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Medical Forum / Diseases and Disorders / Lupus / June 2004osteoporosis and gym
Hi, On the recommendation of one of my nurses I went to a gym to get exercises to help with my osteoporosis. It cost me GB £5. I had a full assessment and was put on a reclining exercise bike. Straight away the instructor spotted how my knees turn in. He also spotted my postural problems. I cycled for 3 km. He kept checking on me to see about my knees and my posture. Then I went on a moving walker or treadmill walker. It was opposite a big mirror and straight away I spotted how when I walk one of ny feet turns out. The instructor told me to look straight ahead in the mirror and work on improving my posture and the way my feet fall. There were rails to hold on to so I didn't fall over. Apparently all this crooked posture etc will have a negative impact. I did try another machine but it hurt my kness so the instructor told me to stop. I am going back next week for more! Lynne  Signaturefor an alternative look at current events, go to http://www.greenpeace.org.uk/ > Hi, > On the recommendation of one of my nurses I went to a gym to get exercises [quoted text clipped - 12 lines] > to stop. > I am going back next week for more! Lynne, My knees point in (I'd never noticed this before but I just wasn't paying attention).- it's not a posture problem (although I suppose certain postures can make it worse over years). Some people are born (or acquired at a young age) knock-kneed (point inwards), some are born "bow-legged" (knees point outward). It can be one or both knees. I was recently getting knee pain, so I went to a doctor and she said I had "patellar hypermobility" (after an exam), which means the kneecap is unstable. She told me the wrong exercises to do. I saw another expert who agreed and gave me the right exercises to do: 1) no repetitive knee exercises like cycling (knee bent position problem) 2) as little up and down stairs as possible. (again knee bent position problem) 3) knee strengthening exercises 3/day : lie on the back flat and lift the leg about 3 inches or so until a pulling in the thign is felt, hold to a slow count of 10, lower the leg, repeat 10 times, do this for months until no more pulling or pain, then the same as above, but put a 2 pound weight attached to the ankle, then do the same as above, but put a 5 pound weight attached to the ankle. anyways, my point is, that you might be doing more harm to the knee by cycling and the treadmill and/or walking is probably better for osteoporosis Hugs J Hi, You may be right about the cycling. However I had no pain after going on the machine for 3 km, and I do a lot of walking anyway. I have no car and walk plus pulic transport to get from A to B and also I do actual hiking in fairly rugged country every few weeks. But unfortunately despite that I have not seen a significant improvement in my osteoporosis. Thats partly why I am going to the gym. Also hoping that gradual reductions in prednisolone over time will allow for more bone re-growth! The cycle machine I was using is not like a normal bycycle, you lean back in it at a relaxed angle and hold onto handles near your hips, so most of the work feels like its done by thigh, back and stomach muscles. The instructor did try me on a machine which was more like a cross between a sit-up bike and a step machine and straight away it hurt my knee and he told me to stop. He also said wait a week or so before going back to see how it affected me. The instructor is getting me on the walking machine more for my posture and balance. There is no way I could walk the distance on the machine that I walk just to get around and on my hikes. The instructor knows I have arthritis and is experienced in working with people with disabilities and health problems, and he was very careful to check I wasn't overdoing it. He kept coming over and asking how I felt! So I will see how I get on on Wednesday, but I will mention to him about the knee stress. Lynne >> Hi, >> On the recommendation of one of my nurses I went to a gym to get exercises [quoted text clipped - 44 lines] > Hugs > J Signaturefor an alternative look at current events, go to http://www.greenpeace.org.uk/ Wow, you sound quite active; that's great! > Hi, > You may be right about the cycling. However I had no pain after going on [quoted text clipped - 74 lines] > for an alternative look at current events, go to > http://www.greenpeace.org.uk/ > Hi, > You may be right about the cycling. However I had no pain after going on > the machine for 3 km, and I do a lot of walking anyway. I have no car and > walk plus pulic transport to get from A to B and also I do actual hiking > in fairly rugged country every few weeks. Wonderful ! Good for you ! > But unfortunately despite that I > have not seen a significant improvement in my osteoporosis. Thats partly > why I am going to the gym. Also hoping that gradual reductions in > prednisolone over time will allow for more bone re-growth! Well, the regrowth is minimal anyway http://www.endocrinesurgeon.co.uk/osteoporosis/osteo7.html But may improve as you reduce the pred. but what you would be trying to do is strengthen what has regrown and strengthen what you have (for bone) and (most importantly) prevent further bone mass loss (is my non-expert understanding). Hugs J > Hi, > You may be right about the cycling. However I had no pain after going on [quoted text clipped - 16 lines] > > Lynne well going back to your knees turning in I just want to make sure you're not doing exercises that are too repetitive and robust and might do harm to your kneecap or muscles or ligaments around the knee. Part of it is the weight-beaing part, so if you're inclined backwards, that might not be so bad as long as the "tension" on the machine is not set too high. It's better to do less (and less tension) and slowly work your way up (is my understanding). http://www.nof.org/prevention/ Exercise is also important to good bone health. If you exercise regularly in childhood and adolescence, you are more likely to reach your peak bone density than those who are inactive. The best exercise for your bones is weight-bearing exercise such as walking, dancing, jogging, stair-climbing, racquet sports and hiking." So for instance, for me, with my specific knee problem, at this point, jogging and stair climbing absolutely not, it would make my situation worse. I don't know what treadmill you're using but when I tried one, I found it "limiting", because part of walking is the arm-swinging part and the one I used didn't have room or we had to hold on to bars. I forget. Anyhow, caution...if more pain occurs, you might want to see a psyiatrist who should be able to direct you as to which exercises to start with and which to avoid. (and these change as you progress in your exercise program). Hugs J just to feedback on my 2nd visit to the gym. I went back on the cycling machine. It seemed harder on my thigh mucles and my bottom. I was set 3 km and finished it ok. I told the instructor it had seemed harder and he said he had set the speed to faster than last week! Very sneaky not to say at first! Then I went on the walking machine. I start with holding on to the rail and concentrating on my posture and foot position. Eventually I can let go of the rails. There is room to swing arms if wished but so far I am too uncertain with my balance. It can do hills too but so far I am just doing flat walking. Then I went back on the bike. I did a different circuit, this one involved 'virtual' hills. You can set the height of the hills as you wish. This week I had no knee pain during and afterwards, so I think I will be ok. The instructor said I could try some weight machines maybe next week. There were a few elderly ladies there, good for them I say! |
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