My next appt. aint til monday and im sooo stiff today.. Can yall recommend any excercises that I can do to help? I have been hesitant do do much of anything because Im not sure If I could be hurting myself more. I feel like all my bones need to pop today...
Linda
Take a hot bath , soak 10 minutes and then gently move all your joints in the warm water.
I know I sound like a broken record with the hot bath thing but it always helps me.Try doing gentle stretching. Allan posted a while ago that he does Yoga daily. I bought a beginner's yoga book with lots of pictures to guide me. I feel really good if I can get down on the floor - or even flat out on the bed - and just stretch. I stretch my body as long as it can go and close my eyes and breath. I have a Yoga for Dummies DVD I use when I'm not feeling too good.
Sometimes I can't do the harder poses but it helps when I just need a
bit of excercise.
Or go for a walk!
Actually, any kind of movement will help. In people with RA, the
synovium fluid in our joints turns to gel when we're still, so that's
why we feel stiff in the morning, and why a hot bath helps (helps make
the fluid get back to a liquid state). Any kind of movement sort of
stirs the fluid up and makes it less viscous, so even though it feels
hard to do, moving around is the prescription for this affliction!
I ordered Healing Yoga from Chapters/Indigo Bookstore online. It's goodHi, Probably the best are the gentle ones. My PACE class ,(people with arthritis can exercize) only meets twice a week though, has a series of movements that starts with the neck, shoulders, arms, hands fingers , legs feet. and works around the body. Gentle things that stretch, and move every thing. I'll try and dig out my copy (I was asked to teach the class but I didn't want to be tied down every Tues and Thurs) I do them at home. Sarah Lyndai do tai chi for arthritis. it has been the best thing i ever did. when i started 4 years ago i was walking only with a stick now i only need it occasionally when really bad. its so relaxing yet very powerful.
Enroll now in a water exercise class for arthritics. For information, go to http://www.arthritisfoundation.org then enter your zip code in the little box on the home page. It will bring you to another page... click on programs and services link on the left and it should bring up a list of places near you that offer a class that is appropriate to our diseases. NOT moving is the worst thing you can do.
My classes start June 7th -- and I can hardly wait!
j
Gimpy, didn't know Yoga for Dummies DVD, I'm headed out the door to the bookstore. Hopefully, I'll find it. Glad you posted. Lindy