I want to start working out.

[jeffrey_pdx]

I was always athletic but I let myself go in the last few years. Plus I have bad knees (too much basketball). I like swimming, I hear its easier on the joints but joining somewhere with a pool sounds expensive. Any ideas?


PS: I hate jogging. Always have, always will. Plus its bad on knees

[NYC_SKP]

1. I also hate jogging but have been walking alot. Today was a personal best.

I walked 10.03 miles, according to a FitBit bracelet I won at a conference last month.

They gave out twenty of them and we've been having a friendly contest.

My typical day is two walks, 40 minutes/2 miles in the morning and a 20 minute mile in evening.

I take my iPhone and listen to the radio, often it's a NPR show or podcast or talk show.

I really like it. No cost at all.

[LeftofObama]

2. Is there a YMCA in your area?

If so, many of them have an indoor pool and countless other activities to keep you moving. Memberships are usually less expensive this time of year too.

[wildeyed]

3. Biking?

I have chronic ankle problems and had to take a break from my usual climbing/yoga/running routine when it flared up again recently. I started swimming (they have a pool at my gym) and biking as something to do while I healed. Swimming is harder to master so I took a couple of private lessons with the swim coach to get me started. I got a decent bike for Christmas, plus they have a really cool virtual reality bike program at my gym (did I mention I love my gym?) called Expresso. The Expresso bike offers a huge variety of different "trails" to ride, plus a great video-style game that invokes chasing and catching dragons for point. I also lift weights once or twice a week.

My ankle is much, much better, I can even run again. So I signed up for a sprint triathlon with a couple of my girl friends

Biking is fun, easier on the body than running and a great way to get outside. The swimming is more fun than I expected. I am committed to learning to do it better. It is easier on my semi-broken, aging jock body than anything else I have tried.

My feeling about my somewhat pricey gym membership is that it is only too expensive if I don't use it. Since my gym is quality (it is the local Jewish Community Center) and I use most of the amenities many times a week, including the pool, weight room and fitness classes, it is not too expensive. And compared to the cost of medical care, in the longterm, it is probably a good deal since I will stay healthier.

Good luck!

[Raffi Ella]

4. I second the walking suggestion.

It can be as effective as jogging if you go fast enough and find some inclines. I run trails but I go on those same trails when I walk my dog and I count those walks as part of keeping in shape. Trails are easier on your knees than concrete too.

Also, just start being more active in your every day life. Turn on some music and dance around for 20 minutes instead of sitting on the couch watching TV; Find something to clean in your house everyday, take 20 minutes and organize a closet or scour your bathroom or vacuum- it all counts towards being fit if you do it every day or at least a few times a week.

Just get up and move your body, little things add up!

[MillennialDem]

13. Sorry walking is not as effective as jogging unfortunately - it's still far better than nothing

though!

http://www.runnersworld.com/weight-loss/running-v-walking-how-many-calories-will-you-burn

[Raffi Ella]

14. Ok, but I just read that article-

it pretty much says the same thing I did- " if you go fast enough and find some inclines" - it even included just being more active in your daily life. Jogging burns more calories that's true, but the overall impact of walking fast uphill can have the same effect as jogging.

You can get fit and slim down doing it so

[lizerdbits]

6. I work out at home with DVDs

I got fed up with gym membership prices (over $40/month for the few within reasonable driving distance) so switched to DVDs at home. More convenient for me, and in the long run cheaper after the up front investment in various videos- I like variety, so only having 3 DVDs isn't going to cut it for me.

Edit: The link to collagevideo.com isn't coming up, maybe it's registering as spam or something. You can search by types of workouts and the summaries list things like impact level and choreography complexity (great for those of us who aren't very coordinated). The video clips are great to see if it's what you really want.

[PNW_Dem]

7. Here's a good basic set of exercises to start

Start easy and work your way up. The most important thing is consistency. Here's a good set of basic exercises:

Good luck and enjoy!

[Squinch]

12. Two exercises from that list jump out at me: the squats show a bad knee position. You

don't want the knee to go past the foot in any squat because it puts a huge amount of weight through the knee. So I'd skip that one and double up on the lunges they show.

Also, crunches are much more effective if they are done with the legs raised.

Otherwise, I'll be using this list! Thanks.

[sir pball]

8. Jut FYI, running, if done properly, is good for the knees.

You don't like it, don't do it - but a light running program is at worst harmless and very possibly beneficial to your knees, as long as you aren't overweight and gradually work into it. Walking might be a good option for you, but regardless of what you choose given that you have injury issues you should probably talk to a sports doctor about what program would be best for you.

[bitchkitty]

9. Walking, or biking.

You could get a stationary bike, but regular biking would be a lot more fun! And walking (my personal fave) is something you can do anywhere, any time. The dogs and I do a morning mile every morning.

You might want to check and see if there's a YMCA in your area with a pool. Their prices in Atlanta were pretty reasonable, if memory serves.

[jeffrey_pdx]

10. I have been walking more recently

I'm thinking about a yoga class since my back started hurting again. I think there are some fairly cheap ones available.

[bitchkitty]

11. Yoga is good.

I don't do yoga myself, but I do Callanetics and Pilates. If you have a bad back, Callanetics can be extremely helpful. The woman who designed it had scoliosis and other back problems. It's pretty much for women but men with bad backs have found it to be very effective too.

ETA - to check out Pilates, go to Youtube and search "blogilates" - this channel is chock full of short Pilates workouts for all levels - beginners, intermediate and advanced. The lady, Cassie Ho (love that name!) is silly and goofy but she makes me smile and it's like having my own trainer.

[jim601]

15. Swimming

Swimming is the easiest on the joints and the best all-around workout you can do. It works out all muscle groups, plus your heart and lungs, and doesn't tax the joints.

You can find a gym that has a pool in it. It may be around 40-60 dollars per month, but you get the added weight room so you can also do weight training. While it does tax the joints to an extent, if you have proper form it won't be an issue. Plus it will keep you strong.

[JeniferHuston]

17. I don't know how to swim

But I like playing badminton

[bretlee]

18. Playing

Playing can be the big factor and if possible eat different kind of fruits and vegetables juice 2-3 times a day.