I hasten to add that this relates specifically to my experience and is only posted to update and inform people on where I am at present. If it is applicable to others then all well and good.
The background is that I am 11 months into GCA and PMR which probably started some 2-3 years prior, or even longer, before diagnosis. I was a fit cyclist with what seemed to me an unlimited store of energy and stamina and a physical ability to undertake tasks men half my age were often unable to manage. How the world changes. I can no longer manage a short ride , have lost 60% of my leg and arm muscle, am fat around the middle with a puffy face and neck. No fast twitch muscle(pred. takes that first) so I stumble if I try to react fast and can't run as the legs don't respond fast enough. I'm also unsteady on my feet probably due to losing leg strength. The fluid build up in my legs, ankles and feet is manageable but affects mobility somewhat and the thin skin, bruising and easily bleeding damaged skin on arms and legs takes a lot of managing. I was going on to say that after 8 days of improvement I felt that the inflammation in the blood was getting under control and that splitting the dose of 30mg again to 20 at 1-2am and 10 at 2pm was controlling emerging symptoms of GCA and PMR. However, after a good start and feeling up for a good day my left leg dragged or gave way slightly coming down stairs. Skin missing from forearm and both shins and suspected rib fracture but generally ok. Managed to take Rex for his walk when I had cleaned up and felt ok as I'm getting used to managing the damage to skin. You can't run a farm, chop wood, keep the water system from spring working and keep things going without the odd knock and bump. Lost my cycling mug in pieces also.
So to the exercise that seems to work for me after all this drama. I'll add it to my programme of exercise. It is a standard upper leg stretch which holds the ankle of one leg and bringing the foot and lower leg up tight to the upper leg. This allows you to stretch the quadricep in the thigh and frees the ankle but also opens the chest and frees up any stiffness or locked shoulder socket especially if you rotate to allow this. I do this whilst lying in bed before I get up and hold it for some 5-6minutes until the stretch has eased all the tension and the breathing gets deeper and easier. I then relax the leg and let everything settle for 5 minutes before repeating with the other leg. I will use the recovery period to rotate ankles and stretch the calf muscles which are slightly contracted by the thigh stretch. I repeat this a couple of times and find it helps with clearing some retained fluid in the legs as well. I spend at least an hour each morning doing this and it gets my body working properly to start the day. I'll obviously have to be more careful coming down stairs now in future. It's a real pain losing strength but it is just another thing to adapt to. I can feel the heart working harder and the blood pumping in the legs which must help clear lactic acid but also assist the lymph system which helps clear retained fluid. Anyway it works for me. It is noticeable how everything is so interconnected and very hard to say why this helps with improving my breathing but it is undeniable. Despite a deteriorating physique by keeping everything working and flexible I am hoping that when I can radically reduce the pred. It will enable me to get back to a better condition faster. That's it for now . Sorry if it is a bit long.
PMR - Diet and Exercise
Are draining skin tears on the leg common too?
Fluid Retention adding to my walking difficulty
Exercise Induced Vasculitis 
