Is it okay to weight train?

[IdasMum]

I know, I know, it's an odd question and I'm not entering for Miss Universe but wondering whether I could do some upper/lower body toning (carefully) since I am currently unable to exercise in any other form.

[DorsetLady PMRGCAuk volunteer]

Maybe, but obviously not too strenuously- and plenty of time inbetween to give muscles time to recover….

[PMRpro Ambassador]

We should probably all be doing it at a low level! Low/no weights to start with, literally 5 reps and a couple of sets and assess next day to start with. Just like we say about walking. Water bottles with 100mls water in them is ideal as a starting weight. Build up VERY slowly.

For legs - standing against the wall or lying on your siade if you can and raises with no weight will give you a start, No shoes at first, then shooes will add small amounts of weight.

Sure there are other ideas ...

[piglette]

Just don’t go for the ‘burn’!

[IdasMum in reply to piglette]

😂

[SnazzyD]

A few reps with a tin of beans and then see what the fall-out is for a day or two. Increase a bit if ok. I think the main thing is to give enough time for your body to file a report.

[IdasMum]

I've just realised that I am am already doing way more than I realise. The logs for the fire weigh around 3kg each and I lift 1-2 at least once per day. Back a month or so and I was filling the trolley with them and pulling the trolley indoors. ? 12 logs per pull and then adding them to the fire during the day. Maybe I should enter Miss Universe lol

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to IdasMum]

Most people are!

[winfong]

I know that pred leads to muscle loss (as does getting on in years). For my lower half, I think walking and biking take care of it (flat ground, not too far). For my upper half, I do a bunch of reps with an 8-pound barbell - when I feel like it, but at least a couple of times a week.

Neither happens if I'm not feeling up to par. In general, I do one or the other. Walking is my preference, but if the weather's crummy or I simply didn't get around to it during the day (I'm still working), weights it is.

[agingfeminist]

Lifting a kettle to make my cups of coffee...does that count? The limit of my weight lifting, thanks to pred (but I am forever grateful to the person , Arthur Nobile, who developed pred...shame about the side effects)

[IdasMum]

I'm hoping to get back to some walking once I have new orthopaedic inner soles.

[Stills in reply to IdasMum]

Me too, I’m getting my orthotics fitted late February and hope to get out in the woods again, in the meantime it’s a gentle swim twice weekly followed by steam room if I’m not feeling dizzy.

[MikeVanBC]

I don’t know how valid this is, nor what they call a low to moderate dose, but this is highlighted in the article link below:

Thus, glucocorticoid-induced muscle wasting can be reversed by increasing physical activity in patients taking a low to moderate dose of prednisone.

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/399....

[Polygolfer]

Of course you ‘can’ do weights, and stretching, and some cardio but it is all down to every individual and what they are used to and how careful they are not to overdo things… squats, lunges, yoga poses, some moderate cardio - but it’s all down to knowing your body and your ‘current limitations’ and feeling your way cautiously back into these activities…

[Josie-Anne]

Hi IdasMum,

I would say gentle exercise, as we get older we need to keep our bones strong and healthy especially dependant on age. You can lie on your bed some your not on a hard floor then trying to get up, raise your legs up and down 2 x 10 reps each legs, lie on your side with both arms together then bring one arm up and over to the other side, lift your arms up with a tin of soup or beans and back down again, you can do this standing or sitting it’s very good for strengthening your wrists too and make sure to hydrate yourself, see how you feel after a couple of weeks, good luck 🤞

[Viveka]

Also our old friends isotonic and isometric - can be done anywhere anytime.

youtube.com/watch?v=PHTUlwC...(Not working as expected?)

[LMali]

When we had the open day with the experts we could consult, I asked them about exercise. I am on 5 mg pred, not in pain. I swim twice a week and they said swimming is really good. I asked about weights because I am aware that swimming is not weight bearing (which is why I like it!). Ideally we would all do some weight training as well as this is the way to increase bone density or at least slow down the effects of ageing and osteo. Particularly important for women. So I have a little weights programme that I do at the gym. I haven't done it for ages because I prefer swimming but I did do it for a while on a regular basis and apart from finding it boring, it certainly didn't do me any harm. I think it's important to not push yourself too hard and give yourself maybe 2 days to recover where you would normally have taken 1. I feel like one of the effects of Pred (or maybe PMR) is that muscles are slower to recover. I do go to a stretch and mobility class which I really enjoy but I really feel it the next day!!

[Blearyeyed]

If you haven't been able to do much exercise at all I would say , No , it's not the most recommended option to train with weights.Even small handheld ones should only be used little and with care if you have conditions that involve joints and muscle that have an autoinflammatory element , unless the pain and inflammation has been in control and you've had no problem with other forms of exercise.

You're log carrying activities as you say are probably as much weight training as you need , and should probably be done with care.

Part of the reason is to reduce the risk of flares which takes away the consistency in getting exercise each day which helps the entire body.

There are also better all body low impact workouts than weights for toning the body with less impact on the joints or risk of DOMS.

Walking with Nordic poles, Tai Chi , Aqua exercises , gentle swimming , LISS and isometric exercises, and low impact Pilates. Domestic chores, gardening and certain hobbies can do more for your upper body and arm tone than weight training ..... And heavy duty log lifting , of course!😆😆😆