Seven minute workout update

Alert for old Rock Stars and retired Superheroes ! (including anyone who was ‘sporty’ in their youth ! )

If you have dodgy knees DO NOT DO THIS !

Hi Folks I

n my New Year message I spoke about the 7 Minute Workout app, which I have found very helpful.

And I mentioned that if you have knee problems you should seek advice. Well, this is exactly what I’ve just done, in detail today [Sat 14 Jan], and I wanted to share what I learned with you all … especially if you are prone to any kind of knee problems that result from wear and tear. This is fairly serious stuff – you only get one set of knees in your life.

I consulted with my wonderful knee surgeon Professor Fares Haddad – who operated to give me a replacement knee a couple of years ago (very successful)

His advice was clear. The following exercises in the 7-Minute workout are NOT advised for anyone with knee problems.

Number 1 – Jumping Jacks …. NOT advised.

Number 5 – Chair Step-ups …. NOT advised.

Number 6 – Squats …. OK, but do not bend further than a 90 degree angle (a right angle) of the knees.

Number 9 – High knees running in place … NOT advised.

Number 10 – Lunges …. NOT advised

(Numbers 2, 3, 4, 7, 8, 11 and 12 are all OK)

So of the 12 exercises, 4 of them should not be part of your regime if you have knee problems, and number 6 should be performed with careful attention to how much you bend the knees. Now, to my mind, this does not mean we have to quit the program of 7 Minute Workout exercises (although I did stop for a couple of weeks pending getting this detailed advice, because I started to feel some pain). My plan is substitute different exercises for the ones which are harmful to my knees.

I’m considering talking to the people behind the workout to see if they are interested in offering a different set of exercises for ancient athletic people like us !

But meanwhile, I’m going to experiment. Prof Haddad says that, for the knees, exercise biking is infinitely preferable to running. So instead of the Jumping Jacks, and High Knees running in place, I’m going to do biking – they’re both cardiovascular in intent. For Chair Step-Ups I’m going to do the kind of bicycling you can do lying on your back and elevating the whole body to vertical above the shoulders. I don’t know what you call that. But it’s non-impactful on the knees. I call it Air Bicycling. For Squats I’m going to be careful And for Lunges I’m going to do stretches to straighten the knees and an ‘arching’ exercise to strengthen the glutes. I’ll let you know how I get on.

So my substitute Senior Rock Star 7 Minute Workout in plan looks like this:

1 – (instead of Jumping Jacks) Exercise Bike

2 – Wall Sit

3 – Push-ups

4 – Abdominal Crunch

5 – (instead of Chair Step-ups) Air Bicycle

6 – Squats …. only to 90 degree angle

7 – Chair Triceps Dips

8 – Plank 9 – (instead of High Knees Running) Exercise Bike

10 – (instead of Lunges) Stretches and Arching

11 – Push-ups with rotation

12 – Side Planks