Anyone with a physical challenge?

I have arthritis, and it does limit my mobility some due to the pain I experience, although it is mostly controlled. I'm looking for people who have similar challenges but are looking to overcome them and still get fit so we can support each other.

Replies

  • spruitt417
    spruitt417 Posts: 101 Member
    Hi! I also have arthritis & fibromyalgia. About 1 1/2 yrs ago I had to start walking with the aid of a cane. Right now my chosen method of exercise is a stationary bike. Up until the beginning of this year I used my condition as an excuse not to exercise.....now I use it as my reason to exercise. My goal is to no longer need the cane to walk. It would be nice to have the support of somone who understands that the pain never goes away, it's just that some days are good & some are bad.
  • izoom3
    izoom3 Posts: 56 Member
    Yup. Arthritis in knees. Really stinks. Limits what I can do. But I kept trying things, slowly, until I found something I can do and enjoy doing that doesnt hurt. Now, occasionally i do hurt but not all the time. Im a much more happy camper than I used to be.
  • oh_em_gee
    oh_em_gee Posts: 887 Member
    Hi! I also have arthritis & fibromyalgia. About 1 1/2 yrs ago I had to start walking with the aid of a cane. Right now my chosen method of exercise is a stationary bike. Up until the beginning of this year I used my condition as an excuse not to exercise.....now I use it as my reason to exercise. My goal is to no longer need the cane to walk. It would be nice to have the support of somone who understands that the pain never goes away, it's just that some days are good & some are bad.

    Mine became my motivation too. Less weight would mean less stress on my joints, and I'm sure it would make my foot feel better not to have to carry 200+ pounds
  • liftingcoach
    liftingcoach Posts: 65 Member
    Severly Arthritic knees here!!! Need bilateral knee replacement surgery, but Dr. won't do it until I lose about 100#. In addition, I have bulging disc in my back which can make me almost crippled at sometimes. I cannot run, walk, or do any other leg activities. I can ride a bike, but I only do it when i have someone ride with me, as i am concerned about what happens if I have a bike problem and have to walk a distance to get help! I swim a lot when the weather here permits, and I lift weights almost daily. I have tuned my workout to not put any kind of stress on my back or on my knees, and use a lot of cable work, seated, work,and supine work. I'm hoping to lose the weight to qualify for the surgery to regain my mobility! its basically from a lifetime of activity being overweight!!
  • sed1217
    sed1217 Posts: 228 Member
    I have MS, which thankfully has not limited me physically at this point, but does mean that I have to be careful not to overdo activity and need to take care of myself well. I used to think that you really needed to hammer yourself at the gym to see results, but the walking workouts I've been doing as of late are actually doing more for me than my killer workouts from before, mostly because I enjoy them and can do them every day. I lift reasonable amounts of weight and walk plus eat a healthy diet and I feel great!

    I am trying to lose weight to take stress off of my body as well. Because my MS tends to manifest as weakness at different points in my body, it's important to me to get as fit and light as is healthy for me.
  • karris43
    karris43 Posts: 34 Member
    Herniated disc in back for me. This initially led to drop foot and knee problems and inevitable weight gain.

    I've managed to walk some good distances on a treadmill and I run as much as I can manage. I adapt all exercise to take account of my back, I know my limits. For example, I have been doing the 30 day shred and substituting the jumping jacks (high impact) for marching on the spot. Also, some of the floor exercises I have to skip.

    This way I'm doing what I can to help myself be active whilst realizing my limits. I feel very lucky as I have gone from hardly being able to walk to this level of activity in two years.

