Walking leading to knee problems

Hi Twink!  As a fellow unhappy knee person, I would recommend you build your endurance through swimming and biking, which are nicer on the knees than walking/running.  Maybe sprinkle a little walking in here and there on 'softer' surfaces like crushed stone or dirt trails or the indoor track, which you stated felt a little better on your knees.

Speaking from my own experience (and from facts given to me from my OT friend), any extra weight compounds any knee issues.  I forget the exact numbers, but  I think for every pound a person is overweight, three to five pounds of extra weight is added to each knee during walking. So in contrast, a ten pound weight loss causes 30 to 50 pounds of extra stress to be relieved from the joints.  Substantial.  Last year I lost close to 20 lbs and it made a huge difference.  Unfortunately, I gained about 8 of it back, so I need to keep focusing on my weight, too!

Best of luck to you, and welcome!   Oh, and a big congrats to you on making the decision to have a more active, healthy lifestyle!  Keep up the good work!

Thanks for the heads up, George! Never heard of The Stick before and I was actually looking at getting a foam roller. Looks like the best option for me would be the foam roller for large muscle groups and the trigger for joints.

You could try water walking to be kinder to knees but will help you build some endurance.

I just had major surgery to help my knee with the goal of putting off knee replacement for a few years. At 49 I had normal knee cartilage for my age, a year later I had 3 bone on bone spots and my knee hurt all the time.

Try doing more non weight bearing excercise like biking and swimming to help burn calories, get fitter and be kind to your knees. Cycling will burn more calories than swimming. You may want to take some time of walking to see if your knee improves with time off.

Depending on how long the indoor track may be, it could be good. Our Y's have indoor tracks above the gym that is about 17 laps per mile and the whole time you are on cambered terrain which can screw up your hips and more.  If you have big track like 4-6 laps per mile much better for you. Outdoor tracks at most High Schools are great choice to walk as they are softer than streets or sidewalks.

You may want to try and get in with an Orthopedic surgeon to look at what's up with your knees.

Great work...keep at it!

Thanks Kathy! The indoor track is 1/8 mile and the outdoor track I found yesterday is 1/4 mile. The 1/4 track is great - rather be outside even in the rain! A bit of cushioning goes a long way. Went for a 2 mile with my husband yesterday and although I was in a bit of pain leaving the track (more back than knees) I found I'm feeling great today and not in any pain! So, I think its the weight that is the culprit and fortunately not a specific issue such as the cartilage wearing down. Going to keep very close track of any 'signs' but fingers crossed that its all good.