Severe B12 Deficiency and Exercise

I have PA with Intrinsic Factor. I was bedridden for 2 years before getting diagnosed.  The atrophy and muscle loss creates more problems to deal with. My daughters are both deficient and exercise regularly, run weekly and half marathons, and Pilates. Our physician encourages us to do all we can to build stamina and tone muscle.  This has also improved keeping balance.

Good morning Jasmyne, I do armchair Pilate's its quite

Good you know youve had a work out,the reason its armchair is we r all in our 60's a70's and 80's and all have back knee problems etc.I hadn't done any exercise,due I now know to b12 deficiency, had no energy,walking got me out of breath,

B12 injections, I've had 6 they have helped slightly, but as Clive on this site says, it could take weeks or months to recover,the damage deficiency caused, gentle exercise to strengthen those muscles building yourself up again. Yoga very good too,take it easy.

Try waling too. Good luck.

You’ll no when your better make sure they’re giving you enough injections.

I find Yoga is very good, and is helpful to learn breathing techniques and increase muscle strength. It does need to be a gentle exercise to begin with, it’s very easy to overdo things with this condition. If you do that, then it can take a while to recover.

Walking is also good, but be careful if your balance is still bad.

Also, make sure you are taking all the co-factors. Folic Acid is necessary for your body to process the B12. 

I have had Pernicious Anaemia (a form of B12 deficiency) for 46 years and I have found during time that exercising with the disease needs to be "self limiting" - do what you can without exhaustion setting in.

Personally I do 20 minutes a day on an electrically power assisted bike which I can pedal whilst sitting in my arm chair.  As others have mentioned, walking is fine as long as your balance is OK which sadly mine at the age of 76 is not.

You don't say what B12 supplementation you are on or whether your Folate level is being checked.

I'd like to know the response to this. I'm finally starting to feel better since starting injections, but exercising is still a problem for me. I used to train for half marathon/triathlon weekly, but I am now finding my heart going mad after only 10 minutes of running at pace and my symptoms return with a vengeance for a few days afterwards. My resting heart rate is about 50 but just walking up 3 flight of stairs and my heart will go to 130. 

I do walk to work every day (15 minutes there and back) and that seems ok, but I hope to be able to resume some level of training at some point, so would also welcome any advice about resuming exercising.