Exercise recommendations for my bad back!

I am currently 16 months post op and I am having a tough time with exercise. I have a very temperamental and bad back and knees. Any advice or recommendations on some exercise activities that will not lay me up in bed with the heating pad? 

To avoid hurting yourself, I suggest getting a referral for physical therapy from your PCP.  They can evaluate you and see what you can and can't do and help you to safely strengthen your weak areas.  Coming from a history of back problems, I definitely know you don't want to anger the back pain gods!  :D

Let us know how it goes!

Jen

I second what Jen said. 

 I have back issues but not knee problems.  I  personally like yoga, but I have been doing it for as while now and even now - some poses or even teacher (trying to be supportive) may make me hurt and be "out" for a week or 2. 

Water - in the pool - exercise, is suppose to  be good for knees and back. (I hate chlorine) 

I was so thrilled when I got to my goal weight and could jog like I used to in college.  That is until my back started to protest and I had to stop.  Apparently losing weight made my back worse, not better... who knew... something about shifting centers of gravity, etc, yadda, yadda.

In any case, I started biking with my boyfriend, something I had tried before but hadn't put much serious effort into up until that point.  It was magic.  I've been doing it for more than a year now.  My back loves it (as long as my pedals and saddle are adjusted correctly), my knees don't mind as long as I avoid too many hills... you get the idea.

So yea.  Bike.  That would be my enthusiastic advice.  Any bike shop worth their salt would have gobs of advice and help for you to get started.

Audrey

Weird...I just went to the orthopod as my back has been misery for 6 weeks and she said bariatric patients often have trouble when they loose weight as ther back is realigning and it can cause allot of pain...

who knew!!

Please do not underestimate the power of simply walking.  I don't know what you can or can't do but work your way up to walking every single day if you can.

Not sure exactly what your back issues are but I have degenerative disc disease and facet joint arthritis and what was recommended by my doctor on days that my back is really bad is to do pool exercises like pool walking, water aerobics anything in a warm water pool, on my better days he says low impacy exercises like elliptical or a recombent bike, He also advised me to work on developing my core muscles because they help support the back and that can be done through yoga. I have started doing yoga like 3 weeks ago now and the pain in my back has reduced. I do agree with the other recommendation though of checking with a PT becuase depending on what exactly is wrong with your back may limit what you can do.

I'd like to add to the physical therapy bandwagon.  You can get a prescription from your PCP and your therapist can then give you great exercises to strengthen your core for the back issues and help with the muscles around your knees.  And she can also give you a plan for outside of therapy!  

I have spinal stenosis, and arthritis everywhere, plus weakness in my right leg from the stenosis, so I am currently in a wheelchair.  However, there are seated yoga and pilates DVDs you can get. (Look on Amazon.com, they are quite inexpensive).  The Pilates DVD uses the resistance bands and Pilates is even better than yoga at building your core, which helps strengthen your back and stretch your spine.  But, I do not recommend doing any exercises before checking with your ortho first.  I also recommend the water walking or deep water aerobics.