Meet Lawrence
Meet Sally
What type of physical activities do you currently complete and how often?
Twice a week personal training in which I complete a bit of a mixture of strength and cardio. I suppose I do more strength but you huff and puff so it counts as both. I back that up with twice weekly 45 minute walks. Every day I take the dog for two walks and everyday activities like house and garden work
What are some of the benefits you get from leading an active lifestyle?
The benefits are obviously – any form of physical activity clears my head and it’s time for me where I’m improving my life, improving my general health, improving my mind and I get a feeling of achievement. If you put the time in for regular physical activity, it goes into life credit and it’s something that builds on itself. The more you do that, the better you feel! That’s what gets me out to do it, I do it just for me and it all adds up to improve my life! You never lose the time you spend putting into physical activity.
What influence does being active have on your knee pain?
There is plenty you can do with lots of benefit. The benefit is that the more strength I put into that knee, the stronger it feels and the better it feels. Being active helps to keep the pain under control.
How do you make time for your physical activities?
Doing physical activity has to be a priority, it has to be number one priority for your health. You don’t overcommit yourself. I do 4 days a week of specific knee strength activities and then fill in the rest with my day to day movement. I just choose to be active whenever I can. I try to park the car further away and walk more too.
One of the things I don’t like about people’s expectation these days is that we’re all under pressure to do the maximum. A lot of people will get there in the end but you have to start with a reasonable amount and build it up. Once you start with a little bit you realise how addictive it is and how good you feel and you build it up! Every little bit you do is bit more than the person sitting on the couch.
What advice do you have for other people with knee pain about being active?
Keep moving, slowly but surely. There are definitely exercises anyone can do at the gym with a PT or at the park. Start small and work your way up. The longer you stay still, the more stiff you will be, push past the stiffness at the start and keep moving. It’s important for you mental health too!
Meet Neil
What type of physical activities do you currently complete and how often?
I run five days each week including a longer run on Sundays.
What are some of the benefits you get from leading an active lifestyle?
When I first got my bad knee osteoarthritis two doctors, one physio and two surgeons told me to forget running as there was no fix for my problem. I stopped for more than a year when I heard of the GLA:D program were running … two and a half years later I’m still going round and able to go to running festivals … Gold Coast, Cairns, Canberra, Melbourne, Hobart and several Victorian country towns each year. All that stops me from being grumpy.
What influence does being active have on your knee pain?
At the moment I don’t have pain (touch wood) which I’m sure is due to the exercises and the changes my physio has made to my “posture” when running.
How do you make time for your physical activities?
I’m 81 years old so I have all the time in the world to go whenever I like.
What advice do you have for other people with knee pain about being active?
I guess … don’t give up … I would recommend exercise and education programs anyone.
Meet Ray
What type of physical activities do you currently complete and how often?
I do 15 minutes of stretches for my lower back, hips and knees daily. I also still do my GLA:D exercises which have been progressed for me. My physio has also added some extra exercises to my routine. I do 10-20 minutes on an exercise bike daily as well.
What are some of the benefits you get from leading an active lifestyle?
Great benefits physically in reducing stiffness in my lower back and improves mobility with legs and knees. Being active helps mentally as exercise is relaxing and I feel better after it.
What influence does being active have on your knee pain?
Being active helps to reduce stiffness and I find regular exercises that have strengthened my quads, hamstrings and hips help reduce pain in knee and improves flexibility of joints.
How do you make time for your physical activities?
I do it first thing in the morning before anything else. I need to wake up earlier if I have a heavy schedule.
What advice do you have for other people with knee pain about being active?
Make sure you exercise consistently. Mental attitude is important as sometimes you have to push through and start even if you don’t feel like exercising. Once you start then the benefits are obvious, so it is important to start and be consistent. More often than not this is an attitude of the mind.