From Sore to Healthy Knees

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 fit round 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