Exercise and well-being sound bites and photos

[Mild-Rover]

At CLL Support we are preparing a guidance document covering all aspects of Exercise and Well-being. To that end we would love to include short stories about CLL patients who take some form of regular exercise. The exercise can be in the form of anything from seated stretching to more athletic activities and everything in between. It would also be useful to know if the activity is undertaken before, during or after treatment. Ideally we would love to have a picture to accompany a few lines of text that explain the benefits gained from the exercise or the motivation for doing the exercise. If you do any activity from the following list (and it’s by no means exhaustive) please respond to this post and we can take it from there;

Yoga, pilates, aerobics, circuits, gardening, bowls, walking, hiking, jogging, running, cycling, swimming, tennis and any other ball sports, sailing and any other water sports etc etc

PS; if you wish to remain anonymous in any accompanying photo then perhaps choose a perspective that hides faces - a side or rear shot is quite acceptable. Having photos adds real value to a document of this nature. Thanks in anticipation.

[DRM18]

Hi Mild-Rover (lol),

I'm not currently running (due to injury), but I ran between 20-40 miles weekly pre-treatment, during treatment, and post-treatment.

I have a pic of me looking befuddledly at a medal I'd just been handed after finishing a race, too.

--Dave!

[wellbeingwarrior]

I’m a nutty Nduro-type Mountainbiker 😛

[hopefulbunny]

I suggest listening to Dr Michael Moseley's "Just One Thing" on BBC Sounds app for some great advice on how to keep fitter by just incorporating just small, very easy changes to daily life.

[Big_Dee]

Hello Mild-Rover

Great idea.

[kablea]

When I was put on W & W in 2018 my consultant told me to exercise as much as possible. As a long term runner that was music to my ears. Subsequently, Ann and I decided to leave busy Christchurch (UK) and move to the Peak District at the end of 2020. That enabled us to walk every day, about 3 miles, on tracks and lanes, almost free of people. Every other day we run. At first this was about 4 miles and is now about 6 miles. That averages 18 miles per week. It entails tracks, footpaths and stiles and is often rough underfoot. Every walk or run entails a climb, and we run over many smaller hills. Initially, this was about 2,000 feet a week and has crept up to over 3,000 feet per week. Our plan in moving here was to run over Kinder Scout before I die and we need a certain level of fitness to achieve that. This route was a race (the Kinder Downfall) that I won in 1981 as a pretty fit fellrunner.Overall, Ann and I will walk or run an average of 35 miles each week over a year. The benefits are stronger muscles and stability. Our weight is low and has not changed over the last 40 years. We have not caught Covid and rarely experience any illness. I take no medication and have no comorbidity. At the age of 75 years, all exercise is a balance between the assumed impact of CLL and that of increasing age. Few people are aware of how important muscle health is to our bodies. It is far more significant to our overall health than people realise. I think it essential to wake up each morning with exercise in mind. A running day is exactly that, a day on which a specific route is the focus. Here in the Peak District, that exercise is surrounded by bird song, wild flowers and wonderful views. The endorphins flood the brain and raise mental spirits. The damage to the muscles caused by the exercise drives repair processes that benefit us in general. Yes, you can see those irritating skin lesions in my photo. Too much sun in the past!

A portrait