    Good luck!
  • I have Fibromyalgia and Chronic Myofascial Pain Syndrome.I am 48, and so far have lost 15 lbs using MFP. I started at 275 lbs. Up until 5 weeks ago I got no exercise. I made a drastic change in my diet and started walking on the treadmill. I walk Monday-Friday. I started off walking for 15-20 min, at about 1.7 mph. I have to be so careful. I am now walking 30 minutes, 15 @2.2 and 15@2.3mph. My most painful areas are my upper back, shoulders and neck. I am scared to anything else in as I don't want to hurt myself and set myself back. My days mostly don't start till noon as my sleep really sucks. I'm have trouble getting my calories in since I don't eat breakfast. I don't know if you can see my food journal but if some one could tell me if I am doing something wrong
    I would ever be so greatfull!
  • Bownzi
    Bownzi Posts: 423 Member
    Yes... I lost all muscle in my left side because of a pinched nerve in my neck. So I am rebuilding my life. I don't have a lot of pain just no ability to work my left arm. I am making progress keeping it going while working out but it's hard....and I feel so handicapped...but with determination I know I will get back my life..
  • Tennessee2019
    Tennessee2019 Posts: 676 Member
    Had arch reconstruction surgery (due to an extra bone in my foot that shredded the tendon that wraps around my arch) on my right foot in 2011. Followed by weeks of rest & months of physical therapy. I now have a 77mm screw in my foot that goes from my heel to about the middle of my foot that still bothers me at times.
  • I have a long term/possibly permanent knee injury. It limits my walking/excersise, basically anything involving my leg as it makes my pain far worse, and I already have a lot of issues with the pain. Although I recently found a cardio in bed work out. I haven't tried it yet, but it's nice to find new things that I can still do :)
  • FitBlackChick
    FitBlackChick Posts: 215 Member
    Not sure this counts, but I have had serious abdominal issues which have led to a major surgery. I have to real careful with the types of workouts I do which can be quite frustrating
  • swashburn3
    swashburn3 Posts: 172 Member
    Does weighing 340 pounds count as a physical challenge?
  • MelissaSel
    MelissaSel Posts: 88 Member
    Four years ago I tore my ACL... didn't have insurance so no surgery. Six months later I fell and tore the meniscus in the same knee (the most painful thing I've ever experienced). Again, no insurance, no surgery. So I've been puttering along, and now my "good" knee is worse than my injured knee, due to compensating. I am limited on how much walking I can do. I can not bike because my knees lock and pop with each pedal. Currently my mode of exercise is water exercises... as long as I can walk in to the pool... I can't bend my knees enough to use a ladder to get out of a pool.
  • I have Multiple Sclerosis and walk with a cane. My paii is chronic, however working out somewhat relieves it. I was once wheelchair bound and now that I am more mobile, my goal is to lose weight and to increase mobility and ability. I have to be careful with certain movements as to not exacerbate pain or fall down due to poor balance and coordination but hopefully one day I can take part in aerobics once again!
  • ropermom
    ropermom Posts: 52 Member
    arthritis in feet=no jogging or running anymore. Instead I jog on a personal trampoline and do a recumbent exercise bike. These are done on alternate days and preceded by calisthenics
  • imani533
    imani533 Posts: 19 Member
    I have arthritic knees and I am oxygen dependent. There are things I can do with the O2 and things that I can't. I would love to try Zuumba but I know that's not possible at this. But, one day........
  • Extra bone in feet (hurts like hell after an hour or two being on them continously), arthritis in knees, and I have some spine curvature.. I don't know if A-Fib and Mitro Valve (heart conditions) count as physical.. I also tore my lumbar muscle from working (it's healed) but it gets sore if I do any back related workouts (what's worse is that standing helps this lumbar condition.. but makes my other problems act up.)

    If I lose weight, I hope that means less pain and pressure on these vital points.

