An update on your encounters with the elliptical monster is long overdue.
;-)

JimH wrote:
An update on your encounters with the elliptical monster is long overdue.
;-)



Oi!

I'm up to seven minutes on the torture device before my knees burst into
flames. The rest of me is doing okay on the machine...no pains anywhere
else, no shortness of breath, et cetera. I am up to 45 minutes on our
treadmill. My wife sez if I keep at it, I'll work up my endurance on the
ellliptical, and she's right, because when I started three to four
minutes was all I could tolerate.

One morning while she was sleeping, I went for a walk on the beach and
walked for two and a half hours in one direction before turning around.
I couldn't have done that six months ago.

I've dropped 17 pounds in the last month.

There have been other positive changes I won't discuss here.

The elliptical is brutal if you have knee problems. It takes a long time
to build up tolerance.

On Thu, 22 Feb 2007 17:57:55 -0500, Harry Krause
wrote:

The elliptical is brutal if you have knee problems. It takes a long time
to build up tolerance.

Knee problems can disappear when you drop the weight and exercise.
Not always, but it worked for me.
Don't damage your knees on that contraption.

--Vic

"Vic Smith" wrote in message
...
On Thu, 22 Feb 2007 17:57:55 -0500, Harry Krause
wrote:

The elliptical is brutal if you have knee problems. It takes a long time
to build up tolerance.

Knee problems can disappear when you drop the weight and exercise.
Not always, but it worked for me.
Don't damage your knees on that contraption.

--Vic

I believe they are intended to be kinder to the knees than treadmills are as
there is less impact.

JimH wrote:
"Vic Smith" wrote in message
...
On Thu, 22 Feb 2007 17:57:55 -0500, Harry Krause
wrote:

The elliptical is brutal if you have knee problems. It takes a long time
to build up tolerance.
Knee problems can disappear when you drop the weight and exercise.
Not always, but it worked for me.
Don't damage your knees on that contraption.

--Vic

I believe they are intended to be kinder to the knees than treadmills are as
there is less impact.



For some reason, the treadmill impact does not bother my knees. I run
our treadmill on a good incline, too, and at a fast walk clip.

"Harry Krause" wrote in message
...

JimH wrote:

"Vic Smith" wrote in message
...
On Thu, 22 Feb 2007 17:57:55 -0500, Harry Krause
wrote:

The elliptical is brutal if you have knee problems. It takes a long
time
to build up tolerance.
Knee problems can disappear when you drop the weight and exercise.
Not always, but it worked for me.
Don't damage your knees on that contraption.

--Vic

I believe they are intended to be kinder to the knees than treadmills are
as there is less impact.


For some reason, the treadmill impact does not bother my knees. I run our
treadmill on a good incline, too, and at a fast walk clip.

I think the treadmill is a more natural motion since it's how you do most of
your walking so you are accustom to it.

The elliptical exaggerates the leg and arm motion ... reminds me of cross
country skiing in a way.
It takes a while to get used to but it's a more vigorous workout.

Eisboch

"Harry Krause" wrote in message
...

JimH wrote:
An update on your encounters with the elliptical monster is long overdue.
;-)

Oi!

I'm up to seven minutes on the torture device before my knees burst into
flames. The rest of me is doing okay on the machine...no pains anywhere
else, no shortness of breath, et cetera. I am up to 45 minutes on our
treadmill. My wife sez if I keep at it, I'll work up my endurance on the
ellliptical, and she's right, because when I started three to four minutes
was all I could tolerate.

One morning while she was sleeping, I went for a walk on the beach and
walked for two and a half hours in one direction before turning around. I
couldn't have done that six months ago.

I've dropped 17 pounds in the last month.

There have been other positive changes I won't discuss here.

The elliptical is brutal if you have knee problems. It takes a long time
to build up tolerance.


Harry,

A couple of years ago I had some problems with one of my knees. I think I
strained or otherwise injured it somehow but the result was that it swelled
up almost to the size of a soccer ball. Being stubborn about these things,
I never went to see a doctor and limped around for about 6 months until the
swelling finally went down and the pain slowly went away.

It has not bothered me at all with the elliptical, but I had already dropped
quite a few pounds before I got it. I still find the elliptical to be more
of a strenuous workout compared to the treadmill, but no problems with any
joints. I often split the daily workout to 30 minutes on the elliptical at
a fairly aggressive resistance program followed by 30 or 40 minutes on the
treadmill at a more relaxed pace. Today I was a little more ambitious and
did a total of 6.4 miles between the two of them.

I am looking forward to better weather. I plan to do some bike riding to
occasionally substitute the indoor exercises.

17 lbs in a month is pretty good. I don't know how many "extra" pounds you
have been carrying, but the exercise gets much easier as you get rid of it.

