Un-springy knees

I don't understand what you mean by 'stopped bouncing', Brahaspatinda. I don't think my knees have ever bounced! Do you mean they stopped bending when you jump?

I have just had a trial jump. Do you mean that thing where your knees bend as you land, ready to send you up again. Mine still do it but the right one hurts.

Ah yes, 'stopped ME bouncing' would perhaps have been a better description, sorry. In fact I think they've stopped automatically bending much because they don't easily bring me back up. (Thank you, j08, for your efforts on my behalf, though!) Despite being fairly agile, I land sort-of stiff-legged and this decrepitude didn't seem to happen as a result of anything except ageing. <WAH>
I'm thinking about what happens when I jump off something, e.g. from a yacht down on to a pontoon, or even just launching myself off a high step. There's no elasticity and I find myself using avoidance tactics
I care less about why it's happened, than what I might do to regain knee control!

You could try one of those exercise trampolines. That might get your knees used to jumping on a bouncy surface, then they might take more kindly to jumping onto a pontoon!

I tend not to launch myself from anything these days unless it's a matter of life or death....

The last time I jumped off a chair onto one leg I couldn't walk for months afterwards. I did run back to a shop a while back when I thought I'd left my credit card on the counter [the adrenalin rush overrode the pain] and, if I kneel down it takes me several manouvres to get back up again.

...oh, I have just started taking glucosamine again recently, even though opinions vary on whether it helps or not; I've got a cupboard full of the stuff so I may as well use it. Will see in a few weeks/months if I creak less .

Ooh, a trampoline, that'd amuse the neighbours...
I'm feeling marginally guilty now - commiserations to all chair-jumpers, because I have no pain. Just wanted to try some exercise that'd avoid getting it, lol. I've taken Glucosamine and Chondroitin for several years now in hopeful fashion and it does help with the 74 stairs to my flat, up to four times a day. After 4 (between classes), I do without whatever it is I forgot! (Yes, I'm taking Omega 3 as well.)

After climbing 74 stairs four times a day I think I'd need a long lie down and stiff . As for jumping off anything - er, no thanks, it'd be a sit down bottom shuffle to a lower level I think.

I would be very careful about using a trampoline as you could easily break other bones.

I meant one of those mini ones used for exercise, not a huge children's one!

I started trampolining about six weeks ago to strengthen bones (i have osteoporosis) and muscles. It's an excellent form of exercise but you must treat it like any other and warm up, build up gradually and cool down and stretch. Go bounce.

I would think that after going up 74 stairs 4x a day, your knees need to rest, not exercise more.
Sounds like you've worn them out!

Climbed 199 steps to Whitby Abbey, only stopping for breath once! Glad I can still do it at 75.

Well done, Mrs Eggy. My knees are defintely less 'bouncy' these days.
Especially now that one of them is made from Chromium Cobalt... this definitely does not bounce..... but at least the pain has gone.. yippee!

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My knees stopped bouncing several years ago too Brahas. And I stopped jumping. Like yours they don't hurt, a bit uncomfortable, but just don't work.

The left one started to creak and rasp and click when walking and eventually, after considerable a bit of persuasion, I managed to get an arthroscopy and have all the gritty bits removed. Wonderful! I could jump down from a boat onto a floating pontoon and everything. Then I put my foot in a hole and fell over. Bad sprain, torn tendons in ankle and knee. (Not a patch on Mishap's fall though) So I'm now nearly back where I started!

Apparently it's mostly arthritis - and age - and as long as I can still walk nothing can be done on the NHS. The exercises I was given are basically climbing stairs and doing squats to strengthen the muscles. No trampolining though.

I've been doing Zumba Gold for the last year and really enjoy it.
I think I know what the OP means by lack of springiness - I had become very hesitant about jumping from anything, but this seems to have improved over the last year. But I've lost weight too and that probably helps.
I did read that doing Zumba Gold increases the amount of synovial fluid within the joints, and that's why they feel better.
But I read it in the MailOnline, so it's hardly evidence-based

I'm off to Zumba Gold in the New Year!

Is Zumba Gold, zumba for older people or is it zumba for those who're experienced in zumba? I'd like to try zumba but am still getting over half dislocating my fibula [the back leg bone] - though it's just strengthening the leg again now that's required - and feel a little nervous about 'bouncy' exercise.

Goldengirl It's for older people who get too puffed out with ordinary Zumba.
I went a couple of times to ordinary Zumba and thought I was going to die
But Zumba Gold is great - just gentle movements in time to the music - some salsa rhythm, some cha cha, some Indian dancing - and you can put as much effort in as you like. It's no more bouncy than ordinary ballroom dancing. There's quite a lot of arm movement so it's good upper body exercise too. The teacher I go to is always stressing that it doesn't matter if you get the steps not quite right so there's no need to feel embarrassed it you don't quite 'get it' at first.
If you google Zumba Gold you should be able to find a class near you.

Maybe you need to strengthen your leg muscles OP because it is not your knee joints that spring, or don't spring, is it?

My knees are very stiff too. I can still hold my foot and get my legs (one at a time like) past my ears, do the splits (Oxford comma required), and get palms on the floor with straight knees. My leg muscles are very strong and very flexible, but years of pointe work have b***ered my knees. I go to adult ballet with my DD when I am in the UK and I can still do most of it, but my pliés are rubbish.

Don't talk to me about springy knees - I was a champion sprinter in my youth (well, on a small scale) and now I can't even run for a bus.
The cartilage wears out as you get older, and I'm a few years older than Carol was, as I used to tell her.
But as others have said, build up the muscles to protect the worn out joints and they'll last longer. Which is why daily walks are so important.

I belong to a walking group, which is made up of mostly older people. I have noticed that we have all lost our spring. If I jump off a stile I land with a definite thump. It seems to take forever for the whole lot of us to get over!