A couple of months ago, I hurt my knee (yet again), this time while riding my Peloton bike. My knee is fragile from a previous injury years ago and has a tendency to flare up when I exercise too hard or when I step wrong. (It’s a meniscus tear.)
“The pain you feel today will show itself as strength tomorrow.” —Tunde Oyeneyin, Peloton Instructor (A quote I very much disagree with as I get older.)
The stupid thing is, I knew that I needed to be careful. I had found a sweet spot of 15 to 20 minutes that gave me a nice workout, but didn’t cause pain. But then, I just had to go and push it. The thing about exercise is we’re always told to push harder, go farther, work, work, work! The day of the injury, I was feeling good and in the moment, and I really pushed myself! Then I noticed things were crunching; I stopped, and I could barely walk.
“Acknowledge the fear and do it anyway.” —Emma Lovewell, Peloton Instructor (A quote that I sometimes agree with, but not always.)
The usual treatment for a meniscus tear is RICE: Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevation. I did that for several days, and gradually my knee felt better.
After healing from the injury, every time I rode the bike, it caused my knee to flare up, even if it was just for five minutes. I tried every adjustment possible to see if a different position would help. It didn’t.
“The hardest part is over. You showed up.” —Jess Sims, Peloton Instructor (I like this quote.)
Meanwhile, I kept doing other Peloton workouts: strength, pilates, yoga, outdoor walking, and meditation. I realized that those workouts were enough, and quite enjoyable! I feel like those workouts are more focused on how an exercise feels rather than pushing through, which works better for me.
“Treat your body like someone you love.” —Hannah Corbin, Peloton Instructor (I LOVE this quote!)
I had rented my Peloton bike from Peloton, so I was able to return it easily with no questions asked! I simply said I was done with it, and they sent some guys in a big truck to pick it up. They canceled my rental agreement, and I downgraded to their basic membership. (Another bonus: The basic membership is WAY less expensive!)
“Make decisions that honor your body and your practice.” Denis Morton, Peloton Instructor. (Yes! This is my new mantra!)
My biggest worry was that I’d lose my exercise statistics! But nope! All my stats are still there. Today marks my streak of 302 consecutive days of some type of exercise!
Do any of these quotes resonate with you?
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Oh no, I’m so sorry you hurt your knee! What a bother. I knew a lot of people in my Ashtanga yoga days who had meniscus or ACL tears and wow, did it follow them for years after. Knees are like that super touchy frenemy who holds a grudge for years later when all you did was ask if they did something different to their hair.
But! I’m so glad you are still doing the other stuff on Peloton. Funnily enough, I did a ride with Hannah C this morning and a warm-up ride with Denis! I do love the way they speak about bodies and taking care of yourself. One of my faves from Denis is “I make suggestions, you make decisions” and also “Be good out there, and if you can’t be good, be careful.” Lol! But I will say I loooooathe when people say to just suck it up and do it, or to push harder, or what have you. This is how injuries happen! I saw it all the time when I was teaching yoga. Someone would compare themselves to the mat beside them, and before you knew it – knee injury. Hamstring tear. I like treating myself as someone I really love, or sometimes I think of treating myself the way my younger self would have needed. Anyway, I am sorry you had to give up your bike, but happily there is so much other content on the app!
Also, I have those exact yellow gnomes! At least I think they are exactly the same, I’ll take a photo later and text you!
Nicole, thank you for such a supportive, kind comment! I think you must’ve been such a wonderful yoga teacher. You look for the beautiful and positive in people, and offer so much encouragement. I love Hannah C. and Denis (I fixed my spelling in the post) and I’m happy they teach such a variety of classes. I love your comparison of a knee to a frenemy who holds a grudge for years! Ha! Ha! It’s so true. I really need to listen to it better, because it does let me know when it’s had enough of an exercise. Exercising as I get older is a whole different game with different rules, but I think i’m figuring it out. I hope so, anyway! Eee! I look forward to seeing your yellow gnomes!
Oh, Michelle, I am so sorry you had to give up your bike, but it’s absolutely the right thing to do, if it’s not serving you and your body! If your knee is not happy with cycling, no need to try and push it… there’s so many other things you can do! And I am so glad you’re enjoying all the other modalities and will continue to use the Peloton app. I always love seeing your name pop up on the LB!
My favorite Peloton quote is probably Jess Sims’ “You don’t have to, you get to”… and I remind myself of that every damn day that I feel strong and healthy and don’t have any pain, because it’s a damn privilege!
I also love Denis’ “I make suggestions, you make decisions” and “If you can’t get out of if, get into it” 🙂
San, thank you for your encouragement. I really appreciate it. I love how you share your workouts, including your recovery days, and how you make exercise such a joyful passtime. Here’s to feeling strong, healthy, and pain-free!
I strongly disagree with that first quote. I think it’s irresponsible to ignore pain. Pain is your body’s way of communicating with you. When I was younger, there were times when I ignored pain, but it was to my detriment. I need this body to last me for the long haul so I need to be kind to it. Pain doesn’t mean you are getting stronger – it could mean you are risking an injury or making an injury worse. I used to be a distance runner and I ran 4 marathons but I ended up needing hip surgery in 2016 and the surgeon said if I kept doing marathons, I’d most likely need the surgery on my other hip so I decided to hang up my marathon shoes.
