Injured knee...exercise advise needed!

[Frecs]

Hi ya'll,

When I started 100% Dec 26th, 2005, I could barely walk 5 minutes at a time. I worked up to and completed a 5k (walking) in February and then began building miles with the expectation of walking a Half Marathon Nov 12 and a full marathon this upcoming Feb. I was doing great, was at 11 mile walks on Saturdays and 5-6 miles each morning during the week...when...it happened...

I stepped wrong, and hit the asphalt full on my right knee! ACHEEEEE!!!! I gave it some time to heal from what I figured was a bone bruise...but it wouldn't stop screaming in pain everytime I tried to walk above a stroll. So, I finally went to the doctor who had me go for x-rays. No breaks but now we wait for the appointment with the Specialist which isn't until...ugh...Nov 13..the day after the Half Marathon.

Now, I'm going crazy without the exercise I've come to depend on. I NEED TO EXERCISE!!!!!

So, help me...I need ideas. Here's what I have and don't have available:

Gym membership really isn't in the budget
rebounder -- got it but not sure if it's a good idea on the knee
balance ball -- have it...haven't been using it...
3lb hand weights
TaiChi tape -- again not sure of doing this with the knee at this time
do not have access to a pool or a bike
Taibo tapes of my sisters...never tried them...could I do these with the knee injury?

[NFrawRUNNER]

Just a thought, Have you thought about going to a chiropractor? You may have not broken anything but by falling you may have jarred something and are now out of alignment. It may make a huge difference and if you go soon enough that half marathon may still be a possibility. Normally I wouldn't "preach" about this but I broke my leg back in January and was not "supposed" to be able to do anything for months. Well, thanks to raw food, homeopathic remedies, and my chiropractor I was walking within a month and running 5 1/2 weeks post-op from a femoral neck break (where emergency surgery entailed a rod and 4 screws attaching a metal plate to my femor! :eek: ) I was laid up and stir crazy for awhile. I started doing "exercises" on my own that I could do. So maybe if you just crank the music and dance (without hurting your knee) or do floor exercises you may feel a little better???? Hope that helps :)

[Raw Magwene]

I agree with Diantha. If you find a smart chiropractor who "gets it", you just might decide to avoid the allopaths like the plague. Where are you located? I have a great chiropractor/kinesiologist in Santa Monica, Cali. I'm sure he's a witch doctor, cause he fixes everything. Even stuff I thought I'd just have to live with forever, like my achey knees (alignment issues since puberty) and "catchy" hip that bugged me in yoga.

[Frecs]

I live in Calabash, NC...just over the NC/SC border...north of Myrtle Beach, SC. I have a chiropractor that I went to when I had neck problems. I stopped going to him because his kids ran amuck around the office and that tended to add to my stress tension rather than take away from it.

I did 30 minutes of TaiChi practice this morning and had no pain from that so I'm encouraged. I will continue with that and with strengthening exercises so that I can strengthen the muscles around the knee.

Any suggestions for strengthening exercises that I can do without joining a gym? I thought of making a weightball (medicine ball)....all I need are some basketballs and or soccor balls and then I can go down to the beach and fill them with sand.

Anyone familiar with balance boards? Any ideas on how to make a homemade one?

[J Raw]

Oh man! You want to heal fast? Start practicing Bikram Yoga. It's completely miraculous! No exxageration!