Excercise Question

[Psyborg]

I've been having serious issues with weight loss even though I'm using the Pred. I think a lot of the weight loss in the last couple months has been due to muscle mass burning off a bit. My question is can I lift weights safely or am I just asking for trouble there until this is under control? I feel ok after riding a bike or walkinig, but I do feel a bit more run down after going to the gym. Just wondering, don't want to cause myself more problems than I'm already experiencing with fatigue and pain.

[pwc51]

My rheumatologist continually reminds me that I am allowed to exercise but not exert - where is the dividing line?! One definition I have heard is that if you can't hold a conversation whilst exercising then you are doing too much. Where does your gym activity fall?

[Psyborg]

If I am lifting weights I'm definitely exerting. I do see a specialist on Friday so I'll stay out of the gym for the week I guess I still enjoy using my Bike while the summer lasts

[Jack]

I would not recommend lifting weights. Pred has a serious effect upon the tendons and you could do yourself damage. I think it would be safer to work on stamina and cardiovascular fitness.
Weight loss and in particular the loss of muscle mass can be a serious problem with Pred although it is not often mentioned on these pages. The more usual effect is weight gain through fat and water retention. I struggle a lot with weight loss and have almost no muscles left in my legs. I could probably improve on this condition a little if I was able to exercise, but a recent fall and the pain that I have in my feet and lower legs prevents this to a large extent.

[elephant]

Psyborg, I would be careful about lifting weights especially when your on prednisone. More likely to tear ligaments and tendons. I think Sangye has some good advice about this.

[Palmyra]

Ditto to all that Jack said...think yoga, pilates, swimming...lean muscle mass is so good for those with AI disease. My former patients positive for HIV used to have doctors orders to develop muscle mass.

Even for a fit Weggie in early 20"s, those tendons and joint are vulnerable. While not recently on pred, my daughter permanently damaged both wrists riding her road bike. Two carple tunnel release surgeries later, she is now swimming and doing yoga for exercise. I am not sure its just pred that makes Weggies joints suseptble. Her joints can blow up for little to no reason if she is not in a solid med induced remission.

How is that injury recovery coming Jack?

[Jack]

How is that injury recovery coming Jack?

Too slow for my liking!

Shoulder and wrist now recovered with some loss of movement, but nothing that bothers me except when I try to wash my back.
New painkiller (Tramadol) is helping with legs and I can now bear my full weight on them at times. Next move is to change from crutches to sticks - I've got some in the pipeline.

[Psyborg]

Ditto to all that Jack said...think yoga, pilates, swimming...

What about Tai Chi? I heard on another spot somewhere that it's good for RA. How bout WG?

[katarzena]

Are we able to get some muscles back if we're still on prednisone on 10mg and below?

[Palmyra]

Such an individual question...exercise and WG! Take a look at this:

Athlete keeps going with dialysis at home

and of coarse we have a female member that has been onsite, and is speaking at the VF symposium. She managed to train for and climb Mt Everest:

Cindy Abbott, Woman With Rare Vascular Disease, Climbs Mt. Everest

I think that all is possible, but one must really be careful as well as smart. My daughter did not 'listen' to her wrists, and she will admilt that. She does still cycle, just not with the same intensity. If a knee is sore, she knows there must be some kind of inflammation going on, so she will work another part of her body. Tai Chi is probably great...

We would need Sangye to weigh in on the muscle mass developement while on low dose pred. :-)