Lisa
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archived from original forum - jysmith author
Hi all! Don't know that this will be helpful, but thought I'd throw in some thoughts about exercise that has worked for me. I have a lot of problems with inflammation, and it seems to be the enemy of exercise, but exercise seems to help my inflammation over time. Makes it awfully hard to stay in shape, though! For me, there are a few things that have made it possible to exercise, and I've really suffered with rebound pain from exercise and even from just walking around the house or standing up too long. There have been several times that I've had to work back up from being completely de-conditioned, and it's not for the faint-hearted! But, I have to say it's been worth it in terms of increased energy. Of course, if you're in a horrible flare, don't push yourself. Wait until you're having a pretty good day and take it very, very slowly. Just moving around in a warm pool can be really helpful and a good way to start if you have access to one. If not, there are plenty of free ways to exercise. ALWAYS start with slow, gentle stretching before exercising (minimum 10 minutes, 20 is better). Hold all stretches for at least 20 seconds to get long-term benefit from it. Yoga stretches are great, and there are also some programs on FIT TV and some other exercise channels, or there are stretching videos at public libraries. Stretching after exercise is also critical, same thing as before. Sometimes I even stop in the middle of a walk or workout to stretch a little. Build up exercising slowly. Start with a short walk, even if that's just from the bed to the front door and back. Use a can of food or a one-pound weight to start doing upper body strengthening.Just because the first workout felt really good, doesn't mean you should do double the next day. Build up really, really slowly. If you start doing too much, you can have rebound pain, which doesn't make you want to do that again! Heat and Ice. If your muscles aren't warm, a little gentle heat will help loosen them up. If you're in really cold air conditioning or in winter, this might be helpful. After exercising and stretching, ice your neck or low back or hips or wherever you think the pain originates. NEVER ice before you stretch or exercise, because it stiffens the muscles and can cause an injury. But, after exercise and stretching, it might help reduce rebound inflammation and pain. Medication. Take extra antihistamines before you exercise, if you think it will be a trigger, and pain after or during exercise can be an indication that you're triggered. If you can take Tylenol or NSAIDS before you exercise, that might be helpful. Somebody on the forum said she'd signed up for a cardiac rehab program, which sounded like a great idea, or even physical therapy (which I've done a couple of times), because insurance pays for it, and it's designed for people who are starting from square one. Hope that is helpful. Hope all of you who are hurting have a better day tomorrow! Joan
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