Arthritis

randidiane

Cathlete
Anyone start getting some arthritis around 37? I just started taking meloxicam because I noticed my back gets super tight when I'm working out..I have to be very careful doing excersises squats lower back workouts..squat thrust anymore :(..I can't go all the way down using dixie cups..my knees sometimes hurt too but I've always had bad knees..sometimes my knee cap feels like there's fluid inside when I do to much..I still workout 6 days a week..I'm sometimes wondering if I should only do 5 days...it's so depressing; (..thank you for listening :)
 
Hi Randi Diane. I have not experienced arthritis, and so sorry to hear your story. But I hope someone with experience can chime in with real-life advice to assist you. I can only say (with no knowledge of your situation), in general, I believe do as much as you can each day without doing harm to yourself. No useful input here, I know. But just wanted to hopefully provide encouragement.
 
Hi Randi Diane. I have not experienced arthritis, and so sorry to hear your story. But I hope someone with experience can chime in with real-life advice to assist you. I can only say (with no knowledge of your situation), in general, I believe do as much as you can each day without doing harm to yourself. No useful input here, I know. But just wanted to hopefully provide encouragement.
thank you carrie;)..ya I just have to modify some excersises. .some days it bothers me more than others
 
Hi RandiDiane!

I've been dealing with arthritis for a long time. Two years ago it caught up to me and I had to have a partial hip replacement done at the age of 47 because I couldn't stand the pain any longer.

Things I did was I kept moving. I'm not big on medicines from doctors so I went the natural route for helping to relieve inflammation. I've had to modify exercises or stretches as needed. As you know, I had good days and bad days. The bad days put me in tears. I truly believe in the phrase "a body in motion stays in motion". When I went to the doctor about my hip, they couldn't believe the stuff I was still doing knowing how bad my hip was. I focused on really trying to strengthen the muscles in the areas where the arthritis was worse. I loved all the jumping around and stuff but I had gotten to a point where I just couldn't anymore and Cathe's Low Impact series was my savior.

A lot of it is also mindset to help you deal with this. When I got to the point where I wasn't able to do certain things it got somewhat depressing. I tried focusing on what I could do and tried to find new things to do in place of what I wasn't able to do.

What worked for me may not work for someone else. I always felt worse when I moved less than when I moved more. There is a lot out there that can help those of us with arthritis. There is not one magic thing. We each need to figure out what works for us.

I follow stopchasingpain on IG and am gradually learning some things. He has a book as well that I'd like to get. Check out their website. He has some free videos to view.

Good luck! I know exactly what you're going through and I'm sure there are many other Cathlete's that do to.
 
Hi RandiDiane,

I just got diagnosed with arthritis at 51. I can empathize with your depression. I try to do like mbmundt and focus on what I can do. I have learned that upper body weight lifting is ok. I have not been able to do any lower body weights yet. Cardio wise, slide and glide, the pool, and an elliptical feel ok. Like you, I'm trying to strengthen the area around my spine and hip to help with the pain. Focus on what feels good and doesn't hurt and go from there.

Beth
 
Thank you guys very sweet..I have a tiny bit in my lower back..when we did x-rays last month..first I thought it was a pinched nerve..but doc saw a little bit of arthritis in my lower back..I'm still doing high impact I just have to modify on weight work and bending and stretching..I'm in the best shape ever..just miss the times I worked out and not hurting:(..I love Cathe...of all the personal trainers and Gym membership didn't get near the results I got with cathe!
 
"A lot of it is also mindset to help you deal with this. When I got to the point where I wasn't able to do certain things it got somewhat depressing. I tried focusing on what I could do and tried to find new things to do in place of what I wasn't able to do.

What worked for me may not work for someone else. I always felt worse when I moved less than when I moved more. There is a lot out there that can help those of us with arthritis. There is not one magic thing. We each need to figure out what works for us."

This. Quoting my Cathlete friend from her above post, this is what I would tell you. I got diagnosed with arthritis in my hands and fingers 2 years ago and depression was the immediate response. However, after I got over the denial period --extensive, I can tell you!-- I got bust researching, reaching out to fellow Catheletes,a s you are doing here, and trial and error experimentation.

