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I am trying to get back into fitness and started running without a properly warming up my muscles. I am now getting knee pain and also popping sound while walking. Right now I have stopped doing exercises like squats and running. Due to that I am gaining weight.
Shall I start my exercise or try aerobic exercise or swimming?
What is the cause of this knee pain?
Unfortunately, we can't tell you the reason for your knee pain. It may be physical, it may be equipment (poor fitting/worn out shoes, etc) or something else. I would recommend getting with a trainer and/or physical therapist to help figure out the cause.
There are many exercises you can do that don't put that kind of stress on the knee, however. Swimming is one, that is almost entirely non weight bearing, and is an excellent cardio option. Another may be a properly fitted bike. While that involves knee movement, it's nowhere near as weight bearing as walking/running.
Ergonomic rowers or actual sculls, all the weight machines and some HIIT exercises are all options as well. And, as you get stronger, you may find that your knee pain lessens too. If you do consult with a physical trainer, make sure to ask them for a list of good exercises to work on weight.
Finally, weight lifting is one of the best methods to transform weight. Don't be so focused on the scale, as the mirror. Muscle weighs more than fat, so initially you may lose a lot of weight (Depending on your start point), and then gain some back as you add muscle. But, muscle burns more calories to maintain, so more muscle = more calorie loss.
Pain comes from somewhere. You have to understand (and get someone to help you understand) what is causing the pain. Is it something in the ligaments ? Muscles ? Bones ? Is it a muscle imbalance ? Is it simply being unused to exercising ? Should you first go for low impact (e.g. bike) exercises before switching to running ? Should you concurrently strengthen your legs & muscles surrounding your knee so that the muscles take the impact and not your knee ?
Lots of things to look at and no easy "cookie recipe". Find someone you can trust to analyze your overall body and pinpoint the potential issues. Finding that kind of person is not so easy from my experience. Even people with nice diploma are sometimes not implied enough to really find the underlying issues and just give you some pain medication and "cookie recipe". Avoid them and find one that truly is interested in helping you in a personnalized manner.
