exercise

[bay]

hi everyone, im new here ,i have posted about myself today, the thing is as anyone done any exercise ,and if so how far can you push yourself,ive put 2stone on in the last 5 months and im finding walking up the stairs ,getting out of breath ,so need to exercise before it gets out of hand. also im getting this burning sensation around where my annie was ,is this normal. thanks dawn x

[Lin-lin]

Hi

I think exercise helped me a lot, but you've got to ease yourself in gently!

I used to be a member of a running club and ran a marathon eight weeks before my SAH. I trained in the gym with an ex marine, so overall my fitness was pretty high. I think this is relevant to how I approached fitness afterwards as I believe my body has retained fitness memory. Even with my level of previous fitness, even basic energy expenditure fatigued me after the SAH, but there are ways around it. Here is how I did it (and still approaching it.) Incidentally, I am 12 months in to recovery.

The first thing I did was to abandon the 'no pain, no gain' philosophy. This is not conducive to a SAH patient! You've got to listen to your body and I don't think it's wise to push it too much, particularly at your stage.

I purchased DVD's. There is a series of fitness DVD's called the '10 minute Solution.' You can get a pilates version and ones for abs, toning for beginners etc. (You can get the DVD's at supermarkets or online.)

The advantage with them is that they are 50 minute workouts, broken into 10 minutes. So you can do just 10 minutes if you want. This is all I could do when I started, but I have built upon it. Not only that, it is psychologically easier to approach a 10 minute workout.

I used to walk, every day if I could. Just to the Post Office initially, which should have been a 20 minute walk, but it took me longer! I took water with me and gradually increased the distance, breaking into a light trot for a few minutes, then continuing to walk. (Please factor in that I used to run marathons, so the run/walk method may not be suitable for everyone.)

At the nine month stage, I joined a local gym and just re-introduced myself to fitness again. I did not (and still don't) lift heavy weights and don't push myself too much. It's gentle, but I look upon it as building a foundation for when I get better.

I think exercise is good and it has helped me physically and psychologically. Obviously, I would recommend that you have a chat with your GP before hand. I did and my GP thought that the way I was approaching exercise was sensible and beneficial.

Be prepared to find it initially challenging and don't be disheartened. My first attempt lasted three minutes. I was lying on the floor face down, with the intention of lifting my upper body up with my hands. I succeeded in doing it a couple of times but couldn't lift myself up on the third and remained face down unable to move! I then started a laughing fit, which made it worse!

Hope you find what works for you.

Lynne xx

[jess]

Hi there. I would consult your dr first but I made sure I walked everywhere, and I have joined a gym also. Jess.xxx

[bay]

Hi there. I would consult your dr first but I made sure I walked everywhere, and I have joined a gym also. Jess.xxx

hi jess, when i saw my consultant last time ,he said i did have the all clear to do anything now , i use to do a 3 mile walk everyday with my partner when he finished work but because of dark nights we dont go anymore, we use to walk around lake 3 times , because we knew it was a mile round . i dont know about you jess but i wont go anywhere on me own , wont walk the shops on me own ,wont go for a walk etc, does everyone feel like this

[Louise]

Yep, but I just say I can do it sometimes when those feeling were really bad, I'd have my hand of the door handle to go out & think nope then I just say you can do this girl 5 mins thats all, then I got longer and longer....sometimes I still feel a bit like that but its mostly with the weather now which is ok.....

[Liz D]

Hi

I'm not allowed to go to the gym and becuase of the stroke I can't swim. But my doc has told me to walk. My office is at the bottom of my road, so I walk there. It's about 1/2 mile, so I'm clocking up about a mile a day. I can now walk back up the hill, slowly, without getting out of breath.

I wouldn't even go outside for 3 months after my SAH! My SAH was in Feb 2009 and I was too scared to go out in the cold. When the weather got milder I started with just standing in the back garden, increasing the time but I had to force myself to do this everyday. The panic does start to ease off. I then progressed to walking to the end of the street and then to the local shop. Eventually I was getting the bus to do down town. I agree with Louise, the weather can make it harder but keep telling yourself you can do it. Start with little goals and slowly your confidence will come back.

[ninja]

Hi All

In my area (Monmouthshire} they have an exercise course called Fit For Life which is for persons who have suffered various illnesses eg. SAH, Stroke, Heart Attack, Arthritis etc. You have to be referred by a GP, Dietitian, Practice Nurse or similar.

I have joined and it is subsidised by local authority. I attend twice a week for an hour each time and not only find it helpful but have met new friends and also have a good laugh. The people who run these courses are fully aware of the problems we have (not as much as us obviously).

I really thought I would go a few times and pack it in but am still going. I'm not saying its going to prepare you for the London Marathon but it definitely makes a difference.

Possibly you have a similar course in your area or nearby if so give it a go or call in at your Leisure Centre.

Cheers

John