Hi, I just joined the YMCA where there's a pool. I'm super morbidly obese, have 2 knee replacements, chronic back pain and feet so bad I can only walk very short distances. I'm going to use the pool for exercise (with Hubby!?) and other than water walking I don't know what to do. Very weak muscles and horrible range of motion in knees. We're not utilizing the Silver Sneakers/classes so soon, but will when we feel more limber. Any help out there? Thank You!

First, congratulation on your decision to get moving and get healthy! Water-based exercise can be very beneficial, especially if land-based exercise is difficult or could exacerbate other conditions.

Water walking is great! And that's probably where you'll want to stay for a while. But there are actually a lot of water-based exercises. Like squatting against the wall, leg lifts. I've taken a "water aerobics" class in the past and found that the exercise felt more like playful fun instead of exercise. YouTube has a lot of great videos that will show you the exercises.

I can't tell you when you'll "feel more limber". For me, the physical benefits of exercise has been a very gradual change. Aside from the soreness I sometimes have the day after my exercise routine, I really didn't notice the effects for months. After months of participating, I just kind of realized how much easier I walk. I'm still amazed sometimes with the new changes I'm noticing and I've been participating for 1.5 years.

I think you're making the best choice now with the water exercise. Give your yourself time and some more weight loss before venturing into anything else. And congratulations on your exercising!

3 hours ago, S@ssen@ch said:

First, congratulation on your decision to get moving and get healthy! Water-based exercise can be very beneficial, especially if land-based exercise is difficult or could exacerbate other conditions.

Water walking is great! And that's probably where you'll want to stay for a while. But there are actually a lot of water-based exercises. Like squatting against the wall, leg lifts. I've taken a "water aerobics" class in the past and found that the exercise felt more like playful fun instead of exercise. YouTube has a lot of great videos that will show you the exercises.

I can't tell you when you'll "feel more limber". For me, the physical benefits of exercise has been a very gradual change. Aside from the soreness I sometimes have the day after my exercise routine, I really didn't notice the effects for months. After months of participating, I just kind of realized how much easier I walk. I'm still amazed sometimes with the new changes I'm noticing and I've been participating for 1.5 years.

Thank you S@ssen@ch, I'm definitely going to check out various water exercises on YouTube! Never thought of that, and I YouTube everything. I'm going to take it not-too-slow and then move up to classes. Slow but steady.

I hope I don't feel "hurt" after watercizing, I don't mind a good sore but I can't deal with yet more "hurt". I'll take it easy, I'll know when I get there and start! - Thanks again.

There are certainly exercises you can do at home. Just do some research or discuss the matter with your Dr's fitness advisor.

For example, at home, you can use light weights for a variety of uses. You can do partial push-ups against a counter. You can get a medicine ball and just throw it up in the air and catch it repeatedly. When you are obese, it's hard to do any movement to get into to cardio. Walking may be the only thing you can do. Try making your walks more brisk.

Walking is a good exercise. As you loose weight, it'll get easier and you can go faster, farther. Your knee pains may subside or go away, my left knee did. Fat around knees will reduce motion. My feet were suppinating pre op, now that I lost 160lb, my feet are normal, tread wear on my shoes are perfectly even.

Are you pre or post op, and if pre op, when is your surgery?

On 3/8/2019 at 12:07 AM, wjgo said:

There are certainly exercises you can do at home. Just do some research or discuss the matter with your Dr's fitness advisor.

For example, at home, you can use light weights for a variety of uses. You can do partial push-ups against a counter. You can get a medicine ball and just throw it up in the air and catch it repeatedly. When you are obese, it's hard to do any movement to get into to cardio. Walking may be the only thing you can do. Try making your walks more brisk.

Walking is a good exercise. As you loose weight, it'll get easier and you can go faster, farther. Your knee pains may subside or go away, my left knee did. Fat around knees will reduce motion. My feet were suppinating pre op, now that I lost 160lb, my feet are normal, tread wear on my shoes are perfectly even.

Are you pre or post op, and if pre op, when is your surgery?