Movement is better than non-movement. Maintaining mobility is vital as we age, even through arthritis. I have it in one of my toes joints also now, so I cannot powerwalk 4 days a week anymore, but I can still manage 2 if I want, so, I'm good with that. I have good weight lifting gloves to help with holding weights in my hands, can;t do it bare palmed anymore. I am learning to loosen my grip to help prevent excessive swelling of fingers post-exercise. I take supplements and ibuprofen when inflammation hits. I keep moving, at least 4 days of intense exercise out of every 7, but I move a lot all day too.

Just as with any injury, take another look at your exercise DVD collection and also, other instructors and DVDs out there and see what you can still do and what you can't anymore. Don't hold onto DVDs filled exclusively now with moves that cause you excessive pain. Sell them on and get them out of your collection so they can no longer cause you sadness.

Katie Daniels, fellow Cathlete, is an inspiration. I don;t know her forums name, but I follow her as a Cathlete on FB. She recently suffered a massive physical trauma that has forced her to change completely the way she exercises. She has not given up, she has rallied. She now posts her daily workouts and they feature all her PT exercises and also Suzanne Bowen's BareAmped routines. Bowen's routines are very arthritis-friendly. Check them out. As we age and we encounter physical limitations that ageing presents to us, we may have to countenance methods of exercising that we never would have accepted ding in our 20s and 30s. For me, and I suspect for Katie, barre/pilates work such as the BareAmped series is a case in point. However, these will promote health and fitness and help maintain our sanity through pour need to move every day. So, don';t feel alone in this: we are all being challenged by the ageing process --arthritis is a backhanded gift of that process!-- and all revising our exercise routines.

Keep doing what you can without horrendous pain, and keep moving. Cathe's LIS series, barre and pilates workouts, swimming and walking were made for this period of our lives.

Clare
 
Thank heavens for workouts, that's about the only time of day that I'm not feeling the ache of arthritis. I've had to modify plenty of exercises, but still have lots of workouts that I can still do. Haven't been able to do push-ups in many months due to shoulder tendinitis, and I'm ever SO thankful that my surgery is a mere 10 months away!! The wait time in Canada is beyond ridiculous. Anyway, I'll keep doing what I can and try to get lots of variety in my workouts. You really don't want to get to the point of taking pain medication just to get workouts in.
Good luck to you.
Sherry
 
Thank heavens for workouts, that's about the only time of day that I'm not feeling the ache of arthritis. I've had to modify plenty of exercises, but still have lots of workouts that I can still do. Haven't been able to do push-ups in many months due to shoulder tendinitis, and I'm ever SO thankful that my surgery is a mere 10 months away!! The wait time in Canada is beyond ridiculous. Anyway, I'll keep doing what I can and try to get lots of variety in my workouts. You really don't want to get to the point of taking pain medication just to get workouts in.
Good luck to you.
Sherry
Be grateful you have medical care even though you may have to wait. Many in US have no health insurance. Just one illness away from bankruptcy.
 
My grandmother suffered from arthritis and she had success from eliminating beef and adding fresh organic (grown in her garden) green beans. My Mom takes ginger capsules, they have helped her with the lumps on her joints and in her hands. Don't take them on an empty stomach, they can be harsh.
 
A few recommendations...

SWIM - just once a week change out your high-impact cardio for a swim instead.
MODIFY what you need to, and enjoy doing all the CATHE that you can still do without modifications.
STRETCH after all of your workouts. - May be worth investing in a few PT appointments ( $ well spent)
ANALYZE your days -what are you doing when you are not working out ? If you are sitting, you will be hurting. Mix it up, and go get a glass of water every 30 min.

If you rest , you rust. You will be fine! Getting old is not fun in some ways, but its better than the alternative. I was told by an orthopedic surgeon over 20 years ago, to just let him know when the pain gets too much, and I will be a good candidate for hip replacement. ( I was told my joint looked like a woman in her 90's, and I was in my early 30's ! ) I was determined not to have the surgery and just as determined to stop living in pain! I feel so much better now than I did then. Figure out what works for you, and find a good PT to get you started. ( I had to try several before I found a gal who really helped me work through the pain and past it.)
I will be praying for you.
 
A few recommendations...

SWIM - just once a week change out your high-impact cardio for a swim instead.
MODIFY what you need to, and enjoy doing all the CATHE that you can still do without modifications.
STRETCH after all of your workouts. - May be worth investing in a few PT appointments ( $ well spent)
ANALYZE your days -what are you doing when you are not working out ? If you are sitting, you will be hurting. Mix it up, and go get a glass of water every 30 min.

