Low Vit D- should I still workout?

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xxzenabxx
xxzenabxx Posts: 935 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Hey everyone!

So I’ve recently been diagnosed with low vitamin D and magnesium. Ive got bad lower back pain and elbow pain even though I’m only 29. Feel like an old lady! This all started after I got Covid though.
I even suspect I’ve got osteoporosis due to my eating disorder history.
My question is should I continue weight lifting or isn’t that going to make me worse? Have no idea what to do! And is it possible to still lose weight with a vitamin D deficiency?
I don’t want to lose all the muscle that I’ve built over the years! How can I preserve muscle mass without lifting heavy weights?
Sorry if I’m all over the place because I literally am!

Replies

  • NorthCascades
    NorthCascades Posts: 10,970 Member
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    Go outside for a long walk and make some vitamin d!
  • Lietchi
    Lietchi Posts: 6,111 Member
    edited August 2022
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    If you have osteoporosis, by all means continue weight training! Weight training is the best strategy to strengthen your bones (aside from making sure you consume enough calcium, vitamin D and vitamin K).
    But obviously watch out for those painful areas.

    Your doctor should advise you what to do:
    - is the pain due to an injury, which would be aggravated by resistance training or not?
    - and his general advice for your diagnosis
  • xxzenabxx
    xxzenabxx Posts: 935 Member
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    NorthCascades wrote: »
    Go outside for a long walk and make some vitamin d!

    Yeah I’ve been sitting in the sun for vitamin D
  • gpanda103
    gpanda103 Posts: 189 Member
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    xxzenabxx wrote: »
    NorthCascades wrote: »
    Go outside for a long walk and make some vitamin d!

    Yeah I’ve been sitting in the sun for vitamin D
    Resistance training is one of the best ways to maintain bone density. Also, you are much better off sourcing most of your vitamin D from food. Sunlight helps for sure, but stuff like eggs and salmon are your best bet
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,876 Member
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    xxzenabxx wrote: »
    NorthCascades wrote: »
    Go outside for a long walk and make some vitamin d!

    Yeah I’ve been sitting in the sun for vitamin D

    Did your Dr. recommend a D supplement and an amount? Despite regularly being in the sun, I have low D levels without supplementation. I was initially on 5,000 IU per day and my maintenance dose is 2,000 IU.

    I also supplement magnesium citrate at the recommendation of my Dr. Both are pretty common deficiencies and there isn't any reason to avoid working out or exercise because of them. Why do you suspect osteoporosis? If you're worried about it, you should get tested for that to know definitively. If it's a concern, the best thing you can do to preserve bone mass is lifting or otherwise performing load bearing exercises. Women in particular are at higher risk of osteoporosis and aesthetics aside, it's about the number one reason women should be performing load bearing exercise on a regular basis.
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 32,072 Member
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    If it were me, and I thought I could work out without physically injuring myself, I would work out. I doubt that those deficiencies would be a material injury risk. I'm definitely osteopenic, probably now osteoporotic based on my most recent bone density scans, and I haven't stopped working out.

    The back and wrist pain . . . what steps have you taken? Is physical therapy an option? As I've gotten fitter, there have been a variety of episodes of pain, but in most cases getting stronger and fitter has reduced the pain in the longer run (though it sometimes hurts in the shorter run). But to know whether the exercise is making the condition long-term worse, you need to know what it is and get relevant medical opinions on how to manage it (i.e., not just advice from us random folks on the internet).

    Depending on what was going on, some interventions I've used over the years have included massage, osteopathy, braces or wrap or tendon straps, of course ice or heat and OTC meds, physical therapy, epsom salt soaks, supplements, prescription meds, . . . .

    I can't see how vitamin D deficiency would prevent weight loss, though I suppose it could affect calorie needs vis fatigue or something like that. With diagnosed deficiencies, I'd lean toward slow loss/small deficit, to get in as much overall decent nutrition as may be needed. Just my opinion, though.
  • xxzenabxx
    xxzenabxx Posts: 935 Member
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    Thank you for the replies everyone!
    The reason I stopped exercising (except for a little walking and stretching) is because every time I worked out I couldn’t recover. My heart would race and I would struggle to breathe and get palpitations. This was due to low magnesium I think. I’m going to try a light full body dumbbell workout and see if I can recover from that.
    The pain only got really worse in the past two months and that was because I stopped taking most supplements due to a depressive episode. I’d also been avoiding the sun for over a year due to my laser treatment. I’m no longer avoiding the sun though. I’m going to continue with slow weight loss too.
  • xxzenabxx
    xxzenabxx Posts: 935 Member
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    AnnPT77 wrote: »
    If it were me, and I thought I could work out without physically injuring myself, I would work out. I doubt that those deficiencies would be a material injury risk. I'm definitely osteopenic, probably now osteoporotic based on my most recent bone density scans, and I haven't stopped working out.

    The back and wrist pain . . . what steps have you taken? Is physical therapy an option? As I've gotten fitter, there have been a variety of episodes of pain, but in most cases getting stronger and fitter has reduced the pain in the longer run (though it sometimes hurts in the shorter run). But to know whether the exercise is making the condition long-term worse, you need to know what it is and get relevant medical opinions on how to manage it (i.e., not just advice from us random folks on the internet).

    Depending on what was going on, some interventions I've used over the years have included massage, osteopathy, braces or wrap or tendon straps, of course ice or heat and OTC meds, physical therapy, epsom salt soaks, supplements, prescription meds, . . . .

    I can't see how vitamin D deficiency would prevent weight loss, though I suppose it could affect calorie needs vis fatigue or something like that. With diagnosed deficiencies, I'd lean toward slow loss/small deficit, to get in as much overall decent nutrition as may be needed. Just my opinion, though.

    For the back and wrist pain I’m hoping the vitamin D and a magnesium spray that I ordered off Amazon will help. I also started a vitamin d spray.
  • xxzenabxx
    xxzenabxx Posts: 935 Member
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    cwolfman13 wrote: »
    xxzenabxx wrote: »
    NorthCascades wrote: »
    Go outside for a long walk and make some vitamin d!

    Yeah I’ve been sitting in the sun for vitamin D

    Did your Dr. recommend a D supplement and an amount? Despite regularly being in the sun, I have low D levels without supplementation. I was initially on 5,000 IU per day and my maintenance dose is 2,000 IU.

    I also supplement magnesium citrate at the recommendation of my Dr. Both are pretty common deficiencies and there isn't any reason to avoid working out or exercise because of them. Why do you suspect osteoporosis? If you're worried about it, you should get tested for that to know definitively. If it's a concern, the best thing you can do to preserve bone mass is lifting or otherwise performing load bearing exercises. Women in particular are at higher risk of osteoporosis and aesthetics aside, it's about the number one reason women should be performing load bearing exercise on a regular basis.

    I suspect osteoporosis because I have a long history of disordered eating. Over exercising and under eating to be precise. I feel cracking in my bones and last year my knee twisted! I haven’t lost any strength though but I’m worried that I will. Oh and I’m an Asian female! Arthritis runs in my family.

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