Bad knees?

I get a lot of people telling me that they use the elliptical or cross trainer because it's better on their knees than running. In the past I have used them because "it worked more muscles" than running but I have yet to find one that I have not been leaning foraward and felt comfortable on.

Now research carried out in China has found that this unnatural position places more stress on not only the knees but the hips and ankles too than if you had been running on solid ground - even though it is low impact! It's all to do with the foot angle.

So, if you have experienced problems in your ankle, knee or hip what can you do now? Here's two solutions: The Concept II Rower is a fantastic bit of kit, and, because you are pushing along rather than down, there is no impact. If you've been following my posts recently you may have guessed the other one............beach runs! Sand softens the impact of running (and that's the reason it's so effective for fat loss) but if you do have severe joint problems it's better to take things easy at first.

Try them out with Tabata protocols, 20 seconds work followed by 10 seconds rest of either:

Rowing
or
Sprints on sand

Work should be all out for the 20 seconds then a strict 10 second rest (30s in total). Repeat this for 6 - 8 Rounds (3 - 4 mins in total).