I’m glad you listened to your body and returned the bike! It’s great that you are finding lots of other exercises that feel good and don’t cause pain. That is what matters most. And your streak is SUPER IMPRESSIVE!!!
Lisa, I didn’t realized you’d had hip surgery or that you were a distance runner. I’m sorry you had to stop running marathons, but you made the right decision for sure. And I’m glad that you found other fitness classes that you enjoy so much. I agree with you that we need to pay attention to pain. I feel really good about my decision to give up the bike, and now I have a good, dedicated spot for my yoga mat!
I’m so glad you were able to try Peloton and you’re walking away with an awesome streak and you’ve learned so much about what is safe and healthy for YOUR body. I feel like so much of eating well and exercising comes over time with trial and error. Also, what works in one season, doesn’t necessarily work in the next.
That said, what a bummer about your knee. I’ve had knee issues off and on the last few years (the beginnings of a meniscal tear) and it is SO painful. Ugh. I hope it’s feeling better and it sounds like you have a great range of things you enjoy doing with the Peloton app still! Hooray.
When my husband and I were going to the gym regularly I hurt my elbow so badly and it took months to get better… and I haven’t been back to gym since. Womp, womp. So all the gold stars for persevering.
I agree with Lisa, too. Pain is SUCH an important indicator (and there are very different forms of pain, too) and you were very wise to not ignore it.
Elisabeth, that’s so well put! What works in one season doesn’t necessarily work in the next. That’s a brilliant quote! I’m sorry that you have to deal with knee issues and your elbow injury. I’ve hurt myself exercising many times (I think everyone probably has!) but nothing has been persistant like my knee, so I’m grateful for that.
Quotes 1 and 2 have paid for many luxury cars and vacation homes for surgeons. We’re always told to push, and it ends up biting so many of us.
Rentals FTW!!! You got to enjoy the bike, and now that it’s not serving you, it’s on its way to someone else who will love it. The best part is that you still get to enjoy the Peleton app and keep your streak.
Birchie, I hadn’t thought of it that way, but you’re so right! I mean, thank goodness for surgeons, but I’m hoping not to support any of them for quite some time!
Yikes to the knee! But I’m glad you’ve been able to find an alternative way to use Peloton and that they made it so easy to return the bike – who knew you could rent one?! Also love that the dollhouse crew returned theirs in solidarity 🙂
Thank you, Rebecca! The dollhouse crew is very supportive! 🤣
Hello Michelle! As I am sure you know by now, I am unorthodox when it comes to exercise! I believe the body knows best and if you don’t listen carefully to it you might regret it. Pushing through is such an American thing… (we are pushy in general) and it, in my humble opinion, is not always the smart way to get where we want to be. I do a “chi” practice and it is about the opposite of the idea of pushing through. The idea is relaxing movement with “allowing the energy to move” being the goal. I know it is hard to explain. It is not about muscles, or speed, or numbers or accomplishing goals… it is about feeling the energy flow in the body. Anyway, it keeps me healthy, calm, limber, centered and so many other great ways of being. The closest I get to pushing through is doing another row of stitches on my tapestry (when the fingers are getting tired) or continuing to cut another piece of trim for the dollhouses… when the muscles are getting tired. Sounds tame, and it is! Stressing the body is occasionally necessary but not to be desired in my opinion! I am sorry you hurt yourself while trying to better yourself! I am glad you realized you needed to make changes and are being gentle with yourself. 🙂 And I also love that the gnomes (busy-bee gnomes!) helped the dollhouse folks stay with the trend! :):)
Hi Betsy! Thank you for your kind and wise words. Your chi practice sounds lovely. I like that your idea of pushing through involves dollhouse projects. It seems like there’s a lot of loud and conflicting advice about how to exercise and what to do, and really, all we need to do is listen to what our bodies are saying. Hopefully I’ll get to that point. It’s always nice to have people and gnomes who offer their support!
I love that the gnomes returned their bike too! So sweet and supportive. My sympathies for your knee injury. You are wise to not push it, do only what feels good for your body. My husband also has knee issues. He had surgery quite a few years ago and that took care of it up until a couple of years ago. He has found some good stretching exercises, he swims and takes walks and that’s about all his knee can handle. He does also lift weights but no running or biking for him!
Thank you, Dulcie! Swimming would be such an excellent exercise. I wish I had access to a pool closeby. I’m sorry that your husband’s knee started hurting again, but it sounds like he has a good plan for taking care of it.
I can understand the first quote, but I think we have to be careful, too! Like, sometimes pain is just our muscles protesting because we’re working them harder than they’re used to and that’s GOOD pain. But sometimes pain is an indicator that things aren’t going well and we need to stop what we are doing. I think my favorite quote is from my old HIIT instructor. Whenever I told him an exercise was “too hard,” he told me it was just challenging. Sometimes, a simple reframe helps! It’s challenging, not impossible!
