UKC

I know the answer is personal to my circumstances.

But i'm just wondering if anyone has used these and what weight is appropriate?
Injured my knee a few years ago and when out on the hills it 'jars' every now and then - which is fecking painful. So looking to add a regular physio routine to my life and thinking adding weights would be worth it - i'm not completely debilitated after all.

In reply to Father Noel Furlong:

I found cycling a great help - beginning gently and trying not to overdo it till the strength built up.

My Scarpa "punishment boots" weigh 7 lb (the pair) and definitely increase leg strength which is experienced when wearing lighter footwear. But cycling did the most good.

In reply to wercat:

I travel for work a lot so need to be able exercise in pretty random places. Cycling sounds ideal but not something i could take in a suitcase. Same for my Raichle's, unfortunately.

In reply to Father Noel Furlong:

You have my sympathy. I've had a knee problem for six months, only slowly responding to physiotherapy and steroid injections. A friend with a similar history gave me a set of 2.5lb weights, which certainly increase the effort and presumably the benefit of raising the lower leg. I've progressed gently from having them around my ankle to putting them round the front of my foot, requiring more leverage. Conveniently portable, and you can even squeeze some benefit from boring meetings by doing quiet leg lifts under the table ...

In reply to Bob Aitken:
Thanks. I had the brainwave of weighing my boots. Which come in at 1.3kg each. So though 2.5 or 3kg would probably be the best weight for building up strength.

Bloody nuisance as I don't ski much and went out on a day I shouldn't have, too icy. 5 minutes in I crash into a fence and twist my knee. Stupid stupid stupid. Now have to live with an annoying pain in my knee for the rest of my life. As if it isn't hard enough getting motivated!!

In reply to Father Noel Furlong:

I've used them following knee surgery and for general strengthening. I put something about 10cm tick under the back of my knee and use a 1kg weight to do 4 sets of 100 lifts each side, where I straighten my leg out and hold it for a second in the straight position.

I've found that doing this daily means I don't have any problem walking down hill.

Start gently, possibly without any weights !!

In reply to Father Noel Furlong:

Cycling is really good low-stress exercise for the knees.

But I've also used ~2 or 2.5 kg ankle weights for moving around the house... or for shorter walks.

I've also used them a few times on the bouldering gym... a really good workout, especially on them overhangs & roofs.

In reply to IPPurewater:

Don't think my injury is as severe as yours. But thanks, I'll heed your advice.

In reply to Father Noel Furlong:

knees do take a long time to get better - Over the years I've occasionally injured them and found it took 12 months or more to fully recover - that's meant to be an encouragement, ie improvement can go on for a long time.

In reply to Father Noel Furlong:
If you travel, could you travel in heavy boots if you're not too fussed about how (people think) you look?

Another random idea anyway.

In reply to Timmd:


God I wish. Image is everything, unfortunately. Plus driving in B3 boots.....mmm not sure that would be safe.

Would be fun though turning up to a meeting in a suit and a pair of yellow Raichle GTX Pro's!