Exercise for arthritis in knees and hips

I have bad knees and hips- Most people my age do not experience this until they are in their 70's. So, I have to find exercise I can do that does not make my pain worse. I do an upright exercise bike- an air stepper and a twist board that I recently purchased off of HSN shopping network. Really works the core and gets your heart pumping. I do like a circuit training thing 5 minutes switch to something else- 5 minutes etc. I also like my balance ball for core exercises. I do light weights and bands for toning.

If you are still out there, I would like to suggest the water therapy.  I had a couple back surgeries, and I have found out the only  exercises I can do is walking and the pool.  I joined the "Y" and started to go to the water classes and picked which one was the best for me.   I can run a marathon in my deep water classes.. Good Luck.

2 yrs ago I had bad knees. Ached so bad at night that I took Alleve every night to get to sleep. After 9 months at CURVES fitness club, I lost 24 lbs. and strengthened my leg muscles. I seldom need the Alleve anymore (maybe when a weather change is coming), so I think the combo of weight loss and muscle strengthening did the trick.  I read somewhere that every pound of weight exerts 7 lbs of pressure on your knees, so weight loss will defintely help.

I second the pool idea. I swim laps, and I feel no stress on any of  my joints. Pool exercises (as opposed to laps) are also an excellent way to keep mobile and take stress off the joints.

Are you taking any glucosamine, or anything like that? Just a thought.

And then there's gentle yoga - good stretching - you only do what is within your abilities. I recommend a good beginner's class with a good teacher, and let the teacher know before hand where your trouble areas are. They can tailor the class/stretches to what is good for you.