes, heart attack, stroke and other things.

The FitBit recommends 10,000 steps a day which is roughly the equivalent meaning you don’t have to get your 30 minutes (or the 10,000 steps, which is more than 30 minutes and equals roughly five miles) in one chunk, but over the course of the day.

 

[Arttie]

For those cleared by their OS to enter a pool after surgery, you might want to try "deep water running." You wear a flotation belt and run/jog/walk in the pool without touching bottom. You can make it as strenuous as you want by how fast and high you raise your legs. I like to do 1-1½ hours. You come out like a prune.

 

[KarriB]

@Spex10 if you can walk without pain this would be great for you. Start working up to a point where you've raised your heart beat. Too much walking causes pain in my left knee, so I ride my recumbent bike, fast 12-13 miles an hour at 0 resistance (due to my left knee) and I get my heart beat up. I found an inexpensive bike and ride it every day for 7-10 miles. Right after my TKR I gradually worked from a slow 10 min to 4 miles fast, to the 7-10 I do daily now. I'm out of breath by the time I get to the end of the ride. In the beginning I'd be out of breath by 4, then I'd add another mile etc.

My niece is a PE teacher and Crossfit instructor, she has me doing standing push ups, sit ups etc. and if I add in number to what I'm doing as well as go faster she says that's good for my heart. They also help with upper body strength and don't hurt my left knee.

 

[Spex10]

If I only walk for 30 minutes across a day that adds up to a lot of inactivity the rest of the time. I mentioned that my other knee is playing up now. I use my pedaler and do walk although my other knee gets very sore. I don't want to get fat so am doing my best to compensate for my reduced calorie expenditure by eating less/more healthily. I like the idea of deep water running.
I'm seeing my OS next month for a follow up appt re my RTKR so will mention my L knee. I have to be fit for our big trip end March/April. After that ? Oh dear.

 

[Celle]

I think that your ordinary, everyday activity counts, too @Spex10. After all, housework is still exercise, as is walking around the supermarket, etc, etc.
It isn't just exercise at the gym that counts.

 

[Spex10]

Oh I entirely agree @Celle. I never could understand the atttraction of the artificial exercise of 'the gym'. Yes I potter about the house and go shopping. The weather is bad here so we try to find good places to walk under cover: galleries, antiques centres etc are good locations as they are a visual distraction from the walking but I do end up with a sore L knee these days. I think a pool is where I should try next! If only I could get into it!! Will persevere carefully.

 

[Celle]

Getting in is easy. It's getting out that could present a problem!

 

[Josephine]

Not this time of the year you won't!

 

[Spex10]

If only @Josephine! We've got more snow and ice predicted for today. Shiver.

 

[Roy Gardiner]

I do have my little pedaler and go at it on that but, while its great for working on bending my knee, doesn't exactly get me out of breath

Exactly perfect. There is no need to get out of breath to help with ROM.

My niece is a PE teacher and Crossfit instructor, she has me doing standing push ups, sit ups etc. and if I add in number to what I'm doing as well as go faster she says that's good for my heart. They also help with upper body strength and don't hurt my left knee.

Again, perfect. Any exercise that doesn't put force through the operated knee can continue as if one had not had surgery, and is just as beneficial as always.

 

[Spex10]

I wasn't asking about exercise re ROM though @Roy Gardiner. I'm concerned about cardio fitness. I need to think beyond just my knee!

 

[little red canoe]

I wasn't asking about exercise re ROM though @Roy Gardiner. I'm concerned about cardio fitness. I need to think beyond just my knee!

Exactly.. And I wish there were PT that were trained to recognize this and facilities that could have resistance pedalers used by only one knee or something that would give a cardio workout to bilateral TKR patients. My heart is a whole lot more important than my knee ROM.. That is why I just pushed to do as much as I could even at the expense of being in the ODIC club. I was walking a mile very early on.. in the second week.
I have a cardiologist that says walk or die.. I had a 99 percent LAD occlusion and cardio is EXTREMELY important to me..

 

[Roy Gardiner]

I wasn't asking about exercise re ROM though. I'm concerned about cardio fitness. I need to think beyond just my knee!

Oh sorry, I didn't see a question. My comment was directed at the general readership as well as a confirmation of what you are doing.

A gap of a couple of months from TKR won't hurt you until your knee is healed, then you can do exercise on a static trainer as much as you like. Indeed for getting a high, controlled heart rate such a machine is much better than riding on the road. I can hold my pulse within one or two beats of a target rate, and so could anyone.

In the meantime it must be possible to find an upper-body cardio workout that won't strain your knees.

cardio workout to bilateral TKR patients

I have a cardiologist that says walk or die.

Walking is recommended for TKR people, so no problem there. With a cardio problem then obviously you must, as you are doing, work with medical specialists. Perhaps they can help you, too, to find a workout that doesn't stress your knees?

 

[PolarBear60]

And my OS says walking is the best thing for me, and I believe he's talking about knee and heart. Now that I've had both knees done, walking is something I can do for hours if I want to--I began gradually increasing time/distance as it felt comfortable about a month after my last TKR. Naturally, I began with a brief time and worked my way up from there. By four months, I comfortably walked a swap meet (about three miles) at a leisurely pace. Everyone recovers at their own rate, but I have been more or less active throughout both my recoveries, but I paced myself breaking my activities into smaller chunks in my early recovery. Those activities were all related to basic activities of living the first couple months -- scooping litter boxes, laundry, and dishes. As I was able to do those activities more easily, I added walking. After my first TKR, the non-operative leg limited me to 10-15 minutes at a time. After I got the second one done, walking became much easier and as I described above. Just listen to your knee and adjust accordingly.


Sent from my iPad using BoneSmart Forum

 

[Want2hike]

@Spex10 When my knees got really bad before my surgery and I found it difficult to walk/hike/hula hoop for cardio, I decided to switch to chair hoop dancing. Here is an example I found online

You can get a really good upper body workout, and depending on how fast you move, you can really get your heart rate up. I have a big hoop (like in the video) but also two smaller hoops that I did arm work with (think of extending both arms at the shoulder so they are parallel to the ground, and then having the hoops loop around each arm as the hoop moves in and out between your wrist and shoulder). If you can't find hoops in your area, they are really easy to make using irrigation tubing and colorful duct tape.

 

[FlaGranny]

I'm not sure what the name of the machine is, but a PT I saw years ago had an arm bike. I tried it and it can give you quite a workout. A good machine for cardio if you can't use your legs for some reason.