Be Kind to Your Knees – Exercise in a Pool
Having to exercise because you’re too heavy can be a double-edged sword. Losing weight is always a healthy ambition, but exercising can be hard on your knees when carrying a lot of excess weight.
And the more diligent you are about exercising, the more you can damage your knees if you’re not careful. But if you live in a condo, there are a couple of options you can try.
While riding a stationary bicycle is a good way to improve your cardiovascular health and the stamina in your legs, it’s not a great way to lose weight. Unless you sustain a high rate of speed for upwards of an hour or more every day and ride the bike with some resistance in a standing position, there are faster ways to lose weight.
There are treadmills and stair climbers, but they don’t help a person who needs to keep weight off their knees.
Let the Water Carry Your Weight
But if your condo has a swimming pool, even if it’s a small one, you have everything you need to exercise to your heart’s content without causing any weight damage to your knees. Of course, you can swim laps, but some people aren’t comfortable swimming as an exercise regimen.
But people have been taking aerobics classes in pools for years, so the concept isn’t new; it just may not occur to people exercising by themselves.
Just choose an area of the pool that’s at least between waist and shoulder deep. Any less than that, and the water won’t be bearing much of your weight. Once you’ve found a depth that lightens the weight on your knees, you’re all set.
You can jog in place or increase the effectiveness of your exercise routine by using the water’s resistance to hold you back as you jog back and forth in the pool.
Your knees will feel better, and you’ll lose weight in no time.