Physical activity - how much
Posted , 15 users are following.
When being on the right dose of pred. can one then live "as normal". Take my bike to work, lift heavy shopping, run after the bus, garden work, lift my grandson high in the air - even go to the gym ? Or is that asking for to much. I know I have to listen to my body, but what can I really expect. Sorry for the many questions.... went to 17,5 today - as I can´t get past this flair that came from going from 15 to 12,5 😦
0 likes, 22 replies
Anhaga krillemy
Posted
Not being particularly athletic when I started pred I was suddenly able to do everything I'd done before being ill, all my physio and yoga and walking and what not, but I'm not a sporting type so the bar was, perhaps, not very high. On the other hand I've aged a great deal in the subsequent four years since starting pred and hurt more, the osteoarthritis I've had half my life is getting quite a bit worse. This is a long way of saying, do what you can, see how you are, and carry on as you are able. Just be a bit more careful if you're into vigorous activity because as you know exercise causes tiny tears in the muscles and these, like everything else, don't heal as quickly with pred and PMR.
krillemy
Posted
Thanks to all for you input! It seems that it is very individual. I am "only" 51 years old, but I was in a bad state for more that a year before I was prescribed pred. I was weak, lost 20 kg, muscle atrophy in my shoulders and the front of my thighs (still there), tied and exhausted, night sweats, dizziness, bad concentration, and eyesight. I had a strategy for getting in and out of bed, turning in the bed, ect. needed help for almost everything. There where ups and downs - you all know. So pred. was a miracle I never expected. I will take care and be patient and wait for it all to heal. I understand now that the healing process takes longer with PMR. But it is difficult, because one thing is the muscle pain (comes only now when using them too much), but my joints seems to become easly "overworked" or sprained. Sorry for the English - I´m Danish
nick67069 krillemy
Posted
If you had PMR for a year before being diagnosed, then you should take it easy. Although PMR impacts muscle tissue ( as implied in the name), it also restricts blood flow in to connective tissue and in that way makes your joints weaker. With weaker muscles there is nothing to give your joints stability. Be especially careful not to load your knees and/or lower leg ligaments/joints. Those injuries take a long time to heal, if ever. Give preference to non weight bearing exercises like swimming or biking.
Rebuilding muscle tissue while on steroids is next to impossible, so be careful if you are doing weights, higher rep lower weight is better then doing max weight load with lower reps.
krillemy nick67069
Posted
That makes a lot of sense, as it is my knees and hips that gives in first. I actually feel them to be unstable and my knee "disappears" underneath me so to speak. The also swell above the kneecap. And I feel ill when lifting (trying) something too heavy. Thank you for the explanation
Michdonn krillemy
Posted
krillemy, ride your bike, yes maybe not as fast or as far, yes lift shopping, yes gardening and yard work, my grandson in college I haven't try to lift him in years, yes I am in the gym 3 days a week, plus I have worked as a ski instructor every year since having PMR. I do listen to my body, but occasionally do over do it. I feel I live a normal life and at the first sign of a flare increase my Prednisone. Thanks to Pred I live a normal active PMR pain free live. Go luck on the rest of your PMR journey, try to stay active, positive and smile. Smiling 🙂