Thank you for the suggestions, I will certainly discuss them with my podiatrist tomorrow.

They sell water weights you can use in the pool. You hold them at the surface of the water and push down, adding resistance. I have arthritis, too, and used to do pool-only exercise. There's a bunch of different types of water weights you can get.

My rheumatologist told me to only walk on grass/dirt instead of concrete because it is lower impact on the knees. I've started doing *hard* workouts at the gym and my joints hurt very badly, but we don't have a pool here.

I am super obese. Had a hip replacement. Currently need to have a total knee replacement and have tendonitis in both feet due to bone spurs. Not to mention back issues. My insurance paid for water therapy. At the end they gave me a whole work out routine. So I do that about 3 times a week. Often times I will also stay for the water aerobics class. You just do what you can to keep up. But it has helped with some of my issues and have lost weight. The goal is to keep moving even when you don't feel like it.

On 3/26/2019 at 8:10 PM, TracyS said:

I am super obese. Had a hip replacement. Currently need to have a total knee replacement and have tendonitis in both feet due to bone spurs. Not to mention back issues. My insurance paid for Water therapy. At the end they gave me a whole work out routine. So I do that about 3 times a week. Often times I will also stay for the water aerobics class. You just do what you can to keep up. But it has helped with some of my issues and have lost weight. The goal is to keep moving even when you don't feel like it.

Thank you Tracy's! I am super obese ( I hate saying that) and I have many of the issues you have. 2 TKR's, pain, etc. If YOU can do it, so can i! Thanks for the inspiration TracyS! ❤ ?

On 3/26/2019 at 2:30 PM, mousecat88 said:

They sell Water weights you can use in the pool. You hold them at the surface of the water and push down, adding resistance. I have arthritis, too, and used to do pool-only exercise. There's a bunch of different types of water weights you can get.

My rheumatologist told me to only walk on grass/dirt instead of concrete because it is lower impact on the knees. I've started doing *hard* workouts at the gym and my joints hurt very badly, but we don't have a pool here.

Mousecat88, thank you for the advice. I'm hoping the YMCA pool will have weights or an equivalent. My arms are mud, I could use the extra help. Thank you again. Do you think Amazon will carry water weights?

Yes Amazon carries water weights. If they have water belts (similar to a life vest) at the Y, you should try it in the deep end of the pool and water jog. It really works out your upper body along with your legs and there is no impact at all as you are not standing on the pool floor. I did this while rehabbing a knee injury a few years ago and lost weight when I wasn’t even trying to!

4 hours ago, Heidihoo said:

Mousecat88, thank you for the advice. I'm hoping the YMCA pool will have weights or an equivalent. My arms are mud, I could use the extra help. Thank you again. Do you think Amazon will carry water weights?

I'm sure they do!

On 3/8/2019 at 12:07 AM, wjgo said:

There are certainly exercises you can do at home. Just do some research or discuss the matter with your Dr's fitness advisor.

For example, at home, you can use light weights for a variety of uses. You can do partial push-ups against a counter. You can get a medicine ball and just throw it up in the air and catch it repeatedly. When you are obese, it's hard to do any movement to get into to cardio. Walking may be the only thing you can do. Try making your walks more brisk.

Walking is a good exercise. As you loose weight, it'll get easier and you can go faster, farther. Your knee pains may subside or go away, my left knee did. Fat around knees will reduce motion. My feet were suppinating pre op, now that I lost 160lb, my feet are normal, tread wear on my shoes are perfectly even.

Are you pre or post op, and if pre op, when is your surgery?

Hate to answer that question but I will. I am post OP 3+ years, only down the same 35#'s from surgery. I did not follow the rules and got myself nowhere. Now I am starting one thing at a time. With that admitted, there are small exercises I do for my upper body ( without weights at this point) but I have severe foot problems and cannot really walk or stand. We're going through with surgery in a few months on both feet. So walking is out of the question at this point, hence joining the Y's pool. So, I'm getting there slowly.

Thanks for the exercise advice!