Old Man needs Help!

[McD]

So here is the scoop:
I quit smoking a couple months ago, put on a couple pounds and decided that I should start giving my lungs a work out. I decided to start running and was following a couch to 5k program that works you up to 5k in a couple months (Run some, walk some that kind thing). Now I haven’t run in 30+ years, I’m not a complete couch potato as I do walk 3-5mi every other day. But this running shit is killing me. Not the muscle burn, not the lungs gasping, but my fucking knees and hips are killing me. I had to stop the running because I could barely walk. I tried running on a tread mill and staying off of the pavement but these old bones are crying. So, I’m looking for a way to do some cardio without crippling myself. I was a swimmer in my youth which would be great but I don’t have regular access to a pool, so that is out. My wife suggested one of the gyms and try using one of the elliptical or other machines there. Any suggestions?

It fucking sucks getting old!!!

[rgrokelley]

I ended up not being able to run anymore, due to a bone spur caused by on teeny sprained ankle injury on one of my last jumps. I was in the same boat (and I'm in a job where height/weight has to remain to standards), so I took up riding a bicycle. No hard pounding of the pavement, and if you find the right route you can definately get your cardio up.

[panthersix]

I've doing a FOG WOD for the past 5 weeks. I've picked out about a dozen exercises that work on the ortho issues that I have, shoulders, legs, and back. Then I only do five reps of each but move around the yard in a circuit. Yep, the yard. I don't used dumb bells or kettle bells, I use lengths of chain.

Yesterday I finally got up to three sets of 5 reps of 12 exercises. I have been trying to do 5km's too. I've done 4 in the past two months. Just got up off the couch one day and did one with my 12 y/o son. I walked a lot, more than I ever had ever in my life, so I'm sucking right now. But I don't care, my goal is to listen to my body and make 3 miles walking and shuffling a couple times a week.

For Father's Day, my kids got me some books on how to run without the pounding. One is Chi Running by Danny Dryer:

http://www.chirunning.com/shop/home.php" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I bought the first edition and went through training with a local instructor but I got called up and deployed before I could attend the last session where they video your gait.

I'm also taking Diclofenac (VA prescribed) 75 mg about twice a day and Glucosamine/Chondroitin/MSM twice a day - brand name is Joint Soother from Vitamin World.

Good luck, but listen to your body and take it easy. Sometimes the Ranger mind set of "pain is fear leaving the body" is really "pain is a warning that you're pushing too hard old man"!

[Jim]

I took up the bicycle. When done in conjunction with exercise / weight training, it can be very effective. I am fortunate because there are a lot of bike trails around the Washington, DC / Northern Virginia area. Sadly, I had some surgery last year, and I am not back to where I ought to be. Besides there is that fat, old baltd guy who lives in my mirror. ..

[Ranger Ron]

McD, I had the same problem and I have found that I can do pretty well with my Nordic Track. (When I do it.) Been waiting for my incision to heal before I start back. Really need to.

[Ranger Bill]

I'm hitting 60 in November and I can only speak from my personal experience. First of all weight. Your weight. Pick up a 20 pound dumb bell and put it in a back pack and carry it around all day. That extra 20 lbs is what your body is lugging around when you gain 20 pounds.

Second. You probably need to strengthen the soft tissue that supports your joints: tendons and ligaments. You do this with weight bearing exercise, like you do to build muscle. But the thing is, your muscles will strengthen much faster than the other soft tissue. This is how a lot of people hurt themselves with weight lifting.

My suggestion is to do some basic exercises. Things like squats, sissy squats, leg press, vertical knee raises, lunges, calf raises, leg extensions, leg curls. Keep the weight relatively low. When you can do three sets of 12 reps with good form, up the weight no more than 5%.

Running is a repetitive shock force to your joints. They are telling you they are not strong enough. You either fix them if you can, stop running, or wind up with surgery. You know the old saying, "the legs go first." The one thing you know for sure right now is that what you are doing is not working for you and in fact is doing damage. Spend some time at this site:

http://www.exrx.net/index.html

[Earthpig]

I have the same problem, Brother. Knees are a No-Go. I have better luck with elipticals. Bike riding is fantastic, but around here everybody drives big dually diesel trucks at 80-90 mph.

According to Lance Armstrong, if you ride a lot you will eventually be struck by a vehicle. He's been hit like 20 or 30 times. With the trucks around here, that wouldn't be cool. Maybe you have some trails or something up your way. Biking actually makes my knees better.

Good luck, and kudos on losing the cigs.

RLTW
EP

[K.Ingraham]

Thanks McD for asking the question & Bill in particular for a solution - I was just looking around for a post Bill made a few weeks ago about joint issues. My knees are so bad that I can hardly walk after a weekend shift at work - Bill had noted the cause & solution. Care to repeat that please?!

Biking would be good, I used to be a fanatic cyclist back in the 80s. Great fun & workout in the hilly region I reside in, used to get up to 100 milers. I quit in part because of the time demands & the fact that I got sick of being a target, Aside from the idiots out there behind the wheel, some a**h*** would intentionaly target me.

I just started hitting the pool at campus, too soon to tell if it'll be a help, I've been too lazy for too long for a quick correction to my "mr softee" belly & bones! Any feedback about swimming & joints?

[panthersix]

Try walking and let your body toughen up a bit before running again. Time takes time....

[289sotherhalf]

Elliptical machines are great.

Definitely agree, Ranger McD! You know my joints are screwed up, and the elliptical is so much easier on them.

[Flesh Thorn]

I do walk 3-5mi every other day.

I found that doing fast hikes with just a light pack ( around 10 pounds) over my local mountainous terrain while keeping my HR between 120 -140 was almost as good as running if not better. You will burn more fat doing 8 miles at a HR of 130 then 3 miles at 160. I started back to running a couple of years ago and I too had all of the aches and pains. Most of them eventually went away, but a few stayed. The hardest part was accepting the fact that I am no longer 19, bullet proof and there are limitations as to how fast I can run. Get yourself a HR monitor and learn how to use it. I found one at Walmart on sale and it has been a big help with pacing myself. I kind of look at it as my tachometer.

[BadMuther]

Also look at kettlebells brother. Look around, there might actually be a pool hiding that you can use.





Norm, back on patrol????? Say it ain't so!!!!!!
No ma'am, I don't know which neighbor's dog knocked over your trash cans.....