alternative exercise ideas please

skinnymalinkyscot

Hello everyone,

Im 53 and have just started to diet again, have lost a few pounds since starting MFP again, which is very encouraging and my weight was 210 when I started MFP and is now around 203, Im very happy with the rate im losing weight and my calorie allowance.

My problem is exercise and arthritis. I walk every day and have had no problems walking for an hour or two. This is what suited me as I currently am anaemic and take iron tablets (my symptoms being tiredness & breathlessness), I also am undergoing tests to see if I have angina as I have non specific changes to my heart. My doctor has been very thorough in giving me a proper check ups and sending me off for tests.

The anaemia is responding well to iron tablets and my heart thing will sort itself out one way or the other over the next few months under the doctors supervision and I have his permission to walk every day.

As I had high blood pressure too, it was my doctors suggestion I start to diet and take exercise. This is a good thing as hopefully as I lose weight the blood pressure will lower.

Sorry for the long winded explanation as to my current state of poor fitness.

Well like I said everything is/was going well with dieting and walking every day, maybe I should have left it at that, but I bought a home exercise bike and started to cycle along to youtube music videos and thoroughly enjoyed it, I worked up from literally 3 minutes/one song to 30 minutes a day and felt great and my doctor was happy to let me.

Then my knee started to hurt really badly, after a trip to the doctors he said It was arthritis and to stop using the bike as my knee was inflamed. The reason he said it was definitely arthritis is I have had episodes of arthritis in that knee before and by taking up the cycling I had aggravated it again.

In the past I would use ibuprofen gel and glucosamine & chondroitin tablets and it would/does settle down in around 12 weeks and then usually vanishes for a year or so before flaring up again.

In the meantime it hurts to walk, although I do keep walking, hurts to walk up and down stairs, however I have stopped cycling and am only walking at the moment if necessary.

So........advice would be greatly appreciated as to what I could do for exercise. My doctor says to just limp around gently until it resolves itself, which from past experience will be approx 12 weeks.

My question isnt for the next 12 weeks, because 12 weeks isnt the end of the world long term.

I guess im wondering after my knee gets better, when Ive been on the iron tablets loonger and am not so tired and breathless and I should also have a better idea what is going on with my heart, is what exercise would be suitable for me long term?

I kinda think jogging and the olympics is OUT haha, but seriously do I just stick with walking an hour a day? would this be enough to keep me healthy? ( not necessarily about losing weight/burning calories) or do I need to do something else every day, if so any ideas?

From my perspective im happy with just walking as im quite lazy and can easily achieve a one hour walk every day, but never mind me, is there anything else I need to do to stay healthy exercise wise?, because if there is something else I should do on top of the walking then I will give it a go, many thanks in advance.

Carol

TavistockToad

swimming is gentle on the joints, so may be good for you?

Jennyd1314

How about aqua aerobics?

skinnymalinkyscot

Thank you to both of you, I hadnt given swimming much consideration as when I take off my glasses I cant see a thing!, but you ar e both right in that swimming IS good for the joints and the aqua areobics sound like fun, I doubt I would be the only woman who wears glasses who takes up swimming so there must be some way round it ( I dont wear lenses) and there is a swimming pool nearby. I will enquire from them if they do beginner sessions, thank you both so much

Faery_Dust

I was also going to suggest swimming. I had laser eye surgery eventually but totally understand the not being able to see anything without your glasses, so annoying!

Also, it might sound daft but have you tried looking at sit down exercises that are designed for people who have mobility problems? They do a lot of upper body strength training and use things like resitant bands. While it might sound strange, anything that works your muscles and raises your heart rate is going to burn some calories and help with weight loss. Strength training also has the added benefit of helping to retain some muscle that can be easily lost when dieting and doing cardio.

Wilhellmina

Next to swimming maybe yoga and pilates an option? Not that I have arthritis, I was diagnosed with fibromyalgia and yoga helped me a lot.

skinnymalinkyscot

Thank you Faerydust & Wilhellmina too. Is strength training lifting weights? I like the sound of yoga, cant believe I didnt think of yoga myself, thank you .

Sarahlascelles

If eyesight is the main thing putting you off swimming, you can get prescription swimming goggles. I dont have a company name I'm afraid but I've met people who've got them for around £15 - £20, and decent normal goggles can cost that.

acpgee

You can get off the shelf prescription corrected swim goggles. Mine are made by speedo and correct up to -8. I'm actually -10 so wouldn't want to read with them, but it's enough correction to not bump into stuff in the pool.

stefjc

Don't worry about the glasses, plenty of my ladies wear them during class. It is recommended to add one of those glasses cords though

http://www.arthritisresearchuk.org/arthritis-information/conditions/osteoarthritis-of-the-knee.aspx
http://www.arthritistoday.org/where-it-hurts/knee-pain/treatment/knee-exercise.php

These might help reassure you about exercise.

