Exercise questions

After a few months of pred all the knee symptoms had disappeared - the pred reduces any inflammation in joints so the pain goes away. Some people find OA pain returns when they get to low doses, but for many the so-called OA was the PMR affecting joints.

Exercise is fine as long as you don't overdo it - and that means an amount that doesn't leave feeling stiff and sore the next day. In the first few years of PMR I could barely manage a couple of short ski runs at the beginning of the season, I skied like that twice a week for the first few weeks, then moved up to more like 3 times a week. I also added an extra run every so often - occasionally finding myself half-way down that extra run and hitting the wall of fatigue! But by the middle of the season I was skiing steadily for a couple of hours with no problems before stopping for a hot chocolate. 

With PMR Your muscles are intolerant of acute exercise - that means they don't recover as fast as normal. If you build up very gradually as you have done and have had no problems - great! 

Whereas I used to walk at a rigorous pace for 3 miles a day, up and down a mouintain road, now I can only do 2 miles at a much slower pace, and I had to build up to that by starting at 1/2 mile, then 1 mile, then 1 1/2 miles, etc -- and often I can't go up and down that hill.  I find that at the rigorous and strenuous pace, that's when my rib cage problems flare up (which is where I am right now).

My muscles simply do not like strenuous activity right now! 

     I mentioned the nustep machine which is made here in Michigan but, even here, it is terribly expensive: more than $3000.  The alternative to buying one is to drive to a good local gym- not a great idea when it snows, but after the roads are plowed I can do it.  

     I initially bought a recumbent bicycle (for $700) and used that for a couple of years, but then my bad knee couldn't be bent as much as the bicycle wanted to bend it.  The nustep, however, doesn't work like that- you can take short steps as well as long ones at different degrees of resistance.  So I plop something in front of me to read, put on cheerful music, and exercise.     

My gym is state of the art and even has a warm water pool so it is frequented by all kinds of disabled and overweight people as well as the young and fit.  Warm water pools are a great way to meet people because one doesn't swim but stands to exercise, so that is conducive to chatting. (This is where I met the dwarf and the Usher's syndrome lady. )  However when I got Raynaud's syndrome,  I couldn't even take the warm water pool without my hands turning blue! The prednisone  seems to have cured that- another good thing.  But warm water pools are pretty rare, even here.  I know I am fortunate.  I do hope all of you can also find good places to go.