I was doing my water classes and then moved up to zumba- recently started the step aerobic weight training which I love- but started feeling acky around the knees which now have become crunchy ( im 59) and little sore, NOT sure what to do- some say its the shoe,s others say it the weights, anyone?? If I stop doing my gym work-outs aghhghg--

Good topic! I'm 28 and have had the crunchy knees (mostly on the right) for quite a few years but then again I was almost 400lbs. =/ I feel a lot less strain on my knees now 100lbs down but still find the high impact excercises to be too much for my joints. Stairs wreak havoc on my knees so while I choose to live on the second floor and take the stairs at work I never do the stair master in the gym. Ellipitical and treadmill are much easier on me, walking is much better than jogging when you're still heavier also. You can still do your zumba my trainer recommends just subsituting alternative movements for the jumping up and down. At the end of the day you just want to burn calories and strengthen your muscles and you don't need to high impact excercises to do that. Bad knees can eventually undo all the success you've had in weight loss. As a nurse in a rehab I've seen countless people come in who have waited to lose weight and get knee replacements and find the new sedentary lifestyle and slow progressing physical therapy that follows crossed with sudden stress of the trauma of surgery and change in diet to be the catalysts for the return of old habits and worse, rapid weight gain. Talk to your doc about treatments for cartilage loss and inflamation. Try using proper body mechanics at all times, wear good shoes, continue losing weight and pay attention to the warning signs that your activity is doing more harm than good. Go easy on those joints, don't replace the waddle for a limp!

I couldn't have said it better!