Good luck

Camera_BagintheUK

Or you can get prescriptions goggles - no idea what they cost, but might be a good investment if you want to do lots of swimming? I think my friend got hers from Vision Express?

My mum used to drink nettle tea for her arthritis and swore by it, might relieve some of the pain? She used to go out with rubber gloves on and pick fistfulls of stinging nettles, and wash them and stuff them in a big jug, and pour boiling water over them and leave them to steep. When it was cold, she used to strain off a little swig every time she thought of it, and it kept her going! You can buy nettle tea loose or in herbal teabags - I think Tesco have them, and wholefood shops would.

(ed) there's loads of off the shelf prescription goggles, prices seem to depend on strength of the lens e.g. http://www.prescription-swimming-goggles.co.uk/Adult_Prescription_Goggles.html but they don't seem to go beyond -8 but you can get them made to order presumably stronger - probably cost more though.

Faery_Dust

Thank you Faerydust & Wilhellmina too. Is strength training lifting weights? I like the sound of yoga, cant believe I didnt think of yoga myself, thank you .

Yep, anything really that puts resistance and makes you work your muscles. You could use dumbells or resistant bands, it's quite amazing how much you can get your heart rate up just from seated exercises

Camera_BagintheUK

also I found this yesterday for someone else with Arthritis on MFP
http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/Arthritis/Pages/Exercise.aspx

hanwyz

I use Pilates as I have fibromyalgia, and I find it doesn't cause too much pain. It's more intense than yoga I think so might be good to do in rotation?

beattie1

As well as aquarobics you could try chairobics - aerobics adapted to be done seated. There are several videos on youtube.com showing it. Good luck with keeping fit while your arthritis improves, I hope.

murdledoe

Any type of swimming is excellent. It's good for you in all aspects. Any movement you make will benefit you. If you only work your upper body this will be better then not. If your body won't let you do an aggressive work out, then do a light easy one. Any movement is better then none. Just listen to your body and treat it gingerly.

skinnymalinkyscot

Camera_bagint , Acpgee & Sarahlascelle - i had NO idea you could get prescription goggles that is amazing! Stefjc - thank you for those links I will check them out x plus everyone else posting thank you for all the ideas, so much stuff to choose from that I hadnt considered like Pilates and youtube, many thanks. This is one of the resons why I love this site...so much support available 24/7.

paulyoung1703

Another +1 for swimming.

I have not been doing it long. Have gone from having to stop after 4 lengths to continuous swim for 40 mins in about 3 weeks.

I have a bad lower back, so many cardio stuff is off limits (row, run, etc). Swimming is awesome.

pkw58

I have a a knee that gives me grief but I love Wii Fit Yoga and Barre 3 on line workouts.

Jennvandemark

I vote for swimming or even water jogging. I also wear glasses and am pretty blind with out them. You don't need them for lap swimming as you are in a lane and only going one direction. When I did water fitness I wore my glasses no one ever said any thing.

Good luck to you and congrats on the weight loss so far.

ILiftHeavyAcrylics

I started with just walking (I was diagnosed with lupus) and then added pilates. A few months ago I started lifting weights (I did ask my doctor first) and I've cut down my pain medication 40% since then. I definitely recommend it, but ask your doctor first and if you do start with weights go slow and make sure you're using good form.

sunshine_gem

Next to swimming maybe yoga and pilates an option? Not that I have arthritis, I was diagnosed with fibromyalgia and yoga helped me a lot.

I second this. I have M.E. and have massive problems with my joints and muscles and yoga makes a huge difference. I rotate between yoga and pilates depending on my energy levels and have definitely noticed a difference. I do also use supports whenever necessary, usually on my wrists and I also have a dodgy knee so I have a couple of different supports for that. If you do go for that, don't get discouraged if you can't do the movements straightaway. It can take time to build up to that level and also make whatever modifications you feel are necessary to get you through it. It will get easier! Good luck, I hope you find something useful.

MenaMena

I am taking water zumba and water aerobics classes and I love it. I wear my glasses in the pool and it's no problem. I live in Florida, so the down side lately has been our evening lightning storms. Thanks for the tip about prescription goggles. I will be investing in those. In the meantime, I am really working to just keep moving. I have also been using the rowing machine at my gym and it gives a good overall workout. Good Luck.

Melissa999999

Have you tried Tiger Balm for the pain? I have arthritis in both of my knees and when they hurt that's all I use. I have also heard Bio-freeze is great also.

acpgee

Just found the Speedo Vanquisher goggles that I have on amazon. They are $22, and start from -1.5 to -8 in 0.5 gradients. They come either clear or grey tinted.

acpgee

Oh, and if you go for the off the shelf speedo goggles, you of course won't find an exact match for your eyeglass prescription. Both eyes will have the same correction, for instance. Under correcting is probably more comfortable than over correcting either eye.