I recently fished a recovering-by-bicycle story out of the comment section. I love it because it shows how a little ingenuity can take you a long way, and Karen’s attitude is definitely that of a winner. Here it is below, with light editing:
"About two years ago I began experiencing pain in my knees going up and down stairs after workouts. It gradually got worse until I decided to see a doctor. I received X-rays, two cortisone shots and the knowledge that I don’t have arthritis. (I used to work out regularly three to four days a week.)
"I pouted around, got depressed, gained 20 pounds and about one year and a half later finally started seeing a trainer to help me get back in shape. It was very, very slow progress, but after about six months I was able to go up and down stairs without pain. However, the workouts began to get increasingly frustrating because the strength-training exercises pretty much all hurt. Squats were terrible. My trainer was really positive and kept trying to motivate me, but it seemed like everything he tried hurt.
"So I quit and started reading up on knees and ran across your blog.
"Last fall, my husband and I first saw pedal-assist electrical bikes all over Europe. I tried riding a bike when my knees were at their worst and couldn’t. But I tried a stationary bike again and this time had NO problem whatsoever! So my husband and I walked into the bike store and I walked out with a Trek Lift.
"Without sounding corny, it has changed my life. I ride my bike every day I can. I feel normal again. I feel like I’ve actually worked out. My husband and I used to ride together, but stopped due to my knees. Now I leave him in the dust! He loves it because I push him to ride harder and he sometimes even drafts off me. LOL!
"I’ve found that I use the motor the most on very steep hills, when I need to push off at a stop sign, or cross the road quickly. The bike feels best for me in the “ECO” mode in a middle gear. It has the smoothness of a stationary bike and I'm still working to pedal. Plus all the fun of riding outdoors. The best part is that my knees feel better than ever! (My knee problems stem mostly from pressure on the knees, for example: hopping up and down on my toes. But luckily, I’ve never had any problem walking.)
"I wanted to share my cycling SUCCESS story and maybe it will inspire someone else to give a pedal-assist bike a try. Thank you for sharing your success stories too!"
Thank you, Karen! Anyone else want to share a success story? Just drop it in the comment section. Success stories are always in vogue!
I tried a mini cycle machine for my knees that allowed me to pedal while seated in a chair without any weight on my knees and the results were disastrous! It never ceases to amaze me how different each person's pathology must be to enable such a range of responses to such similar activities.
ReplyDeleteYes, quite true, Amy -- what works for X sometimes doesn't work for Y ... it can be very frustrating.
DeleteIn 2016 I cycled to Otago rail trail in NZ with my wife covering about 52kms/day. She was on a normal MTB, me on an electric assist bike. This was my longest riding in years. We encountered some incredible winds (some headwinds) and she even got blown off her bike at one stage. But the electric bike was fantastic. I only needed to use the motor half the time, and even then only on low assist settings, but my knees just got better and better as we progressed. I'm now back on a normal bike riding hard.
ReplyDeleteGreetings Richard. What is your opinion about riding a regular bike ( in my case, a mountain bike with 50% city 50% trekking tires? I began to ride my bike few times per week in the city. I don't feel any knee pain ( i have chondromalacia patella according to my doctors) when i do the exercise but how can i realize if i am stressing my knee too much? Will this exercise help cartilage healing?
ReplyDeleteIf you feel no pain while doing it -- no pain afterwards -- and no pain a day or two afterwards (that you can trace back to the cycling), then it sounds like you tolerate cycling very well. If that's the case, I'd keep doing it. A study found that the patellar cartilage of triathletes was thicker, and my guess is that's because of the cycling they do (and not the running or swimming). I think cycling is probably a great activity for improving the health of cartilage, yes. Pain signals (during activity or later) should indicate if you're stressing the knee too much. Maybe try to not go too hard at first? Also, I'd just ride whatever bike is most comfortable to pedal and wouldn't worry overmuch about the tires. Good luck.
DeleteThanks for your response.
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