My Knees Ruined My Treadmill Date

According to experts, being active every day is the key to a healthy life. But what does that even mean? I like to think that if I'm not sitting or laying down, then I must be active. Ha! Am I? Yes I am!

I used to think that being active means spending 45 minutes at the gym groaning and sweating every day. I was never a gym person. I've always had a fast metabolism and a spastic personality, so I was kind of already being active by busying myself with projects around the house, dancing while cooking, chasing my kid, my dog, my shadow around the backyard. But as I got older — with moody knees and a desk job — my version of "being active" took a different shape. There's good news, so get excited.

I'm sure if you look up anything related to working out on YouTube, you could spend days watching videos of people showcasing and teaching old and new techniques, exercises, and so forth. That could be overwhelming, but it could also be awesome — meaning you have a lot of choices. I have a treadmill, stationary bike, weights, bands, and who knows what else I bought and stashed away never used. Ha! I know, who does that, right?

After trying to follow different routines I put together, I realized I don't like routines, or lists of exercises, or schedules, or any of that. It was just so boring. And somehow, on the days I had planned to do lower body stuff, my knees hurt, or my hips, or something else, and it just seemed like it wasn't working out. Treadmill Tuesday? Nope — left knee decided to hurt every time I made a move. Core Wednesday? Nah… left hip started screaming after 5 squats. By now you must be imagining I'm either old as hell, out of shape, or just a delicate little butterfly. I am a middle-aged woman, in perimenopause, in good health — but as my body keeps showing me, I have limitations, regardless of what I want to do. Now, if you are a man, don't bail just yet. What I'm about to say applies to anyone.

The most important step is listening to your body — and actually doing something with what it tells you.

I wake up every day and, as I start my morning, I do a quick assessment. How do I feel today? Any aches? Did I fall asleep like a shrimp again last night and wake up with that nasty kink in my neck? Are my knees behaving? Basically, I plan my activities based on how my body feels that day. If I'm ache-free, then we're on. Standing at my convertible desk, doing curtsy squats, toe lifts — I name my own exercises, so some might not make sense to you — a lot of dancing, punching the air, some planks between answering emails, air kicks, weight lifting 10 at a time, crawling to the kitchen instead of walking (this backfires sometimes because my dog thinks we're playing). If I've got aches, then I moderate and do a slow easy walk on the treadmill, air swimming, supermans, lots of legs and arms moving while I lay in bed or on the couch. I like to imagine my weekly activity level — if I picture it as a chart — as more of a wave, going up and down, a nice balance.

The short version

Do a quick body check every morning. Aches, stiffness, energy level — plan your activity around what you find, not what the calendar says.

Modify, don't skip. A slow walk, some air swimming, legs moving on the couch — it all counts. Never zero.

Think in waves, not schedules. Some days are high, some are low. That's not failure, that's balance.

Find what you actually like. Consistency only happens when you don't dread it.

The best course of action is: find something you like. If you like a routine or a list of exercises, do that. Whatever you decide on, make sure it's something you can be consistent with, because consistency is the key. Listen to your body and adjust accordingly — don't push it. You don't need 45 minutes all at once; spread it around, but do it. And of course, make sure your diet is right for you — but that's a different conversation.

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