Physical fitness for Weggies

[chrisTIn@]

Today I did a two hours bike-ride. This is the first time in months that I felt good enough to do such a physical excercise.
I did a trip in the countryside, near the city that I live in, and I enjoyed it very much.
I'm curious how my muscles will react.

Do you other Weggies practice some kind of physical training?
And how do your bodies respond?
That's what I would like to know...

[hilhoff]

Whenever i used to feel really good I would go out and either walk, try some sit ups, push ups, ride on a bike. normal exercise stuff.
but afterward i was usually unable to function 3-4 days after doing it. :/
I'm glad your able to get out and work out, as soon as them dang blood clots are gone I'll be doing the same thing.
hope all keeps moving forward.

[drz]

Today I did a two hours bike-ride. This is the first time in months that I felt good enough to do such a physical excercise.
I did a trip in the countryside, near the city that I live in, and I enjoyed it very much.
I'm curious how my muscles will react.

Do you other Weggies practice some kind of physical training?
And how do your bodies respond?
That's what I would like to know...

I recently started a program of walking on the tread mill to try build up muscle strength in my legs and my endurance. I started out at .6 mph (one Km) per hour and initially I could only go 1/8 mile or a couple hundred meters. Last time i was able to walk at 1.7 mph or 2 km hour and lasted 12 minutes for .35 mile. I can do this and keep my heart rate now at 70% of suggested red line maximum. If I walk slower I can walk longer but just going up a dozen steps will push my heart rate up 80-90% of max rate.

I find it hard to get appropriate guidance about exercise programs. Physical Therapy and occupational therapy were designed just to get me able to walk again and relearn the basic things like walking up some stairs and getting strong enough to get out of chair from a sitting position. The sports medicine trainers seem to think everyone is training for a marathon or some Olympic sport and are way too ambitious and strenuous for me. The best advice I got was to monitor my breathing and heart rate and oxygen levels and to try to keep the heart rate at 75% of suggested max and O2 levels in high 90s, usually 97-98 % for me. I plan to start working out on the weight machines next. I had to be careful about starting any exercise program because any over exertion when the Wegener's disease was active in the past would cause my lungs to start bleeding or leave me so exhausted I could not do any thing for a couple days. Yet, if you do nothing at all your muscles quickly deteriorate and it takes a while to regain any normal function again. I guess finding a proper balance in exercise is like the rest of our treatment for Wegener's disease, a lot of juggling and trial and error.

[Hammy8241]

Today I did a two hours bike-ride. This is the first time in months that I felt good enough to do such a physical excercise.
I did a trip in the countryside, near the city that I live in, and I enjoyed it very much.
I'm curious how my muscles will react.

Do you other Weggies practice some kind of physical training?
And how do your bodies respond?
That's what I would like to know...

Great work ChrisTIn. Hope you don't suffer adversly to the exercise.

With regard to re-commencing exercise, I found that I could only manage twice or three times a week as the next day, my body caught up with me and I'd just sit around feeling rough. As I started to get the WG under some sort of control, things improved to allow me to run (my exercise) every other day with the rest day being a slow day.

I only run when I/my body feels ok which has meant several starts and stops for me. Certainly move forward in small steps as doing too much will/can put you back and bring symptoms back that you may have thought to be in the past.

As a marathon runner in a former life, I am now so very much slower and if I can manage 5k (3 miles) twice a week, without reaction then I am really happy - does not always work!!

Best advice i can give is to listen to your body and STOP before your body starts talking to you!!

"plan to start working out on the weight machines next"
Drz. Take care with the weights as they can cause damage very easily. (Due to the pred!) I'm sure Sangye will coment further

Slow and steady wins every time

[coffeelover]

I do at least 20 minutes of a walk outside with dogs, or treadmill walk or indoor bike 6 days a week during these winter months. When the weather is nice I do a bit more. For example a walk in the am and a bike ride in the evening.
I always feel better when I get a chance to do a little bit of exercise. I figure, it cant hurt! I do take it easier than I used to though. But something is better than nothing.
LIsa (coffeelover)

[Jaha]

I just went to my Rheumy on Friday. She also dx me with Fibro Myalagia, she wants me to start moving and exercising if I can. After being immobile, for a year that's going to be very hard. But I think I'm going to start trying short walks. Good luck to all with their programs.
Jana

[elephant]

Jaha, since you live in OHIO do you go to the Cleveland Clinic to see a Wegeners specialist?

[Sangye]

drz, ask your doc to give you a prescription for PT to restore strength. They call it "work hardening" which sounds awful but it's meant to build you back up to a normal level of activity. The PT you had was rehab from bedrest. They can do much more for you.

Jaha, how much sugar and white flour do you eat?

[Jaha]

Elephant,

Yes I go to Dr Alexandria Villa-Forte at CC. She is great, and I'm very comfortable and confident in my plan of treatment. Sangye, I eat alot of sugar, but not so much white flour, I think away. I have been looking into a gluten free diet, and it's pretty complicated. I do insurance billing for Ohio Universities Physical Therapy dept and I think I need to talk to the boss about using me for student instruction or get a Rx from my Dr. Thanks for your concern. I hope to get stronger soon.
Jana

[Sangye]

Sangye, I eat alot of sugar, but not so much white flour, I think away.
Jana

Bingo, there's your "fibromyalgia." Cut out the sugar and watch it disappear.