Exercising w/ a disability

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icanmovemountains
icanmovemountains Posts: 100 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I have a disability, chronic widespread pain throughout my joints and back. I still go to the gym almost everyday and Ive noticed that my joints are feeling MUCH better, especially my knees. My back is still really painful and I have to spend a lot of time lying on the floor stretching out. So its still a struggle everyday to get up and move. Does anyone else have experience struggling to workout, or even move, with a disability, chronic pain, or an injury? What motivates you to keep going despite the pain? Im curious to learn about other with similar struggles.

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  • icanmovemountains
    icanmovemountains Posts: 100 Member
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    Not posting for bs sympathy. Genuinely here to meet other people w/ similar struggles.
  • L1zardQueen
    L1zardQueen Posts: 8,754 Member
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    I have RA and my symptoms under control. I can do just about anything now. Are you under a care of a doctor's for your pain?
  • icanmovemountains
    icanmovemountains Posts: 100 Member
    edited February 2018
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    Tiny_Dancer_in_Pink wrote: »
    I have RA and my symptoms under control. I can do just about anything now. Are you under a care of a doctor's for your pain?

    Do you find that exercise played a part in getting your symptoms under control? I have a GP I go to regularly, a chiropractor who takes care of my back once a week, and a sympathetic dad who also has chronic pain. Im well taken care of, lol!
  • Chieflrg
    Chieflrg Posts: 9,097 Member
    edited February 2018
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    I'm have extreme pain 24/7 in my joints do to RA.

    Do I struggle to train? Well yes and no. I'm limited by things that words can't describe, but I found ways to progress.

    I struggle more to hold a cup of coffee in the morning or to walk when I wake up. It's the cards I'm dealt and I'm fine with it.

    I retired from football in my early thirties when I first was diagnosed. Was using crutches or a wheelchair for a spell. Now I'm now med free and play catcher for baseball and powerlift year round nearing 50 years of age.

    It's possible to do alot if you just find a path you can walk as long as you know you will stumble more than some others.
  • L1zardQueen
    L1zardQueen Posts: 8,754 Member
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    Exercise helps with my sanity but sometimes I have flare ups and I just have to deal with it. I can’t sit for too long during the day and long car rides are murderous for me. I have a great Rheumatologist who has a big heart and understands my need to stay active.

    I’m glad you have help and sympathy. Hugs
  • urloved33
    urloved33 Posts: 3,325 Member
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    I have several issues. there is nothing better for me than exercise regardless of how hard it is...so I do it. its healing.
  • AZMary50
    AZMary50 Posts: 4 Member
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    I'm sorry you have to struggle with Chronic pain. It's amazing that you are pushing yourself to exercise despite the pain! I had chronic pain for years. What kept me motivated was the feeling that I needed to keep movement in my body that would become stiff. Found out after years of Drs. visit some things I was doing was aggravating my pain. I changed those things and kept walking/hiking daily. Then I discovered quite by accident that a drink my daughter gave me gave me more relief than the anti-inflammatory prescription. It had a ton of b12, l-glutamine, taurine, and minerals. My pain is under control now for the most part, but I usually adjust to how my body is feeling on any particular day instead of trying to push hard and I try to take the supplements that were in the drink.
  • zilkah
    zilkah Posts: 207 Member
    edited February 2018
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    I have RA and before diagnosed accidentally did permanent joint damage to my wrist and left big toe (thought it was just normal pain but kept working out and my body being in a constant state of inflammation attacked my own joints). Because of this I can't do a lot of things (lunges, high impact , push up or plank position) . It's made some stuff more difficult but I've learned to work around it . I always have to stop when something feels even a little off and I have committed to more rest days . Exercise helps but for me it is EASILY overdone, so when my mind wants to push through some pain , sometimes I have to actually take s step back . Diet helps a lot . Whey aggravates my inflammation so I have cut way back and had to tweak how I eat.

