Sack of tatties

[Harrywogan]

Hi,on holiday just now in Portugal for a month of winter sun, and yes I can here you say lucky me, don't to 2 and half mg pred and feeling ok, but will we ever get our muscle back, hate being a sack of tatties,not a pretty sight 🙈 xx

[SnazzyD]

Quite possibly but like all things with this is it takes longer than is wanted. The key is build up slowly and not hit a fitness drive because the last look in the mirror was an enough is enough moment!

[Kendrew in reply to SnazzyD]

If we are over-zealous with our resistance workouts on legs and arms and push too hard with the weights, are we likely to experience a worse or longer lasting case of DOMS?

[SnazzyD in reply to Kendrew]

Probably, like any over doing exercise. When I over did it badly once it took over a week to recover. Ideally you don’t do that but finding your level gently. The main thing is not going hell for leather, coming a cropper and then getting despondent. Actually the real main things are avoiding ligament damage that is a devil to heal or muscle tightness that starts off the game of, is it isn’t it PMR?

[Kendrew in reply to SnazzyD]

I'm usually very careful...I go to the gym every week day morning and do 30mins walking on treadmill and then I go on the weight machines to keep upper and lower leg muscles ticking over. It's all scaled back hugely though from the gym work I'd engage in pre-diagnosis!I felt I could increase the weights this particular day and 'pushed' myself. Not something I'd normally do as I know better than that.......I was just having a bad morning when I was feeling so fed up with my PMR and just wanted to kick it's a*se!! (Sorry for bad language!) Didn't work, of course!! Next day my muscles ached, my legs hurt and my hips were stiff after sitting for any length of time! Felt like my legs really needed some stretching exercises so I did some.

Improving slowly.

Annoyed with myself for being so stupid.

[SnazzyD in reply to Kendrew]

Sounds very familiar even without having PMR, my Pred muscles were open to any a*se kicking. The other thing is making sure you exercise ‘cleanly’. By that I mean making sure you are straight, not over compensating with one side due to one’s natural biases. I was punished by having very weak hips and lower back so I developed a wonky gait that tweaked all sorts. I had to do specific prescribed exercises before doing anything like running on the treadmill. Walking on uneven ground will also strengthen the little muscles in the ankles for balancing, something that treadmills don’t provide. My biggest task has been to strengthen smaller muscles all over rather than just the big hitters like the thighs.

[Kendrew in reply to SnazzyD]

I can only walk on treadmill but I take on board your point about exercising the small muscles rather than just the larger ones. Hadn't really recognised the importance of that.

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to Kendrew]

Just a demonstration of why we say what we do!!! We know no-one really believes it until it actually happens!!

It happens with just living too. I've just had a rather hectic week, had to get to Reutte in Tirol by public transport on Wednesday - in theory a doddle until the first train vanished in a puff of smoke. Having walked to the station with an overnight case, just in case, I had to get back home, pick up the car papers and get going to get to the border to get the Austrian train. Beat the train I should have connected with and the rest of the journey continued as planned. Until I got to my destination - and the phone wouldn't work so I had to walk to the garage. Everything else went as planned but I was knackered by the time I got home with my new car. And on Thursday I had to go and fetch my old car back ... All settling down now.

[Kendrew in reply to PMRpro]

Haha!... I promise you that I did believe what you'd all said about people pushing themselves,..... on the day though I was frustrated, really fed up, very angry and clearly very reactive!! I knew when I was exercising on the machines with extra weights on that there'd be consequences but with my sons wedding imminent, for one of a few times since I was diagnosed 4½yrs ago, I allowed myself to drop my guard again and feel sorry for myself.

Bad move. Out of character for me.

Won't happen again. 😄

[SheffieldJane in reply to Kendrew]

Get a pretty dress and smile a lot and hug everyone, it is all anyone will remember, not toned arms.

[Kendrew in reply to SheffieldJane]

Thankyou Jane,

You're right, of course.

I have the pretty dress, I can definitely bring on a smile so just the hugs on the day...and that's easy. 😘

[Gossiplady in reply to PMRpro]

Wow! PMRPro! Marathon life!

