I was wondering something. When you have a good day and you are a little bit more active, do you suffer the next day with stiffness? How the heck is a person suppose to keep active? I cant find the happy medium.....
Lesle
i am TOTALLY with you in this.
It frustrates the heck out of me!
For years I did no exercise for fear of hurting my joints. My rheumatologists never suggested exercising. My husband joined a gym and when he saw 75 year olds with canes exercising, he bought me a membership since if they could do it, so could I. He was so right but I started off very slowly.
For myself, swimming is the absolute best since you put no weight on the joints. Next best is the eliptical trainer. My knee hurts from the bike and from too much time on the treadmill. I absolutely can't run.
Weight training does wonders too. Start light and build up but don't go too heavy. If anything hurts, don't do it or just as lightly as possible.
Just moving the joints around keeps them more fluid.
When you feel really stiff, then don't exercise that joint that day. I find, I might do upper body on the days my knees hurt and walk when my hands and wrists hurt.
The exercising made me look so much better and strengthening the muscles puts less stress on the joints. It's gotten more difficult in the last year, since I went through menopause and my arthritis has gotten worse. Funny thing is sometimes I feel too tired to work out but after I start, I feel more energized.
Whenever you feel decent move. Just don't overdo it.
that is the prob...i never know when i am overdoing it. in my past life (until 1.5 years ago), i was an avid runner. used to pushing myself. pushed through LOTS of pain. Ran 5 miles 5 times a week. I have learned that i absolutely positvely can NOT run at ALL anymore. I pay in many, many ways. I have ben walking as much as i can, but my hamstrings jsut get tighter and tighter. Then when i take several days off, it does not reverse the tightness, even with baths and light stretching.
I just went to the gym, and am in lots of pain, but did it anyway. I do not have joint issues, i have pain in all of my tendons and fascia. So i went and did the eliptical...just 25 minutes. some light weights. My achilies tendon hurts more than ever, and the soles of my feet feel llike i am walking on fier. However, i hurt whether i work out or not, so i am really REALLy confused! Just can't get used to living a sedentary life, and i feel that we have tos tay strong. BUt am i causing damage to tendons? Who knows?
Sorry for all the rambling. Thanks so much for listening.
A
HI All
I am new to the RA lifestyle, I was just diagnosised in Feb 2005, I was very active myself prior and can not think about a life of being seditary and not being able to do the thing I like to do.
I found for myself that walking is the best thing to keep me going. I can walk through the pain and it usually feels better after a while. I walk 5 to 8 miles a day depending on how I feel. On days I have no pain I get a lot done, but I always feel like I pay for it the next day. I guess this is how it is going to be.
I also have tendon problems and have ruptured one of mine. It sucks that is for sure but I found just wrapping them in an ace bandage and giving them support when then need it really helps me. I still walk anyway. My heels hurt too, and found the gel inserts in my shoes help a lot.
thanks for reading. J
My feet hurt from walking prior to last may I worked out 7 days a week I had pnuemonia and pluersy first then ra attacked . I started on and off to go back to the gym in sept I get these travling flares and the last one finished about 2 wks ago and lasted 3 wks so When that is happening I can do nothing. But otherwise I ride the exercise bike for 30 min 4x a weeks and now I am going to start water exercises at a pool for arthritis it is heated more than normal. And I am on a wait list for phsio as a out patient at a hospital so she can teach me how to move and exercise this body the problem is that you need tobuild your muscle so that it supports your joint but if you are inflammed you have to be carefull not to hurt yourself. So reconizing that it hurts more than normal or it does not feel right is inportant and the saying if you do not move it you will lose it is wise....So just learning what works for you is the best policy...........TERESALesle,
Exercising stimulates me and helps me stay awake past 7:00 PM Thank God for that...LOL....I miss the days when I use to run 3 miles a day but now I am happy just to walk 1 to 2 miles a day( if I feel up to it)...Someimes when I feel really frisky, I will jog in place for as long as I can and then finish up with a quick walking stride for 10 minutes, so far so good...Course then again, it may be the Prednisone doing that...I hate Prednisone but I hate it when I get off it...What a viscious circle life can become....
Hope everyone is having a great day.
Toni
Toni,