Sore knees

I need to lose some weight but the only exercises I can find are lunges, squats, walking, running or cycling. These all kill my bad knees. All of my extra weight is in my tummy and butt...please give me some suggestions that I can actually do to see results!!

lunges and squats definitely sound good. do you do them with weights? add resistance to your leg workouts because stronger muscles in that area will help "cushion" your knees. i suppose cushion isn't exactly the word i would like to use, but it's the closest way of explaining it. stronger muscles help protect your bones.

i have the same problem, but i've come quite a long way since i'm now capable of running on solid concrete for a few minutes as opposed to not at all.

The problem is I can not do lunges and squats!! They make my knees pop, I need to find something else that is just as good that will not pop my knees out!!

I have had major surgeries on both my knees (and ankles) and found that walking on grass is a lot less impact on the knees.. When I first started walking it was on  regular pavement, I wanted to cry it hurt so bad..

The walking on grass has more then the plus of less strain on the knees, it also burns more calories

When I started, I could not do lunges, squats, or jogging because of sore knees (arthritis). With time, it got better! I started with swimming and very short workouts on the elliptical. I started with only five minutes at very low resistance. It takes a while, but it is possible to lose weight and get your knees back.

It's been about 1.5 years and lunges are still a problem, but I can do squats and run long distances - something I was never supposed to be able to do.

lunges and squats are NOT a good idea right now. you'll have to work up to them, if you can ever do them. water exercises are great, as is the idea of walking on grass. it feels great and your knees will appreciate it. you can also do cardio on the elliptical, which puts considerably less impact on the knees. also biking, either a stationary bike, or a real bike.

also, do weight training to build up your leg muscles. stronger legs will take some of the slack off your knees.

i f'ed up my knees 2 weeks ago a/f 2 pain-free years b/c i started jogging. they still haven't forgiven me yet. i tried to ease into lunges/squats this week; i did them, but i shouldn't have. i've tried everything above (including grass-walking) and they do work.

edit: an added bonus of the strength training is that it will firm and shape your thighs and rear. woohoo!

Oh, and if you have knee troubles - stay away from leg extensions at all costs.

 Leg extensions place the force vector at 90 degree angle to where you're biomechanically designed to have it - a lot of people owe their bad knees to the leg extension machine.

 One thing that might help with strengthening the quads and hamstrings without excessive impact to start with is to get on a spin bike with the resistance cranked as high as it can go - the impact on your knees should be controllable while the resistance will function to build up your muscles somewhat, probably sufficiently so that you can move on to doing squats and static lunges at some point in the future.

 Don't rush into squats/lunges though, and you should consider contacting a physical theraphist to have a program specifically designed for you. A specialist should be able to assess you and design a workout that will get you into maximum shape with minimum pain.