If you rest , you rust. You will be fine! Getting old is not fun in some ways, but its better than the alternative. I was told by an orthopedic surgeon over 20 years ago, to just let him know when the pain gets too much, and I will be a good candidate for hip replacement. ( I was told my joint looked like a woman in her 90's, and I was in my early 30's ! ) I was determined not to have the surgery and just as determined to stop living in pain! I feel so much better now than I did then. Figure out what works for you, and find a good PT to get you started. ( I had to try several before I found a gal who really helped me work through the pain and past it.)
I will be praying for you.
Thank you! Great advice
 
I'm 39 and I have arthritis in both big toes, no fun when it hits during jumping jacks. Like you, I work out six days a week but I've started doing Classical Stretch (mother teaches) or Essentrics (daughter teaches) on one or two days every week and I found it to helps stay loose and limber. The instructor Miranda (mother) does a lot of foot work so it helps me a lot but she focuses on stretching your entire body (back, neck, legs...). I feel I am able to do deeper side lunges since I'm not as tight. It may seem a little slow but I find it helpful.

Here are some free videos to try... http://www.essentrics.com/media.html
 
molasses, Miranda's footwork is SO good to my feet as well. :) Jessica Smith pays attention to the feet and I also like to use Franklin method (massage) for feet.
 
I'm 39 and I have arthritis in both big toes, no fun when it hits during jumping jacks. Like you, I work out six days a week but I've started doing Classical Stretch (mother teaches) or Essentrics (daughter teaches) on one or two days every week and I found it to helps stay loose and limber. The instructor Miranda (mother) does a lot of foot work so it helps me a lot but she focuses on stretching your entire body (back, neck, legs...). I feel I am able to do deeper side lunges since I'm not as tight. It may seem a little slow but I find it helpful.

Here are some free videos to try... http://www.essentrics.com/media.html

Wow Miranda's your mother. How cool!! I'm a fan of her work.
 
I'm 39 and I have arthritis in both big toes, no fun when it hits during jumping jacks. Like you, I work out six days a week but I've started doing Classical Stretch (mother teaches) or Essentrics (daughter teaches) on one or two days every week and I found it to helps stay loose and limber. The instructor Miranda (mother) does a lot of foot work so it helps me a lot but she focuses on stretching your entire body (back, neck, legs...). I feel I am able to do deeper side lunges since I'm not as tight. It may seem a little slow but I find it helpful.

Here are some free videos to try... http://www.essentrics.com/media.html
I take time to do alot of stretching somtimes it works sometimes it doesn't . .I wish I didn't have any arthritis thank you though..I'll check it out
 
Very good advice up above. Mine came on literally overnight at age 39. Now 63. Tough journey but if I stop moving it gets worse. My input is to get a good rheumatologist. Not all are good. If you don't find one who will work with you keep looking. I have Psoriatic Arthritis. When I got it I went to 6 different Dr's - was put on all the wrong meds for my disease and now have some joint damage from the journey. There's are more types of Arthritis that I can begin to type here. Find out what you have and educate yourself. Join online forums and Face Book support groups. Sometimes only those who "have what you have" can give good tips. Don't get me started on insurance. I'm self employed and all of my retirement goes to insurance and copays, etc. But, it's better than becoming crippled. It was a biologic that stopped the progression of my disease. Yes, it has tons of side effects but for me keeping active balanced the negative side. I can't do High Impact anymore. But, anyway, long story, I found Cathe years ago. Cathe is the best video instructor out there. The other ones bug me because none of them cue as welll as she does. Cathe's counts, timing and instructions for modifications are superb! I also have some Miranda Esmond White. She bugs the heck out of me. She talks too much and one the few DVD's I have I found her counts aren't always even for both sides of the body but her stuff is very good and I use it when I can't do a Cathe. I also sound Mark Lauren's Fitness Fix and Tracy Long's latest DVD's that focus on dynamic stretch & strength to help when I'm in a flare. I can't wait for Cathe's new Fitness Tower workouts. I bought the new Tower and found the no impact barre work FAB that came with the Tower but want longer and tougher ones which are coming. Good luck.
 

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