For people who suffer from bad knees or runners knees, trying to find an exercise machine that does not flare them up can be a hard task.
Luckily, you can use a cross-trainer with bad knees thanks to elliptical machines being a low impact exercise on your joints as your feet never leave the pedals. You should avoid exercise equipment such as treadmill jogging, however.
In our article below, we will cover the best exercise machines out there for people with bad knees as well as what to avoid and some tips for using a cross-trainer with bad knees to get the most out of your exercise without injuring yourself.
Figuring out what makes your knees worse or better can be frustrating if you are suffering from knee pain or runners knee, especially if you are trying to maintain your fitness and cardiovascular health.
We have listed the best exercises machines to use with bad knees below.
The motion of a cross trainer is perfect for runners knees, these stride machines are a cross between walking, jogging and running and have the advantages over treadmills as they are low impact.
You have complete control over the workout machines resistance and it can help with strength training in your knees over time.
Rowing machines focus on a type of motion that helps with muscle toning in your back, arms and legs without putting weight stressors on your knees. Once again, you control the resistance of these machines to make them more knee-friendly.
Using a stationary bike with knee pain can be helpful if you are recovering from surgery a knee injury is not so weight-bearing on your knees and forces you to perform leg exercise to create healthier knee cartilage.
Resistance training such as leg curls or leg extensions can help with knee function without putting direct pressure on the hurt knee. Over time this can help you develop strength in your knee.
Treadmills and ellipticals are both some of the most popular workout cardio machines you can use for exercising.
If you have bad knees the both of these machines will have their pros and cons for exercising with, we have compared them in greater detail below.
The advantage of elliptical machines for the knee joint over treadmills is that your feet never have to leave the pedal during elliptical training, allowing you to increase the intensity of your cardio exercise without increasing the impact on your knees.
They also allow you to pedal in reverse to help strengthen your leg muscles even more.
Downfalls of cross-trainers in comparison to treadmills for bad knees are that their motion can feel a little unusual and takes getting used to. They are less beneficial for bone density improvement too.
Treadmills are better for bad knees than cross trainers as they are easier to use than cross trainers and better for building up bone density. Professionals have also said that when doing moderate exercise such as walking on a treadmill, it puts the same amount of stress on your knees as a cross-trainer.
The problems of treadmills on arthritic knees or bad knees are when you crank up the intensity and start running, this high-impact can make knee pain even worse.
To conclude, cross trainers are a better option than treadmills for people who suffer from bad knees as they are lower impact and allow you to progress with intensity without adding pressure on your joints.
Always consult your doctor beforehand just in case for proper medical advice.
If you have decided you want to try out a cross-trainer as a low impact activity for your bad knees, we have put together some useful tips below which will guide you through using your machine.
To conclude, you can use a cross-trainer to exercise with if you have bad knees as these machines are designed to be very low impact and you have control over the intensity of the exercise without increasing pressure on the knee joints.
Always check with a doctor beforehand if you are experiencing persistent pain and follow our tips above for getting the most out of a cross trainer if you suffer from knee pain.