Eisboch

Eisboch wrote:
"Harry Krause" wrote in message
...

JimH wrote:
An update on your encounters with the elliptical monster is long overdue.
;-)
Oi!

I'm up to seven minutes on the torture device before my knees burst into
flames. The rest of me is doing okay on the machine...no pains anywhere
else, no shortness of breath, et cetera. I am up to 45 minutes on our
treadmill. My wife sez if I keep at it, I'll work up my endurance on the
ellliptical, and she's right, because when I started three to four minutes
was all I could tolerate.

One morning while she was sleeping, I went for a walk on the beach and
walked for two and a half hours in one direction before turning around. I
couldn't have done that six months ago.

I've dropped 17 pounds in the last month.

There have been other positive changes I won't discuss here.

The elliptical is brutal if you have knee problems. It takes a long time
to build up tolerance.


Harry,

A couple of years ago I had some problems with one of my knees. I think I
strained or otherwise injured it somehow but the result was that it swelled
up almost to the size of a soccer ball. Being stubborn about these things,
I never went to see a doctor and limped around for about 6 months until the
swelling finally went down and the pain slowly went away.

It has not bothered me at all with the elliptical, but I had already dropped
quite a few pounds before I got it. I still find the elliptical to be more
of a strenuous workout compared to the treadmill, but no problems with any
joints. I often split the daily workout to 30 minutes on the elliptical at
a fairly aggressive resistance program followed by 30 or 40 minutes on the
treadmill at a more relaxed pace. Today I was a little more ambitious and
did a total of 6.4 miles between the two of them.

I am looking forward to better weather. I plan to do some bike riding to
occasionally substitute the indoor exercises.

17 lbs in a month is pretty good. I don't know how many "extra" pounds you
have been carrying, but the exercise gets much easier as you get rid of it.

Eisboch



Too many extra pounds. :}

"Harry Krause" wrote in message
...
JimH wrote:
An update on your encounters with the elliptical monster is long overdue.
;-)

Oi!

I'm up to seven minutes on the torture device before my knees burst into
flames. The rest of me is doing okay on the machine...no pains anywhere
else, no shortness of breath, et cetera. I am up to 45 minutes on our
treadmill. My wife sez if I keep at it, I'll work up my endurance on the
ellliptical, and she's right, because when I started three to four minutes
was all I could tolerate.

One morning while she was sleeping, I went for a walk on the beach and
walked for two and a half hours in one direction before turning around. I
couldn't have done that six months ago.

I've dropped 17 pounds in the last month.

There have been other positive changes I won't discuss here.


You must be on the low carb diet with that sort of weight loss in such a
short time.

If you are.......some warnings: Unless you keep up with that diet you will
start to gain the weight back when going back to eating normal foods. I
speak from personal experience. This is not to dismiss your weight
loss.......I congratulate you on your results.......losing weight is never
easy.

Congratulations and keep it up!

"JimH" wrote in message
...

"Harry Krause" wrote in message
...
JimH wrote:
An update on your encounters with the elliptical monster is long
overdue. ;-)

Oi!

I'm up to seven minutes on the torture device before my knees burst into
flames. The rest of me is doing okay on the machine...no pains anywhere
else, no shortness of breath, et cetera. I am up to 45 minutes on our
treadmill. My wife sez if I keep at it, I'll work up my endurance on the
ellliptical, and she's right, because when I started three to four
minutes was all I could tolerate.

One morning while she was sleeping, I went for a walk on the beach and
walked for two and a half hours in one direction before turning around. I
couldn't have done that six months ago.

I've dropped 17 pounds in the last month.

There have been other positive changes I won't discuss here.


You must be on the low carb diet with that sort of weight loss in such a
short time.

If you are.......some warnings: Unless you keep up with that diet you
will start to gain the weight back when going back to eating normal foods.
I speak from personal experience. This is not to dismiss your weight
loss.......I congratulate you on your results.......losing weight is never
easy.

Congratulations and keep it up!


I am no expert, but going back to "normal foods" is how you get overweight
to begin with. The secret is to redefine what is "normal" for you. The
other issue is exercise. All the weight loss and control programs and
experts have one common recommendation .... at least 30 minutes a day of
some form of cardiovascular exercise, ideally combined with resistance
weight lifting 3-4 times a week. This is in addition to your normal
activities, so the "walks" you take at the mall or whatever doesn't count.

As far as the low carb, high carb, no fat, diets .... it really does not
matter. Your body converts the excess intake of anything into storage fat.
3500 extra calories equals a pound gained. It doesn't matter if they came
from ice cream, peanut butter, apples or grapefruit.

Eisboch