One doesn't need to have lupus to have problems with finding the right type of exercise to float your boat and keep you fit and healthy. Exercise in general brings forth thoughts of mid evil torture devices created to deflate egos, permanently maim the psyche, if not the body, and reinforce why I don't have a membership in the first place. Sure, I've tried different gyms with their high tech machines for strength training and muscle building, and I've even tried personal trainers for help when I got stuck in a rut, and, for the most part, it helped for the first few months. Yet, it eventually petered out to the point of canceling said membership and wallowing in froyo Cherry Garcia on the couch, chastising myself for another failed attempt at getting healthier.
Well, I am here to tell you that you really don't need a gym membership, although kudos to the ones that do, to get fit and active in life. In lupus, as in other chronic diseases, proper exercise elevates mood, increases range of motion, alleviates aches and pain, and might even help someone shed unwanted pounds. I have mentioned before that I am training to walk a race, and there have been a lot of ups and downs along the way, changing strategies til I believe I have found what I have been after all along. You see, I have needed a form of exercise that fit easily into my already crazy schedule of homeschooling, writing, house cleaning among other things. It had to not only be relatively easy to learn, but modified specifically to meet me at the level my body is in at the moment. Additionally, it needed to be portable and relatively cheap because living on a shoestring budget requires it. So, what is this easy, modifiable, portable exercise routine that is still fun?
I really wish I knew, because my perspective on fun, and easy change with the wind, unfortunately, but I'll tell you what currently works for me and also what the experts say are good for almost anyone. First of all, I have picked up Iyengar Yoga which has helped significantly for my aches and arthritic joints. Once learning proper alignment, apps will do the trick, but classes are frequent throughout cities and towns, and one need only look to find them. Additionally, since walking on the treadmill sends shock waves of excruciating, knife like pain into my already pain filled body, I've resorted to walking outside along with getting an indoor walking DVD that has walking programs for as little as one mile on up to five. Lastly, swimming, I believe, will become my new best friend for the plethora of benefits that it brings. Of course, swimming isn't portable, but it's one of the best forms of exercise out there. There's a reason why swimming can be done well into the ninth decade of life.
Now, where do the experts come into all this ? Good question! First, talk with your doctor prior to beginning any type of exercise, please. Second, yoga and swimming have been the most prescribed by my rheumatologists, hands down. Walking is also great no matter how fast you go. It is getting up and moving that will improve health, and help with mood. Please visit this link for the Lupus Foundation of America to see a wonderful blog post about staying fit with lupus!
Everyone is different and requires different forms of exercise to achieve the desired effects that are needed and wanted. Please don't give up on finding what's right for you! Sometimes it takes trying new things, like yoga, to meet your goals. So, don't be shy! Go out and find what's right for you and your body:-)
Happy day, my friends:-)
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