What type of aerobic exercise can i get in this situation

i am visiting family on college break and it is 30 degrees out so i’d rather not do anything outside. I want some kind of moderate-high intensity aerobic exercise i can do inside that doesn’t require equiptment id have to go out and buy.

However i have a variety of joint and muscle problems. My knees are bad (so step aerobics is out), my calves are bad and my back is bad (so anything involving alot of twisting is out). I usually just ride a bike but like i said its 30 degrees out. By ‘bad’ i mean i can function just fine but if i do exercise that places alot of stress on these areas i can have some pain from it.

I want to do some exercise as i have gotten used to doing it and it helps me sleep. But i cannot think of any i can do indoors, without special equiptment that doesnt strain my back or knees.

As far as my calves being poor, I can walk for hours w/no problems, but i can’t run very well as i have pain that lasts 5-6 days afterwards if i run for more than 4-5 minutes so i can’t jump rope.

maybe jumping jacks would work. I am out of ideas here.

When I was taking aerobics classes, some people would opt for “low impact” versions of the various moves. Basically, this means keeping one foot in contact with the floor at all times. So instead of jogging or jumping, you do knee lifts. If you lift your knee high enough and fast enough, the intensity stays pretty high. You can also increase the intensity by using hand weights during exercises.

Can’t you just put on a couple of sweaters and a hat and walk briskly outside for a while? It’s good exercise, you’ll stay warm if you keep moving, and you won’t have to be inside the whole time.

YMMV

Without equipment and with your variety of ailments, it’s tough to do aerobic activity indoors.

You might want to consider opting for some yoga…you can borrow a couple of tapes from your library so there’s no cash outlay. You can also limit how hard you push yourself so there’s no further injury aggravation. You’ll find this is a good balance to the riding and walking you’ve been doing. Also, this type of stretching and strength training could potentially help your physical problems, depending on the causes. You may want to check out your sneakers if you’re walking but not running OK. But that’s a whole new topic…

You might also think about visiting a local gym…many will give you a one day pass to try out the facilities for free. Then you can, well, get right back on that bike.

i can walk but i dont want to as its not ‘hard’ enough. i prefer something that gets my heartrate closer to 150-160, walking barely puts me in the 120 range.

I guess as a last resort i could put on a sweater, hat and coat and ride a bike around.

i can try knee lifts and post again to see if there is any back or knee pain from it.

Good ol’ calisthenics may be in order? Push-ups & squats get my heart going, but you may be in better shape than me. How about dancing? Before I joined a gym to work out indoors, I’d just put some music on and dance vigorously for an hour.

if it’s a two story house, can yuo do the stairs a few times? Maybe 10 cycles up & down and do that 3 or 4 times a day?

I used to live in a highrise and used their emergency exit stairs as my snow-day aerobics. You can start on any floor and go as many flights as you want. I figured 10 feet vertically was a much aerobic work as 50-75 ft horizontally once I got my heart going.

Is there a 4+ story hotel nearby? They have stairs and are used to having the public in the building.

Can you get access (say, a day pass) to a pool? Swimming is great aerobics and low/no impact.

cant do stairs due to the knee problems.

I dont know if i can get access to a gym. Theres only one gym in this town and the YMCA is about 4 miles from here, i can try it but i want something i can do daily, not just a one time thing. i can check it out though but a one day pass to the Y is about $8 here. I am a member at the Y where i normally live but i dont think that a YMCA card is interchangable with different gyms.

i tried to look up calisthenics exercises on the internet but couldn’t find any, just fluff about the sport of calisthenics. The specific exercises evaded me and im normally good at finding things on the internet. My understanding is it is old fashioned strength training. Push ups, jumping jacks, sit ups, etc.

Do you have anything heavy you can carry around?
Suitcases, a backpack, buckets of dirt, whatever. Just pick it up and start walking briskly… you’d be surprised how intense walking can become when you’re seriously loaded down.

As for the cold… I say 30 degrees isn’t that cold, and I’ve lived in FLORIDA my whole life. Put on a coat and hat and go outside.

Take one baby aspirin a day. Before the pill, walk for 15 minutes. After the pill, walk for 15 minutes. After 30 days, realize that the pill is not the most important part of the regimen.