Cathe's cardio, bad knees, and limited space

[jeesa]

This is my first time posting, but I've read the forums off and on for awhile. I know there is a thread somewhere about space limitations, but my question also pertains to those with knee problems. Sorry if this thread is a bit redundant!


Here's some background info: I've been doing the Firm tapes sporadically for eight years, since I was in junior high. (My mother started doing the Firm back when the tapes cost $50 or something.) I ordered a few Cathe tapes around 1998. (MIS, MIC, Powermax, and BodyMax.)Soon after, I stopped working out for a few years, and gained a lot of weight. But last fall, I decided to make fitness a priority and started exercising at the gym and at home. Yesterday I ordered the Supersets/Push-Pull DVD and the PUB/PLB DVD.

I'm still doing the Firm tapes a lot, but I always enjoyed Cathe's cardio workouts. The problem is that I have to do my workouts in my bedroom. I don't have enough space to properly do the step routines in the Cathe tapes I own, and I also have bad knees. Is there any Cathe cardio that is easy on the knees and doesn't require a ton of space?

Thanks for your help.

 

[Redeye]

I also have bad knees and limited space. I work out in my bedroom in an area that is 5'x7'.

I modify my workouts to fit my space: traveling steps are done in-place, grapevines are done with small steps, etc. I haven't had to abandon any workout because of my limited space.

I LOVE Cathe's step workouts. I do IMAX2 once a week. I do it on a 4" step and modify the larger moves; movements that she does at the ends of the step, I have to do behind my step. These modifications don't affect my enjoyment of the workout at all.

To save your knees, you could do a step workout without a step. I've tried it a couple of times when my knees were really bad, and I still had a good workout, and it was tons of fun.

HTH

 

[mtnmom99]

With my kids home for the summer, I've also been confined to my bedroom for my workouts. KPC is very adaptable to a small space. The jump kicks might be hard on the knees, but could always be substituted with regular kicks.

Although not strictly cardio, HSTA is good for small spaces also.

I'll be so glad once school starts and I can move my step back into the livingroom!

Diane

 

[ducky]

I workout in limited space too. Like the others I just modify to fit into my space. Teeny little grapevine steps, I do most of my step moves on one side of the step. I turn most of my horizontal moves into verticle ones ;-). Do what you can with what you've got (hehe my motto for life).

 

[kathryn]

I have a touchy knee, and it most definitely doesn't like the faster pace and more torque (ie: 180-degree moves) in some of the more recent Cathe step videos. The workouts on the "Classics" DVD come before that, and they don't bother my knees at all.

 

[Me2]

In some of Cathe's earlier step workouts when she first started introducing ricochet's, up and back's, 180's, etc, she instructed us to always go airborne and use "helecopter" feet to avoid stress on the knees. That has always stuck in my head and helped me avoid any "torquey" feel to my knees.

Linda

 

[hippahips]

Bad knees and limited space here, too. As has been said, many of Cathe's routines can be modified to "protect" one's knees and made to work in limited space.

I find alternating step with kickboxing or mixing step with floorwork quite helpful to my knees. On days when my knees are feeling particularly grumpy and I need to do cardio, I don't do Cathe's turns on the step. I also limit the jumps but make my arms work more and with a greater range of motion. With moves like the ricochet, making sure that my knees point to the same direction as my toes (which means I go airborne -- and real high) keeps my knees from feeling "twisted" afterwards. I always use a 4-inch step. I've scrapped the step altogether and have done step workouts on the floor. It feels funny, but it helps. Lunges aren't so friendly to my knees, so I keep the sets short and the weights light.

Hope this helps.