    It's okay to suffer a bit in workouts but if you have a serious medical issue for your pain don't kill yourself . I'm not 26 yet , am left handed , and now ruined a good part of my dominant hand by partially not taking it easy in the gym.
  • icanmovemountains
    icanmovemountains Posts: 100 Member
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    Thanks for all your stories! It’s so inspiring to find other people pushing through the pain and frustration and exercising to improve their health! I had a recent flare up where I could hardly sit on an exercise bike without shooting pain up my back. Now it’s under control again, thank god for chiropractors!
    AZMary50 wrote: »
    I'm sorry you have to struggle with Chronic pain. It's amazing that you are pushing yourself to exercise despite the pain! I had chronic pain for years. What kept me motivated was the feeling that I needed to keep movement in my body that would become stiff. Found out after years of Drs. visit some things I was doing was aggravating my pain. I changed those things and kept walking/hiking daily. Then I discovered quite by accident that a drink my daughter gave me gave me more relief than the anti-inflammatory prescription. It had a ton of b12, l-glutamine, taurine, and minerals. My pain is under control now for the most part, but I usually adjust to how my body is feeling on any particular day instead of trying to push hard and I try to take the supplements that were in the drink.

    What drink did you take to reduce your inflammation? What it like a tea or something? I’m very curious!
  • AZMary50
    AZMary50 Posts: 4 Member
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    What drink did you take to reduce your inflammation? What it like a tea or something? I’m very curious!

    icanmovemountains,

    My daughter used to sell Amway. I started buying the XS drinks to support her. The cans are small and have about a cup of coffee caffeine in them. The energy comes from the B12 vitamins and other B vitamins. I don't buy them anymore because I only did it to support her, but I loved them and may start buying them in the future again.
    Right now I purchase the vitamins, minerals and aminos in pill form from the store - not as flavorful :(, but I literally found out by accident how much the drinks helped me make it through a workout and recover afterward. It truly was an immediate improvement for me. It also had a calming effect - but that may be because I replaced my coffee with it. If you Google XS drinks ingredients you will see the list in some of the sites.
  • lorrpb
    lorrpb Posts: 11,464 Member
    edited February 2018
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    icanmovemountains wrote: »
    I have a disability, chronic widespread pain throughout my joints and back. I still go to the gym almost everyday and Ive noticed that my joints are feeling MUCH better, especially my knees. My back is still really painful and I have to spend a lot of time lying on the floor stretching out. So its still a struggle everyday to get up and move. Does anyone else have experience struggling to workout, or even move, with a disability, chronic pain, or an injury? What motivates you to keep going despite the pain? Im curious to learn about other with similar struggles.

    See bolded part. This, and the improved functionality, is the motivation! Consider whether every day is the right amount for you, or if 3x would be easier on your body. Lots of folks have found water classes to be quite helpful also.
  • BrendaEldridge
    BrendaEldridge Posts: 3 Member
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    I suffer from chronic pain in my right shoulder, right wrist (at times), both knees and left ankle. What keeps me going as far as exercising most days is that I feel better afterwards. I don't hurt as much and it helps me to make it through the day at work where I am on my feet a lot and walking, typing, writing and interacting with clients for most of my shift plus (work 40+ hours a week). I work out to various genres of music so that also helps my psyche. We know that the disabilities, chronic pain, injuries and the like can also affect our emotional health, so working out also keeps me in a good space. If I am in pain, I take it easily and slow; may just stretch that day for a while or just rest...
  • firef1y72
    firef1y72 Posts: 1,579 Member
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    icanmovemountains wrote: »
    I have a disability, chronic widespread pain throughout my joints and back. I still go to the gym almost everyday and Ive noticed that my joints are feeling MUCH better, especially my knees. My back is still really painful and I have to spend a lot of time lying on the floor stretching out. So its still a struggle everyday to get up and move. Does anyone else have experience struggling to workout, or even move, with a disability, chronic pain, or an injury? What motivates you to keep going despite the pain? Im curious to learn about other with similar struggles.

    I have EDS type 3 (hypermobility type) and thanks to the regular dislocations and sublexations throughout my younger years have pain in almost every joint. For a long time I let it stop me doing anything and so I gained a lot of weight which became a vicious cycle.
    I'm not going to lie, when I started exercising the pain got worse for the first few months, but then it started to ease thank to losing weight and strengthening the muscles around the joints. I still live with pain every day, but it's bearable and I've reduced my painkillers to virtually nothing. Plus I don't allow the pain to stop me from doing anything (I know the difference between the chronic pain and pain from an injury that means I need to stop). I train every day (atm in April it'll go down to 6 days) and am careful to make sure I stretch properly after each session. From being unable to walk across a room without crutches in November 2015, I'll be running my first marathon in April this year.

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