10 percent rule

In years past while recovering from injury or sickness, I used the ten percent rule. I’ve incorporated this as a guideline to speed recovery and seems to be working so far. Basically find an activity you can do and increase the amount by Ten percent every week. It could be by walking a hundred metres on e week. Go every day if you body will let you and increase it to 110 meters the next week. It doesn’t have to be ten percent it could be five or whatever your body can do. The trick is to set goals and keep going forward in your recovery. If you over do it. Recover and try again.

I feel staying active is just as important to rest, prednisone, and diet. I may be wrong but it feels like the more blood flow you can get circulating thru your joints the quicker the recovery. Sometime I feel as the prednisone just gets your body well enough to get it moving and getting blood flowing in your joints when without prednisone you will just sit there and be stiff and miserable. That’s just my personal opinion though.

This is my second time with pmr. The first time went undiagnosed. It occurred a few days after a knee surgery. I struggled for a year to get rid of it. Exercise and diet was key. No booze, no sugar, no bread, no chips, no prednisone, no processed meat or food. And used the 10 percent rule. I was in mid to late forties, so I was young and more resilient.

Six years later, I had another surgery. Suddenly after surgery, pmr reared it’s ugly head. Trying to recovery from abdomen surgery with this stuff was very challenging. I just keep using my 10percent rule each week and am living a Normal life. Just a little slower and not as strong as before. But improving!

Keep going forward, stay strong, and never give up. Keep fighting it. It’s tough but your body was made to move. Once you get a few wins under your belt, confidence will improve, and you will improve. Just don’t over do it

[stellafmdm]

Good idea, I must try it. Thanks!

[Soraya_PMR]

I agree with you that exercise in moderation is helpful, and if I have a few days when I can’t get out I do feel worse for it. My spine is the same, too little exercise and it hurts, too much activity and it hurts 🤪 Somewhere in the middle that fine line keeps me as well as I can be, and the same with my PMR. Psychological boost also from fresh air and exercise.

Mind you I do like my rest and recuperate day as well, Monday’s after a ‘busy’ weekend. That also aids my week.

[Hidden]

In principle 10 % rule applies. The premise of "the more blood flow you can get circulating thru your joints the quicker the recovery. " might be a difficult one when you have Vasculitis. It's judging how much you can get away with and being able to avoid DOMS. Sometimes the apparent be edit I have had from an increase "exercise" has lead to 3 days of enforced inactivity. The 10% possible increases may be months apart. Lots of people have other conditions that work against this too. From my experience when I can go and move my body I do. The likelihood of me ever participating in the activities I did years ago is negligible. There are of course people on the forum in their 50s, 60s, 70s, 80s,and 90s. Goals can be good but can be self defeating depending on what your pre pmr/OA/Fibro/torn ligament/etc etc will allow.

[PMRpro Ambassador]

Everyone is different - and you cannot be prescriptive in something like chronic autoimmune illness. Rest periods are equally as important as the exercise periods - and an entire day is needed for many.

Personally I dislike the fighting talk attitude to illness of any sort - but that is my opinion and if it helps some people that is fair enough.

[Hidden in reply to PMRpro]

Thanks PMRpro. I have no idea what I am doing. I live in a very small town in the southern country part of USA. I learn from you and a few others on this forum and of course listen to my body. This is some odd stuff. My Rhuemy doesn't even really understand it. He comes up with all kinds of incorrect advice. I'm finding out about it from you guys. So please bare with my ideas and opinions. I'm sure most are not correct. And please correct me when you see I am doing harmful stuff...

I try and explain to others at work what I have. They have no idea of the pain I've been going thru, but they've noticed I was stiff and limping around. Lucky to be able to work. Could barely walk. Well anyway, enough complaining. I've got to get back to work.. On a Saturday...

[HeronNS]

I agree that movement is important. Our circulation may be impaired somewhat with PMR - I don't know if this is true, but I have wondered - so keeping the blood flowing must be a good thing, provided we don't injure our susceptible muscles. But I agree with PMRpro that "fighting" doesn't work with illness, at least not with this one. I had to accept that PMR was now part of who I am, that's something I can't deny nor can I ever change it. Maybe someday I won't need to take pred any more, but I have been permanently changed, psychologically and physically, by PMR. I also count myself very lucky that if I had to develop an illness this is what I've got. As chronic ailments go, PMR is not anywhere near the worst.