Well I started the couch to 5k yesterday with an evening run along with my husband. You listen to instructions on your ipod along with music and it guides you through the programme gradually. The first run consisted of a fast 5 minute warm up walk followed by alternate 60 second runs and 90 second fast walks. All in all it takes 30 mins and we covered just under 2 miles. I really enjoyed it, we had a laugh and got the blood pumping.
I thought I'd give it a go and I'm glad I did but I'm not sure if I'll do it again This morning when I got up I noticed my knuckes, fingers and wrists were sore and a little swollen. This incuded my left hand which hasn't troubled me for months. My shoulders, elbows and forearms were sore too and my knees a little warm and tingly. If I was aching...which I'm not.. I'd put it down to being unfit but I think this is my body warning me that it would like to flare. I've walked my dogs as usual and been for a swim and feel much better but I'm feeling deflated. I know many of you probably thought I was mad trying it in the first place and to be honest so did I but I really needed to see for myself. I have my gym membership starting 1st December so maybe I'll just hold fire for some low impact exercise and avoid losing the marvellous mobility I'm currently blessed with. It's all just part of acceptance I suppose.
Thanks Lizz, I think what I find hard is overcoming fear that I may be harming myself. That said life would be very poor if we jus sat tight and wrapped ourselves in cotton wool. My next session would be tomorrow so I'm going to see how I feel.
Sorry to hear you feeling not too good today after your run last night, maybe you should listen to your body and learn not to run b4 you can walk lol. hope the gym helps you not long now
crisxx
That's the problem Cris, learning to listen to my ra body is so different than my pre ra body. In the past if things hurt I just pushed on anyway but how do we know when were doing real damage? If we overdo it can the damage be permanent? it makes my brain ache to be honest...bloody ra!!!
See how you feel tomorrow before you decide. It may have all calmed down a bit. But don't push yourself too far too fast - mayb e halve the amounts/times that are suggested, to allow for your illness. There are plenty of people out there who do run with RA. Have you tried googling, to see if you can find any advice/information?
Hi Dotty, I've had a look but as usual there's a lot of conflicting information. I didn't mention to my rheumy nurse that I was thinking of doing this but she's always said to do whatever I can manage. I'm not a quitter and I want to achieve this so much. I've had advice from one lady with ra on the health unlocked couch to 5k forum but she can't road run and sticks to treadmills. I just wish there was more advice available.
I completely understand how you feel Paula. My physio grimaced when I said that I run using my Nintendo Wii sometimes - more to get myself in prep for some real running one day in the future. But this is on the spot on the thick ply carpet in our living room and doesn't put nearly the strain on knees and ankles plus hips that real jogging does. I think you should maybe just stick to power walking for the forseable future just because of this impact issue. Mind you I'm meant to be starting to play badminton again soon with my friend. I asked the physio because of wrists and fingers and she said my body would soon let me know if it was an issue. I like to think I'm fit enough now for most reasonable activity but I'm very nervous of hard surfaces and extremely wary of overdoing it with my knuckls and wrists which are still a bit swollen and stiff most mornings for a while after waking.
I don't think you should worry so much about doing damage to yourself with other forms of exercise and I do think we should trust our bodies. But as my tai chi teacher pointed out the weight that's going onto each leg in turn when we run - plus gravity..well it put me off anyhow and now I only run if the rain or hail is chasing me on a big sandy beach! Tilda x
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Thanks Tilda, I know you work hard on your fitness and have tried to cope with diagnosis in a similar way to me. Maybe I'm only so worried because deep down I know it's a pretty high impact sport and not really suitable for me. I love badminton but had to stop playing a few years ago because of tennis elbow and neck pain...early ra maybe? I hope you manage enjoy it. I'm lucky not to get the early morning stiffness right now, is the rheumy going to reconsider your meds?
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I don't know since he's coming here tomorrow but I'm not down to see him as he said I would be? I don't think so - if he does anything it would be via my GP and it would be to raise the MTX if my ESR went back up. I thought I'd go in and see my GP if I find my ESR is still low at 30 next blood test (in 3 weeks time) and ask if he could email my consultant and request that I drop down to 12.5 mg MTX perhaps? I'd like to come down rather than just stop altogether because it's taken a whole year to get my ESR down to 30.
By a strange coincidence I had to stop playing because of tennis elbow abut 4 years ago too but then picked it up again and it was the first sign I had that all was going wrong when both my wrists went and then both my knees the following week. Mind you I was playing with an extremely tall woman - and I'm pretty short (and was very fat at the time too) so I was having to dash and hurtle to her slight reach of hand!! Hoping I'll be fitter than her now though and plan to rely more on cunning - if I last that long of course! Shame you don't live nearby - we could play each other and become an RA badminton partners for the Paraolympics?! Tilda x
Hey Paula, at least you had a go and you can say to yourself that you tried.
Maybe once you have been to the gym and started the program they devise for you, you might feel like giving it another go, maybe when the weather is warmer.
Be proud for having a go though.
Looking forward to hearing how you get on in the gym and what kind of stuff they come up with for you.
Mary x
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I can't wait I'm going Friday to work out a programme of exercises with the personal trainer and then I'm good to go on the 1st Dec. I've got to work hard as my dress for the Christmas party is a little on the short side so I've got to work on my footballers knees lol x
aww sorry you missed out on that Carole. Hope you're feeling a bit better now and you're enjoying your gym. Even if we only manage a sit it the pool it's a change of scenery and an outing
Good for you for trying Paula ...I love positive and you did really well , listen most people without RA probably wouldnt have even got off their sofa lol ..so well done Claire xx
Sorry that the running didn't work out, but maybe you could kind of adapt the programme and do power walking alternating with ordinary speed walking, instead of the run/walk thing. I think a lot of the pain will be coming from the extra impact that running puts on your body, rather than just the movement.
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This morning when I got up I noticed my knuckes, fingers and wrists were sore and a little swollen. This incuded my left hand which hasn't troubled me for months. My shoulders, elbows and forearms were sore too and my knees a little warm and tingly. If I was aching...which I'm not.. I'd put it down to being unfit but I think this is my body warning me that it would like to flare. I've walked my dogs as usual and been for a swim and feel much better but I'm feeling deflated. I know many of you probably thought I was mad trying it in the first place and to be honest so did I but I really needed to see for myself. I have my gym membership starting 1st December so maybe I'll just hold fire for some low impact exercise and avoid losing the marvellous mobility I'm currently blessed with. It's all just part of acceptance I suppose. 
I'm going Friday to work out a programme of exercises with the personal trainer and then I'm good to go on the 1st Dec. I've got to work hard as my dress for the Christmas party is a little on the short side so I've got to work on my footballers knees lol x
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