I've had history of degenerative disc disease invoving L4/5 & L5/S1 for over 15 years. As a result I have osteoarthritis of both knees and feet. I would like to lose weight & incorporate exercise into my life as well without causing further damage to my discs. I have found that I am able to do brisk walks and use the exercise bike in the past but was wondering if somebody with similar problems could recommend specific exercises that would be okay and help me in trying to lose weight. I was actually contemplating going to Curves as a place to start and see how I do there. Anyone have any suggestions????? Any responses would be appreciated.....Goody

Personally I would NOT recommend going to Curves.

Their programs (and many other "generic" prpgrams) are focused on "total body workouts" or "circuit training." While some of these exercises will be fine for you, others will definitely aggrevate your back problems.

I'd recommend going to a physical therapist who specializes in spinal problems and have them develop a custom routine for you. I used to go to a chiropractor who was also a physical therapist, and while he NEVER "cracked" my back, he was very knowledgable about the right way to exercise and had all the necessary equipment and facilities to teach me how to complete the workouts he designed.

Trial and error is not the way to go if you have a medical condition which will affect your ability to exercise. See a doctor for professional advice.