I'm not an avid runner by any stretch. Most of my workouts consist of low-impact or no-impact (ellptical mostly). I've worked out for years, and often to the degree of over exercising/over-training. At the worst of my eating disorder in December, I dropped to 80lbs on a 5'6" frame. I took four months off from working out (I had previously been doing 7 days a week, often for anywhere from 2-4 hours .. all ellpitical).
Fast forward to now .. I gained some much needed weight, and wanted to get back to the gym more moderately to start toning and adding muscle and to regain my previous level of conditioning. I probably should have started slower (I pretty much jumped right it at an hour cardio) and am now only going 4 days a week. I pretty much only run of the purpose of cross-training .. plus it's easier to do intervals doing a walk/run .. than it is to do intervals on an elliptical.
The first two weeks .. totally fine. Was doing about 45 minutes on the elliptical, then going over to the treadmill to finish with 10-12 minutes of walk/run intervals. Initially it was fine .. walking at about 4.0 mph .. run at 5.8-6.0 mph for a minute, then back down to 4.0, etc ... Then I hit a barrier .. this entire week .. my knees/ankles are killing me! Almost like a pinched nerve kind of feeling, tender .. sore. I'm sure part of it is my body having to adjust to an additional 30 lbs on my frame .. but when I first started doing it .. I was fine. And I can't imagine those few sporadic minutes of running between walking would have done damage. I didn't twist anything, feel any pain, etc., but now .. when I try to even jog at a light 4.8 mph my knees feel like they're going to snap! I've tried Glucosumine .. I've tried Naproxen, Advil, Tylenol .. nothing is making running comfortable, and I really don't want to only be able to do the Elliptical, partially because it's boring, partially because I don't want my body to get too used to any one workout, and lastly because the Elliptical was my "go-to" machine during the height of my anorexia, and I don't want to take the chance on getting set in that mentality again that I HAVE to use the elliptical to burn the most calories, etc., etc ...
Anyone have any ideas what's going on with my body/knees/ankles? I'm starting to get frustrated because it doesn't seem to be getting any better .. and tests indicate that there's nothing structurally wrong.
I heard the elliptical is not good for the knees and posture or something along those lines. How about HIIT? have you ever heard of that? High Intensity Interval Training. You will burn a lot of calories doing that and you won't need to spend that much time doing cardio if you do HIIT. You can do it on the track or the bike or any cardio machine that will not mess up your knees or affect posture. I also don't like treadmills because the floor moves for you and it feels like cheating to me. It's also hard to do HIIT on it and its bad for your knees. Ask someone who runs the treadmill to run the track at the same mph as running the treadmill and last for the same amount of time. They won't be able to do it. I have tested that myself and found that to be true. The only cardio I ever do is the track now or running/sprinting in an empty room. You want as much free range of motion as you possibly can get. Same goes with machines vs. free weights. It is easy to cheat using machines than with free weights.
Get MM by mike robertson. You will benefit from it (lower body dynamic stretching). Also get inside out as well for your upper body. They also have a product out called bulletproof knees by mike robertson, so you can check into that too for your knee health.
Running is overrated for the most part. AND, so many people just shouldn't run. Me, for one. If you're a bad (raises hand) runner, then you end up taking it in the knees, feet, or ankles or all of the above.
I like the stair/step mills (they are like going up a down escalator), both style of bike, and rowing machines. If you need some time on the treadmill, bump up the incline and walk harder, rather than getting up to a full run.
As to your body getting used to one thing, that really takes a long time. It's been exaggerated, so it's not like it's suddenly innefective. It's more like a veeeery gradual shift toward being more efficient at the activity. Hardly noticeable unless you're doing a ton of mileage every week and don't have any room for improvement. As long as you can up the speed, incline, time, or tension, you've got some room to grow.
For combatting boredom, I'm partial to 15-30 minutes on 2-3 machines, depending on the length of time you're going for. Plus, a podcast of the thefitcast to pass the time.
I see alot of people come in the gym with similar issues and nearly always it's because they are too weak to absorb the impact when running, and tight ankles and hips are usually present too.
If nothing is structurally wrong then get yourself on a foam roller everyday, do mobility work for the hips and knees (buy Magnificent Mobility), and get on a good strength program (New Rules of Lifting for Women etc...)
