Don't know much about the "facts", but have you tried yoga or pilates or swimming. That might be better for your knees.

Mitzky, I know several women who are slender and never excercise. You probably just have to lower your calorie intake accordingly, since you won't be burning anything off.

So many of us have problems with the knees. Me too! vitamin E has helped me. Have you tried that?

I have been on the getting fit journey seriously for over a year now. I have researched many resources, read loads of books, talked to fitness trainers etc. etc. My boyfriend is a body builder, has been for over 30 years he tells me this and I have heard it before too. He also has bad knees (from football injuries)He can't do weight training the way he used to but still does it as he feels it's the only way to keep the body in tune.

Lifting weights builds muscle which in turn burns fat. Women especially over 40 should do some form of weight training to keep our bodies in shape because as we age we loose bone mass.

People can lose weight and still not be healthy or physically fit. Exercise gives you stamina and more energy. I have lots of stamina these days because I take aerobics and lift weights every other day.
My problem is losing weight (see my post) but I am building muscle and toning, plus I have loads more energy.
I'm working harder on what I eat as I believe that is the area I need to focus some attention on. I thought I was doing good but still need to work on this area.

I've been seeing some results this week which is encouraging. There are many weight training exercises you can do while sitting down etc. for the upper body. I work out at a womens gym and there are some weight training machines that are not so hard on the knees. The end result is, to be healthy and fit into the golden years we need a combination of a good diet, cardio exercise and weight training.
Kate

I have bad knees, so I understand. Pilates is wonderful, as is weight training. My doctor told me the worst exercise for your knees is the one where you wrap your feet around the weights (sitting down on the machine) and then lift. Your knees go from bent, to straight, with the weights. Bad juju!

He said the best thing to do to strengthen the knees is to sit on the couch (or where ever) and just hold your leg out straight. He said if you can do that for a full 15 minutes, your knees will be much better. You're apparently building the muscles that surround the knee and support it.

By the way, weight training is the best way to lose weight. I played racquetball for two years. The first year I never lost an ounce, even with all that exercise. The next year, I also joined a gym and did weights. I looked the best I had looked in years; I was slim, strong, and felt great!

(Now I need to be motivated to do that again!)

Kathy

Swimming is easier on knees.

Runners/joggers switch to cycling if they've ruined their knees. This works if: a) you use your bike gears properly and learn to flip into easier gears so that you don't push on your knees overly hard, when the going gets tough b) your bike must fit you properly. c) positioning your foot properly on pedal. Using toestraps/toe cages or clipless pedals makes cycling even more like a dream...

Haven't gotten around to using weights yet. I know I lack upper body strength in my arms in particular. Which accounts for sloppy x-country skiing. Well, one day...

I do continue to marvel at women who really don't exercise (as much as I do) and are as slim or slimmer than myself at mid-life. It must the type of food and amounts.

Oh to be able to buy motivation to exercise in a bottle. I would order it by the case...

I wonder if you lose weight slowly if that makes a difference? I know it's not healthy to lose too much too fast.

The key is to find something you enjoy doing.

I love to read. If I read while on the treadmill I don't feel like I'm wasting time. Plus when I read the time passes a lot quicker.
Laurel

I agree, Laurel, you must find something you really enjoy doing. I love running, so that is what I do. I enjoy getting out and clearing my mind of the ephemera. I find I do my best thinking while running!

Cheers,
Darlene

I saw a similar story on GMA (maybe the same one?) that stressed that cardio exercise doesn't help you lose weight because you end up making yourself hungrier. Exercise is very important, but things like running can really do a number on your joints. And if you already have bad knees, you should definitely avoid it. I don't really buy into the ideas that you need to be out of breath and sweating like crazy at the end of a work out for it to have been effective.

The point on the story I saw was that weight training gets your heart rate up to a level where you burn fat (as opposed to a really high heart rate during running etc. that builds cardiovascular endurance) while building muscle and is therefore more effective.

I guess the only want to drop a lot of weight quickly is to work out as much as possible and eat less but that is not very healthy for most people. The weight training method sounds like a slower, but healthier and safer way to do it. Either way, we all need to exercise regularly, even if it is just walking for 20-30 minutes at a brisk rate.