Any other disabled people trying to get fit

Hi, I have fibromyalgia, and I understand how hard it can be to get excercise. The weather really affects me, and when it's bad I can hardly get out of bed. I've gained about 10 lbs in the past year, and I'm really struggling to get rid of it.

Humidity and extreme heat cause me to flare up badly. I have fibro as well, as well as migraines, and medication induced high blood pressure. We aren't talking taking it easy due to injury either. I have spinal damage as well as both my wrists being damaged to the point of being totally destroyed. I also have bone spurs done my entire spine, and quite possibly in my feet.

The reason I am here is to be as fit as possible within my means. It is why I started this particular journey. I have been on steroids, and they cause weight gain. As well as the biological drugs I have taken. When put on Enbrel I gained 10 Kilos in a month, and I didn't increase my food consumption. I was also more active. It is going to be a long and hard journey but one I am finally ready to undertake. Thank you all for commenting.

rahmyers, have you heard about the IAAM movement. We are doing a well they are doing an International Autoimmune Arthritis Awareness day in May. I also run a Support Group on Facebook.

I have Joint Hypermobility Disorder but a lot of people call it being double-jointed. I was diagnosed with it in 2010 after having surgery for my carpal tunnel in my dominant hand but I've had it all of my life. Basically my joints pop, subluxate (half-dislocate), and dislocate from the socket completely. When they dislocate it can last anywhere from seconds to months and the longer it's out the more the muscles surrounding that joint get hurt. By simply moving I pop my joints and shift them in their places (washing and putting on my bra tends to pop out more things than most other activities) which you can't tell until, out of nowhere, I begin to favor one ankle or limp considerably and one minute later be walking normally. I got a job as a barista when I was 20 and on my second day I was scheduled 8 hours, supposedly receiving a break after 4 hours. The woman training me had me do everything from dishes to cleaning the cafe furniture to even cleaning the bathrooms when I wasn't standing at the register. I never received my break, was not allowed to sit, and was even kept 15 minutes overtime because she wanted me to sort packages of coffee in the back. Somewhere on the job I dislocated my left knee and by the weekend I was in crutches because I could not use my left leg at all. An orthopedic specialist had me on 2 months of physical therapy (which just injured other joints) and told me because of my Hypermobility there was nothing to be done for the injured muscles meant to hold the knee cap in place except maybe surgery, but I didn't go through with it. I used a cane for 3 months, stayed on bedrest, and eventually gained the ability to walk without a limp but I can't walk as far or fast anymore.

I feared gyms because it's very easy to not know where my limit is, but hours after I will hurt and it then further limits me because the muscles remember the pain of the joints swelling or popping or even coming out for a second. In fact I can barely walk today because yesterday I had a fitness evaluation at the Y I joined and the trainer accidentally overworked my knees and the same knee dislocated for a few hours.

A lot of people don't know what JHD is and think I'm making things up, even doctors, or making excuses not to push myself that much further. I want this to help take some pressure off my joints, but at this age it won't go away, I'll always have it. I also have several mental disorders that cause me to be emotionally unstable. I gained one week because I fell into a depression and slept five days straight, barely eating. But, I'm determined. I can't let it all rule me.

Depends what you mean by disabled. Disabled, no. On disability? Yes. Mental Illness.