My
dad has always been an active man. He likes to work out; ride his bicycle; go
on walks; and play golf, tennis, and soccer. He’s not really a football or
basketball guy, but I’m sure he’d be happy to play these sports as well.
One
piece of advice he constantly gave me when I was growing up was: “Take
care of your knees.” At 10, 16, 20, or 25 years old, this advice meant nothing
to me. How was I supposed to take care of my knees? Talk sweet nothings into their knee dimples? Wash them with vanilla scented body wash? Knee masks? Knee
massages? “Take care of your knees”—what the heck did that even mean?
At
28 years old, I was about to find out.
 |
| February 2019, at 240 pounds, resting my knees with ice |
When
I initially started getting fit and losing weight, the first challenge I faced that no one warned me
about were sore knees. I had googled everything there is to know about weight
loss before starting my journey, and not once was this topic mentioned. Sore
knees! You should have seen my face when my knees finally gave out on me after
ignoring the constant sharp pain for a week, and I suddenly understood what my
dad had meant all along: “take care of your knees!”
When
you are 245.6 pounds, your knees can be under a lot of stress. It’s the kind of
stress you feel on the Sunday night in middle school before your Science Fair project is due and
you still haven’t started working on it. Or the kind of stress that hits you
when you hear your mom getting home and you have forgotten to defrost the
chicken. Or when your college professor says, “Please turn in your papers,” which
you had forgotten about. It’s stressful!
When
I started walking and running, my knees were even more stressed. I was working
out much more than usual and didn’t have the right kind of sneakers. I only
owned one pair, and they were Kylie Jenner’s Puma Defy Mid Casual sneakers
because they were trendy and cool. I can assure you they were not meant to provide support for knees holding 245.6 pounds while running on pavement. Soon enough, my knees became so sore that I
couldn’t even walk without pain.
I
suddenly understood the importance of actively taking care of my knees,
especially when they are carrying more weight than they should be. Let’s be
real—I weighed 245 pounds and rarely exercised; of course I was going to
get sore knees.
So,
after a very (and I mean very) frustrating walk around my park in where I
kept trying to run but couldn’t, I was forced to do something about my pain. I
couldn’t walk, I couldn’t jog, and I couldn’t run. The pain was constant. So,
like always, I asked google dot com for help.
First,
I approached my best guy friend and asked him to help me find a good pair of
sneakers. After researching the market, we visited the mall together over the
span of two weeks and I got myself three different pairs: Brooks Bedlam, Adidas Ultraboost, and Nike Zoom Pegasus. (We stan a knowledgeable sneaker-crazed best
friend.)
And
they were all expensive… but I needed to take care of my knees!
My
first pair, the Brooks, felt like no other sneaker I had worn before—comfortable,
light, nice fitround
the ankles. However, the back of the shoes gave me blisters, and they didn’t
stop giving me blisters for months. Now, when I do wear them, I wear high
socks. They’re amazing for running!
 |
| The Brooks. |
My
second pair was the Adidas Ultraboost. They felt like socks, like I was walking
on a cloud. I remember thinking that I needed more resistance for my feet for
Zumba because they felt too light and comfortable. I loved them, though.
These ended up being my favorite to wear when traveling and walking around a
lot. My mom got a pair too; she claims that they are her favorite walking
shoes.
 |
| The Adidas |
The
last pair I got—and my favorites for running—was Nike’s Zoom Pegasus. What a
shoe! What a shoe. Here, here, Nike! You did that! Amidst controversies,
we stan Nike. The racists are shook. I got my Nike pair in bright obnoxious neon
orange, so I don’t usually wear them anywhere but the gym, but I’m obsessed
with them. They feel like heaven. I’m positive that this is the sneaker that
Superman would wear if he had to save the world by running instead of flying.
 |
| Nike. Bae. |
The
second thing I did was get on Amazon and order some glucosamine pills. They are magical
and really helped me with the pain. I was watching a video on youtube by the
oh-so-handsome and oh-so-dreamy Dr. Mike, and he says we shouldn’t be taking vitamins if they are not recommended by doctors, and even though I somewhat agree, I’m still
all about glucosamine pills because they really helped my pain. Don’t know
about the medical pros or cons of glucosamine other than it works for me and my grandma. Lol.
The
third thing I did was get a knee brace on amazon, as I needed the support, even for
low-impact cardio. I bought three different types, but this one takes the crown
for comfort and support.
I
also rested tons and iced my knees every night for the first few nights.
All
these changes combined helped me a lot. After less than two weeks, my knees
were back to being perfect.
I
took care of my knees, alright!
I
currently try to run on a treadmill and still take glucosamine three times a
week. I’m 184 pounds now and have not had any problems since.
Like
my dad would say: “Take care of your
knees.”
And
be kind to people!
-Cabi