I’m glad you were just renting your bike and the return process was super easy! And I’m glad you found other workouts on Peloton that work for you!
Stephany, yes, we have to be careful, especially as we get older! Crunching noises and joint pain are definitely not good. I was so impressed with how easy it was to return the bike rental.
I’m so sorry about your knee. I hope it isn’t giving you too much residual pain. I’ve had a faulty knee since I was a child — long story — but I’ve always had to be a little more careful because of it.
I don’t love exercise, so your 302-day stretch is impressive to me. Motivation is my biggest inhibitor. I want to get in the habit of simply walking, so I’m hoping I start doing that soon… I keep making excuses even as I write this! 🤣
I’m glad you listened to your body (eventually), and so did the dollhouse crew! Here’s to taking care of our bodies in ways that work for us. 😘💜
Thank you, Kari! My knee is feeling much better now – but I always have to pay attention and be careful. I’m sorry you’ve had a knee issue since childhood! My exercise streak isn’t intense, but showing up to move every day has been so good for me.
THREE HUNDRED TWO CONSECUTIVE DAYS!! Holy guacamole, Michelle, that is an enormous accomplishment!
I had no idea that one could rent a Peloton and think it is amazing that they sent a truck to retrieve it. That still isn’t enough to sell me on indoor machine exercise, but I’ll file it away in my mental department of odd facts just in case I need to know someday.
My husband’s meniscus tear was fixed with a cortisone shot. He wears a knee brace (the elastic kind) anyway and now has a doggone weird tan on his legs.
Thank you, Jana! That’s good to know about your husband’s knee, if my issue gets more serious. I’m giving up on indoor exercise machines because I always end up with some kind of injury. They don’t seem to “fit me” right.
Oh, no. I’m sorry about your knee. It is so difficult and such a bummer when an injury derails an exercise plane. Walking outside and doing palates, etc. are all great approaches to working out. Variety is the spice of life. I like the quote about showing up. Good for you for returning the bike and making the necessary adjustments. Hope your knee continues to improve.
Thank you, Ernie! My knee is feeling great at the moment! (Do I dare say that? Aaak! Knock on wood!)
I’m glad it was so easy to send the bike back, and that you are listening to your body and still finding workouts you enjoy on the app! It’s so important to stop when we have pain, and not listen to the “push, push, push.” I read a memoir last year that was supposed to be inspirational but it was this dude pushing through pain with really dumb results and … that just doesn’t speak to me 😂
Kim, you’re so right that pushing through pain is not good. I was really impressed with how easy it was to send the bike back!
One of the things I’m trying to learn since being diagnosed with ME/CFS and fibromyalgia is to Listen To My Body and to honour it. Pushing through, overdoing it, or tackling something when I’m not truly able leads to more pain and more fatigue. It’s been an ongoing lesson, for sure. It’s so important to Prioritize! You did a good thing by returning your Peloton.
Hi Nance! I didn’t realize your were dealing with ME/CFS and fibromyalgia, and I’m sorry to hear it. You definitely must listen to your body. I agree that it’s an ongoing lesson, and I hope I’ve learned my lesson, but that’s probably wishful thinking. It’s so easy do overdo it when things are feeling good!
What a bummer that you hurt your knee! I don’t like “exercise” and always joke that it’s too dangerous. That’s just a convenient excuse for me, though, and obviously people who love it should keep doing it while listening to their bodies.
I do like moving my body, just not doing what people traditionally call exercise, like running or lifting weights. I love dancing and gardening (there’s a surprising amount of lifting, tugging, and moving involved), and I don’t have a car, so I walk a LOT. Plus, I’m always carrying my kids around, and they’re getting heavy. I recently had to tell my seven-year-old that I can’t carry her for long anymore because I can tell it’s too much for my back.
I like the second quote: “Acknowledge the fear and do it anyway” if it’s something you genuinely want to do.
I’m so happy you’ve found other ways to exercise that make you happy, and that you got to keep your streak!
Maria, I agree that exercising is dangerous! Ha! Ha! It’s good to keep moving, doing every day activities. Gardening is great exercise! Ooof, carrying a seven-year-old would be great exercise too! But hard on your back for sure.
Thanks for stopping by!
You’re smart to leave the bike behind if it’s causing you pain. I’m not very Pelaton savvy, I didn’t know you could utilize it beyond the bike. I mean, I guess I did, since I was aware people did yoga, but I didn’t know you could have an app without a bike. I’m kind of clueless I guess!
Thanks, J! I haven’t missed the bike since it got hauled away, so I think I did the right thing!
I am sorry to hear that you had that injury and that it is sticking around.
Also, I know the feeling of pushing through because you want to be that strong person and show that you can show up. I often end up in a migraine that throws me off days. I needed to learn that my form of exercise might look different from other people. And that my form of pushing through is actually doing a 5 min yoga session when I feel likeI can’t move my head.
Glad all your stats are still here. That is such a huge motivator.
Thank you, Tobia. I feel exactly the same – my form of exercise looks very different from what other people do.