Some Help Please?

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I have rheumatoid arthritis with osetoarthritis in both knees. I am bicycling with my husband for cardio as it doesn't hurt my knees like the elliptical does; i notice when I ride for an hour or so I gain a couple pounds the next day. We ride Monday, Tuesday, Friday and every other Saturday and Sunday, working around his schedule and the fact it gets dark early here (we live in a large metro area and our bikes don't have lights).

A) Is it normal to gain weight after a long cardio session?
B Is it okay to ride on successive days? (I don't feel sore and I do light calisthenics when I don't ride)

I realise this is probably basic to many here, but I haven't been in a PE class in 40 years!

Replies

  • travelgirl96
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    hey there - you may want to try adding some foods to your diet that help in reducing inflamation. Google that phrase and see what pops up. i attended a seminar on food and nutrients and the speaker talked about this. i have all my notes at work. you can email me at travelgirl96@yahoo.com and i can send you the information next week. hope this helps. keep up the good work.
  • bllowry
    bllowry Posts: 239 Member
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    Thank you. I don't have any swelling (touch wood) but I will google that as everything helps.

    Does any one else have suggestions?
  • stubbysticks
    stubbysticks Posts: 1,275 Member
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    Yes it's normal for the scale to go up after an intense workout. Your muscles retain fluid at they work to recover. Stay hydrated & don't worry about day to day weight changes. There are just too many variables; water retention (1 gal of water weighs more than 8 lbs) & digestion being the main ones.

    Focus on week to week for a better measure of your weight loss.
  • bllowry
    bllowry Posts: 239 Member
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    OK that's good to know. I do drink at least 10 glasses of water a day, and more when we ride. I'll ignore the scale and use the tape measure instead :happy:
  • Thaea
    Thaea Posts: 31 Member
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    Another good low-impact, but high calorie burning exercise is swimming. If you have days when you don't ride, it's a great way to change up your routine, and shouldn't bother your joints. If you don't know how to swim, you can try some water aerobics classes too.