[Whippetygirl in reply to PMRpro]

I don’t know how you do it, where do you get the energy from, what an inspiration.

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to Whippetygirl]

Haven't done much since!!!!! The weather is glorious, almost summer, it is better than a UK summer, I could go camping but can't be bothered yet!!!

[Crochetgardener in reply to Kendrew]

Please tell me what DOMS is

[Bridge31 in reply to Crochetgardener]

Delayed onset muscle soreness

[Crochetgardener in reply to Bridge31]

Oh thank you

[Judyliz in reply to Crochetgardener]

Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness.It is a sore, aching, painful feeling in the muscles after unfamiliar exercise.

I remember the day after that first sports lesson on return to school for the autumn term. Much ouching, my brother, sister and I spent the six weeks holiday charging around so was always a shock.

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to Crochetgardener]

You can always try using google to find a medical abbreviation - put the abbrviation and medical into your search engine. But there is also a post in the FAQs about commonly used abbreviations for this forum - learn your way around the FAQs, it can answer many of your questions.

[SheffieldJane]

Do a bit of swimming, every little helps. You are not alone in this Harrywogan. X

[Gimme in reply to SheffieldJane]

As I have mentioned before (many times ), I am a big fan of getting in the pool with your PMR. Swim if you can, or if swimming hurts, just get in their and enjoy being in the water. Walking up and down in the water is still a pretty good workout, or just a great way to get everything moving with low risk of injury.

[SheffieldJane in reply to Gimme]

I did some gentle stretches as well, legs and arms. I was shocked not to be able to do a length anymore.

[Gimme in reply to SheffieldJane]

That must have been disappointing Jane, especially if you liked your swimming. Is that because the muscles were too sore, or you just don't have the stamina right now? I can do lengths, but if I overdo it, I have to sleep for 2 or 3 hours after sometimes.

[SheffieldJane in reply to Gimme]

It was more stamina and lack of puff. Just like my first pregnancy, when I tried to run for a bus. 🙂

[Gimme in reply to SheffieldJane]

I'm like that with walking now. I get very breathless when I walk and my legs feel like jelly, like they don't have enough oxygen, but my energy levels are normal when I am in the pool. I thought maybe due to the cooling effect of the water. I suppose it is a case of finding something that works for you. I certainly think the stretching is a good thing to be doing.

[PMRpro Ambassador]

I fear it is also an effect of our maturity!!!!

[Gimme in reply to PMRpro]

As they say, getting old sucks, but it beats the alternative.

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to Gimme]

I never quite get that saying - you don't know and nothing hurts with the alternative ...

[Gimme in reply to PMRpro]

That's true, but I guess that if you want to carry on living, then the only alternative is to get older. I'm not ready to throw in the towel just yet. Though, I think it was originally meant as a joke and not a philosophical point of order.

[Harrywogan in reply to Gimme]

Yes Gimme a joke,but want my muscles back, I swim 4 days a week it helps a bit IAM trying hard,x

[Gimme in reply to Harrywogan]

Same here, but doing your best is all you can do. If you are swimming regularly, I am sure that you are doing yourself a lot of good, so long as you don't overdo it. You will be helping the muscle tone. I find it hard to stay positive when this has been going on for so long and the illness has its own timescales, and I guess you might feel the same. I don't think there is much you can do to rush it, just preserve what you have and avoid injury by overdoing it. Certainly my walking is very slowly improving since I started swimming again regularly. You have to play the long game with this illness and it does test your patience.

[Harrywogan in reply to Gimme]

Thanks so much, it's a very slow game we have to play and I've been playing it for 6years.

[Harrywogan in reply to PMRpro]

It's getting off these dam pills,and getting some muscle back,

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to Harrywogan]

Bear in mind those "damn pills" are achieving something - you wouldn't be on them if you didn't need them.

[Harrywogan in reply to PMRpro]

The easy bit is swallowing them, getting off them is a nightmare.x

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to Harrywogan]

Yes - but if it is that difficult to get off, it is a sign you probably need them!