    ..my parents did not breed well.
  • perkypolly
    perkypolly Posts: 22 Member
    I have arthritis in my ankles ,knees ,hips and most all joints. also suffer chronic back pain collapsed discs at epidural point, also chronic fatigue syndrome, along with other medical issues. I have problems with mobility using a cane and cant walk very far. but the main problem is the fatigue its hard to be motivated when feeling so tired. I joined this site sometime last year, but didn't use it, but 4 weeks ago I decided I really needed to do something. I now try and push myself to do at least one thing more per day it may only be walking upstairs one more time or try and walk to the shop on the corner, its only a small step but its more then I was doing.
  • gdedeaux
    gdedeaux Posts: 5
    I have been disabled since birth. The doctors says that I have Cerebellar Atrophy. It affects the part of my brain that controls my balance, coordination, and fine motor skills. I walk with a cane because my balance is messed up. I have scoliosis, severe nerve damage in my legs, and Raynauds Syndrome in both my feet and my legs. A doctor in Texas told me what I had, even though he didn't officially diagnose it. I live by one philosophy in life, and that philosophy is to never give up. I'm probably going to be like that for the rest of my life, and its all good, but I know that God has a plan for us all!!!!
  • mfpcopine
    mfpcopine Posts: 3,093 Member
    I had surgery for a herniated disc, and last year, I injured my ankle doing an exercise that I suspected beforehand was stupid. Still recovering. I developed bursitis or something in one of my shoulders from squash (I think), and one of my biceps is less developed than the other.
  • jmkmomm
    jmkmomm Posts: 3,247 Member
    Put me in this category also. I have MS and I have a lot of fatugue with it. Also with MS heat makes it worse, temporary. so any kind of exercise is difficult. Waht I find I can do is wlak short distances. Going about .2 - .3 miles a t time I can get in about .6 miles. I also can get in the pool at the Y and do silver sneakers water aerobics but I guess I am to lazy to get there when they have the swim classes.
  • ACIC
    ACIC Posts: 7
    I have sever arthritis in my left knee but I am determined to loose the weight, I've been on the treadmill for the last couple of workouts and when I finish I'm in a bit of pain. But I really enjoy working out so I"m going to use the stationary bike for cardio exercise.
  • Cait_Sidhe
    Cait_Sidhe Posts: 3,150 Member
    Yeah, you could say I do.

    I have a very rare genetic bone disease called Congenital Multiple Osteochondromatosis or Hereditary Multiple Exostoses (yes, it has 2 names). I have bone and cartilage tumors on every joint in my body and most of my bones are shaped funny. My tumors have ranged from tiny to grapefruit sized (the largest have been removed). From 3 years old, I've had multiple orthopedic surgeries, most of which left me in worse shape than before the surgery. I used it as an excuse my entire life to not be in shape.

    I'm not using it as an excuse anymore.
  • suz155
    suz155 Posts: 326 Member
    Yup....a-fib with arthritis in the knees.
  • AmyMgetsfit
    AmyMgetsfit Posts: 636 Member
    Torn rotator cuff last year and now tendonitis has set in there which can be just as painful as the tear sometimes. I am working out with light weights and that seems to help. I did do 3 months of PT. I had lost all muscle and strength in my injured arm, but it is getting better but may never be back to 100%. The other shoulder is now showing signs of tendonitis, though I haven't done an mri on that one. I will probably have to do strength training or resistance bands the rest of my life to help keep the pain somewhat manageable. I also have arthritis in my elbows.
  • DeeW99
    DeeW99 Posts: 4 Member
    I too have severe arthritis in the facets down my back, in my hips, pelvis and knees. I also have spinal stenosis and degenerative disc disease in the L4 and L5 along with fibromylgia. I get flareups one of which I am in right now. I was walking with a walker but now I am using a cane. It hurts bad to walk. I can't use a stationary bike due to arthritis in my tailbone (seat hurts big time then I can't sit) plus it makes my hip worse. I have tried physio but they suggested hydrotherapy which I did for 8 weeks but ended up in worse shape. I have visited a chiropractor which helped a tiny bit. I am now trying acupuncture and after one visit I have a tiny bit more mobility so I am hopeful this will help.
    I find it frustrating to not be able to do what I used to just 4 months ago. I am hoping I can get back to that at least. I am about 100 lbs. overweight so the surgeon will not touch my hip or knee joints until I lose weight. I am slowly working on that. Down 23 lbs in the last couple months so hopefully I can keep it going.
    It is nice to know I'm not alone. It's hard for people who feel okay to understand the ongoing non-stop pain a person can be in and still try to do day to day activities.
  • Smokey19
    Smokey19 Posts: 796 Member
    My current physical limitations include arthritis and neuropathy that cause a lot of pain that is somewhat tolerable with a ton of medications. I also have coronary artery disease and have had to have 5 arteries bypassed in my heart. I have diabetes and have balance problems due to the neuropathy and nerves accidentally cut when they harvested a vein for my bypass surgery. Those are just a few of my complications for working out, but I am determined to lose this wt. and get as healthy as I can. Please feel free to add me.
  • WrenTheCoffeeAddict
    WrenTheCoffeeAddict Posts: 148 Member
    Severe Plantar fasciitis in my right foot. No heavy impact exercise like running or jogging.