[heavens_child0101]

I am not diagnosed yet. I have a positive ANA (1:320 and speckled) and an appt on December 5 with a rheumy (who I've heard is a really jerk but I'm still hopeful). Anyways I am trying to lose weight because my cholesterol is high. I just started yesterday and I did 10 minutes on the elliptical machine. That was around 12:00pm and by 8pm I could barely walk. My legs were hurting me so bad! My hips, my knees and my ankles were just in agony. It wasn't muscular at all, it felt like when I am having issues with my joints. It is still hurting today and it has been 24 hours. So is it common in lupus for exercise to cause problems or is this more likely to be an arthritis thing or something similar?

 

[Katharine]

Hello there,

If I am flaring or my disease activity is not sufficiently controlled exercise can be a very bad idea. Even the slightest thing - like walking for 15 minutes - leads to major muscle and joint pain as well as extreme exhaustion.

I have found that I can only exercise once that "stage" is passed.

Exercise is, in fact, good for you but that does rather depend just how ill you are at the time. I do now exercise a lot more but even so have stuck with walking (even if much more briskly). On good days I can do about 45 mins or an hour with the dog. On days where I don't feel good I don't push it and wander rather than stride out. Now that I seem to have founf some stability (a good eighteen months after starting treatment) I am considering starting back at aikido but I need to see how my body reacts and not push it.

I can easily identify the bad days not only by my feeling bad but also, I get unaturally hot far too quickly if I try to do exercise and my temperature goes up. If I feel that, even when out walking, I slow down and take it easier.

hope that helps - it's just my experience

Katharine

 

[lin]

sorry you have had a bad day with your exercises, maybe you should go through your dr, meaning mabye he or she could get a physio to give you some to do

my physio only said to me the other week, its a good job you use to go to the gym ,as its proberly that thats kept you going lol!!

No i cant do it now, i just do exerscies what she gives me, careful dont over do things, hope things work out and you can do a little soon

but its hard when your flaring too.!!

take care Lin xx

 

[Maia]

There was a great article on exercise for lupus people that Clare just posted on this section. You may want to read that. Overall, exercise is really important for us (possibly more important than our healthy counterparts). But we do have to listen to our body and start really slowly.

When I first started exercising following a long term and bad flare, I felt much like you. I was only walking 10-15 minutes at a time at a slow pace in the beginning. And by the time I got home I would ache all over but especially my feet and legs would hurt. Over time, it got better.

The suggestion to get started with a physical therapists help is great. I did this too one time - she progressively increased my exercise time in a hot tub pool until I was up to 25 minutes. Then I was able to do them on my own. I really believe that exercise is the most gentle on our bodies - yet can be a decent workout at the same time. And the warm water (90+ degrees!) felt great on the joints too.

There are a lot of options, I think you could keep trying on your own for a while and rest a day or two in between at first and really limit the time and intensity of the workouts. If it doesn't get better/easier, then it's probably for the best to ask your doctor for guidance.

 

[Salopsally]

Now I could do that exercise in a hot tub. That sounds just the thing. Ive no access to a hot tub though. Swimming is ok.. I can do that but the cold changing rooms doesnt appeal too much this time of year.
Im struggling with gym exercises. Its not only very boring and embarrassing it just doesnt make me feel good either .
Embarrassing coz I find it hard to get on the machine and hard to get up off low things and just feel like an old cripple.
I find just shopping for an hour wears me out. Maybe its what came first .. the chicken or the egg? If I persevere with the exercise will it be that I can shop longer? I suppose maybe by not doing the gym its not helping me to do shopping trips.
Just burying my head in the duvet sounds good to me.
Sal x

 

[lynnenoble]

excercise

Hi
I Go To Aqua Arobics Twice A Week, Do What I Can That Particular Night. I Like This And I Find The Excercises A Lot Easier In The Water. Can Suffer After It, But Take Painkillers, And Keep Thinking I Am Doing Myself Good. The Reumy Agrees And Said I Should Keep Going And Just Do What I Can, Everybody At The Class Is Great And Understands. Good Luck