That reminded me @B-Bob if the area behind the kneecaps is sore try to sit with your legs extended versus bent. It helps to take pressure off the kneecap. That was another thing I learned along the way that caused more knee irritation when my knees were already irritated.
Thanks! Luckily, that is not happening yet. I think I mainly need to do more weight-bearing exercise and I'm getting some great ideas from this thread and related suggestions. All except for @KingCheetah's suggestion. Maybe a cheetah can lay around and the start sprinting at full speed with no extra wall sits, but not the rest of us.
Sorry bro. That doesn't sound fun. Putting on flab is no fun. Been there and done that (frequently). On the bright side, you've got the smarts now and know what it takes to get back in shape. Never stop!
I now need hiking poles for downhill portions of my hikes more than 500 or so feet, and may soon need them for the uphills too.
Current strategy is to beat them into submission. Occasionally I’ll wear a sleeve but that’s more for cushion when I bang knees or hit the floor. Every now and then, I’ll wake up in the middle of the night with excruciating pain in my knee, though. There’s not much cartilage left in these suckers.
I haven't looked into it recently, but for the longest time doctors and researchers could not figure out any reason how/why it works for some people. The consensus was "if it works for you, take it". I don't follow the directions "take 2 3-times a day for a week and then 1 a day after that", but when my knees start to act extra crackly and angry, I'll take it for a week or so and it does seem to help. https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/the-latest-on-glucosaminechondroitin-supplements-2016101710391
