Arthritis and/or lupus and excersize

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Gl3ndi
Gl3ndi Posts: 20 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Recently I have been suffering from joint inflammation. Under Dr care for a final diagnosis. Before this I was an active person. Run, walk or cardio in the mornings, active with my kids etc. Fell of the wagon for a couple of months and been trying to get back on track. Recently went for a 2 mile walk, after was not able to even get up. I want to include cardio in my weight loss routine.. Any inputs are welcome

Replies

  • MikePfirrman
    MikePfirrman Posts: 3,307 Member
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    Tai Chi is fantastic for people with joint pain/inflammation. It's much gentler and easier on you and it does burn up to 300 calories an hour. My wife has Fibromyalgia and early in her recovery she did a lot of Tai Chi.
  • Chieflrg
    Chieflrg Posts: 9,097 Member
    edited February 2019
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    Whatever cardio you will comply to is fine.

    If that is running, rowing, swimming, etc... it really is up to you and how well you control the joint inflammation.

    I ran every day for over a year with a progressive joint disease that causes lots of inflammation and pain 24/7 and delt just fine because I utilized good load management through a program.
  • chunky_pinup
    chunky_pinup Posts: 758 Member
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    It's really something that you need to discover as we all react differently to exercise. I have SLE (lupus), Behcets Disease, RA, Fibro and EDS to name a few...a lot of the types of exercise recommended (yoga, swimming, etc) actually caused me a lot of additional inflammation and pain and from what I have heard among others in the autoimmune community they felt the same. I have discovered strength training has been my biggest "win" as far as exercise that doesn't cause too much additional inflammation and pain. I've also discovered that the stronger I've become the more adept I am at fighting my illnesses. You just have to kind of play around until you find your "perfect fit" as far as exercise because it really isn't one size fits all. Good luck!
  • cyndit1
    cyndit1 Posts: 170 Member
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    SLE and RA here. I am a runner (distance/endurance) and also spin and lift weights. I find that even though some days are tough (generally my injection days) I do just fine. I take Plaquenil, MTX, Cimzia for my maintenance drugs and have been able to maintain this active lifestyle for almost 10 years. You'll find your balance, I'm just sayting with the right medications, it is possible to be active. I've recently gone plant based and I find that it also has added just that extra that I needed to cut back on extra ibuprofen in the morning.
  • mbaker566
    mbaker566 Posts: 11,233 Member
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    hey behcets! me too @chunky_pinup

    tai chi
    restorative yoga
    light walking, swimming, elipitical

    the biggest thing is something your body will tolerate. that you enjoy. but at the same time know that one day you might be able to walk miles and other days the kitchen is too far away. and that's ok
  • L1zardQueen
    L1zardQueen Posts: 8,754 Member
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    I have RA. I have mostly good days and I have some bad days, like right now. I can’t even run a brush through my hair. It does suck. My sympathies

    Listen to your body.
  • Kandisn29
    Kandisn29 Posts: 92 Member
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    Pilates is low impact but great for fibromyalgia, maybe for your autoimmune issues as well?
  • Gl3ndi
    Gl3ndi Posts: 20 Member
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    Thank you alll. Seeing the group's sometimes I feel a struggle to keep up with the work out and it will be impossible to do. Reading your reply gives me peace. Thank you for your input. I definatly will start trying a couple of the things mentioned above. 💞
  • chunky_pinup
    chunky_pinup Posts: 758 Member
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    Gl3ndi wrote: »
    Thank you alll. Seeing the group's sometimes I feel a struggle to keep up with the work out and it will be impossible to do. Reading your reply gives me peace. Thank you for your input. I definatly will start trying a couple of the things mentioned above. 💞

    I used to avoid groups because I felt inadequate or that I wouldnt' be able to keep up because of my health issues. I made a goal a few years ago to try a group class at my gym. I would get to the gym around the time a class would start...hover around the room...then run off to the weights by myself where I didn't feel judged. When I finally stepped into that classroom, I had a blast! I couldn't keep up the whole time...but I wasn't alone and nobody cared - everyone was at their own pace and having fun and enjoying the company of everyone. I have made lifelong friendships and have discovered types of exercise I would have never incorporated into my workouts. The only person you need to keep up with is yourself - even in a group class. That was something that I really had to learn, but once I figured it out, my whole perspective changed. There's times I'm asked after class by people now if I'm an instructor, because I can rock these classes. There's other days I'm pacing myself and barely making it through the motions. My body is the boss, and I have accepted that. But that's okay. I've found things I enjoy and friends I would have never had. Give it a shot!

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