Clients that have done this improve and those I've known that just go back to doing what they normally do and just run end up injured. To be brunt that's the way it is.
__________________
Working "hard," or the perception of working hard, doesn't really mean anything. Sweating, vomiting, and breathing hard could be a good workout or a tropical disease kicking in.-Dan John
Running is overrated for the most part. AND, so many people just shouldn't run. Me, for one. If you're a bad (raises hand) runner, then you end up taking it in the knees, feet, or ankles or all of the above.
I like the stair/step mills (they are like going up a down escalator), both style of bike, and rowing machines. If you need some time on the treadmill, bump up the incline and walk harder, rather than getting up to a full run.
yeah .. You're right about that .. I'm getting nailed everywhere .. knees and ankles for the most part, and my feet are showing signs that they're not impressed with my new fitness activities either.
I've started taking Osteo-Flex triple strength (has glucosumine, chondroitin and MSM) .. but if it's anything like every other supplement I've ever taken, it'll end up being the equivalent of rolling down my window and flinging $20 out into the air .. I'm trying to stay positive .. can ya tell?
I guess I'm going to have to bite the bullet and get over my hatred of the stairclimber. I've avoided it for the most part because it's boring to me personally .. but also for fear that it would end up bulking up my thighs. Is there a way to avoid bulking on the stairclimber?
I'm not a hardcore runner by any stretch .. but it seems to be the only method I've found to really do HIIT on ... it's too hard to do intervals on the elliptical, and the bike doesn't flip my lid either .. I feel awkward doing HIIT on a recumbant bike.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Mon
I also don't like treadmills because the floor moves for you and it feels like cheating to me. It's also hard to do HIIT on it and its bad for your knees
Funny you say that .. because for some reason, the few times I've tried running outside .. it seems easier/more natural .. and I had always been thought that running on a treadmill was better to lessen the impact. Is running outside on pavement actually less irritating to the knees? If so .. I may just take my HIIT outside the gym and start running outside!
The treadmill is worse compared to running outside if we have to pick one that's worse. Chris (kuri) had some good advice, too. Give yourself time to get strong.
The treadmill is worse compared to running outside if we have to pick one that's worse. Chris (kuri) had some good advice, too. Give yourself time to get strong.
It blows my mind that I've been mislead this entire time .. I was always told (usually by trainers at the gym, which I've realized in commercial gyms, usually know very little and are poorly trained) that treadmills absorbed more of the shock .. but ironically, when i've tried to run outside (seldom) it does seem to feel less jolting and more natural on my joints! So I may stick with that.
I did pick up NROLFW .. Haven't read it all the way through because I'm still trying to get through Leigh's MRM and FLTS, but I'm definitely going to work my way through some of the info and routines in there.
My head is just spinning with all the info i've acquired lately (through the forum and all the reading materials I've gotten my hands on) and i feel completely overwhelmed, and realizing how uninformed I am for the most part.
Everyone has felt like that at some point, just consider yourself very lucky to have good reading material in your hands. There is lots of bad info out there.
Everyone has felt like that at some point, just consider yourself very lucky to have good reading material in your hands. There is lots of bad info out there.
Good reading material .. and a very knowledgeable forum ladden with tons of people that have helped tremendously in the short time I've been on board You guys are seriously have touched me with your willingness to help me out!
Ok .. sappy moment done I'll now resume my customary smart-a$$ ways
The treadmill is worse compared to running outside if we have to pick one that's worse. Chris (kuri) had some good advice, too. Give yourself time to get strong.
In my experience the opposite was true. I can run on my treadmill fine, but when running outside (on a track) I get shin splints and a lot of pain from arthritis in my big toe joints. I would like to run outside sometimes, but I have given it up.
__________________
Karen -- Not going in circles anymore!
Do you use different shoes for that?
Also, there is difference in the way you run outside and on a treadmill in terms of mechanics, might be that your issues are just making it worse with the outside running mechanics. Like we've said before, many of us don't qualify to run long distances.
Knee/Ankle issues ... need help please! ----->
You guys are seriously have touched me with your willingness to help me out! 
Linear Mode
