A few years ago, I decided to take up running. But instead of doing it the logical way (checking out a local 5K or dabbling in a jogging group), I jumped right into training for a marathon—after having never run more than the occasional (breathless) mile around the block. I figured I did enough non-running cardio that my transition into those long runs would be easy. Right? So wrong.
Within three weeks, I was plopped on a doctor’s table with what I soon found out was “runner’s knee,” an outer-knee pain that left me forbidden to run or do any other activity that could further strain the joint for two weeks (an eon in marathon-training time). To keep my marathon dreams alive, I was suddenly forced to get creative with my cardio.
“If you’re suffering from a knee or ankle injury, that doesn’t mean you have to give up on your cardio,” says Ashley Richardson, a Bay Area–based personal trainer. “There are tons of options that will get you to break a sweat without further harming the joints.”
A lot of us feel forced to choose between exercising and risking further injury to bum knees and ankles, or giving up on it and suffering the unhealthy consequences. Well, risk no more—I found some knee- and ankle-friendly cardio options that’ll keep even die-hard runners entertained and challenged while getting their heart rate up.
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Swimming
Not only does swimming burn an incredible amount of calories (close to what you’d burn on a run), but it offers a wide variety of options to get your heart pumping in the water. As an alternative to your usual laps, try putting a buoy between your legs (squeeze it tight!) to get more of an upper-body workout, or hold on to a kickboard in front of you to work just your lower half. “Just don’t push off on the wall, to protect your knees and ankles,” says Richardson.
Upper-Body Ergometer
This is that piece of equipment in the cardio area at your gym that looks like a bike for hands. Treat it like any other piece of cardio equipment—go for a long forty-five-minute stint or pound out a shorter and harder interval session. Warning: this will be extremely hard for just about everyone at first, since most people aren’t used to using only their upper body for cardio.
Kranking
This high-energy group class is showing up more and more at gyms across the country. Think spinning, but with an upper-body hand cycle included.
Rowing Machine
Just about every gym has a rowing machine or two, and they’re often some of the most underutilized pieces of cardio equipment. Rowing is mostly upper-body work (great for toning up your arms and shoulders), but your legs provide low-impact support by pushing against the machine with each stroke.
Circuit Weight Training
This style of lifting not only builds up muscle mass but also increases your heart rate by stacking all the moves back to back, so you won’t take a break until the end. Keeping your weights lighter and your reps higher will make this more of a cardiovascular activity. Be sure to alternate muscle-group exercises (for example, by following a biceps move with a back move), and limit yourself to thirty to forty-five minutes. Include bench presses, curls, push-ups, and core exercises to keep your knees and ankles safe.
Elliptical
The elliptical is a low-impact form of cardio that mimics running; it can work for a lot of people with knee or ankle issues (but check with your doc first, just to be safe). The motion that we make while powering through an elliptical workout uses a combination of both arms and legs for power, but it won’t strain your lower joints.
Breaking a Sweat, Gym-Free
Kayaking
If you’re lucky enough to live by an ocean or a lake, there are probably kayaks for rent somewhere nearby. This kick-butt workout burns nearly four hundred calories an hour and requires absolutely no stress or pressure on the ankles and knees.
