Newbie and exercise query

crumpets

Hello,

I was diagnosed with osteoarthritis last year (I'm 36) and was advised that staying active was key... but promptly didn't do very much for about a year!

I've been getting down about not being fit and last week I went swimming 4 times and did quite a lot of walking. However, I'm now very sore and very tired. I don't think I overdid it (only did about 4 lengths of a 50m pool each time) and I think I was expecting that swimming would be ok for my joints.

I'm now not sure how to proceed. I really wanted to increase my exercise in order to improve my fitness and to help my mental wellbeing too.

Does too much exercise have this affect or is it maybe something else going on? How much exercise is good to get fit but not get sore?

Any help or tips with this and to help combat soreness and tiredness greatly appreciated.

dreamdaisy

Hello crumpets (what a gorgeous name!) it's lovely to meet you and well done on finding us. I have two sorts of arthritis, the first one (an auto-immune) went untreated for too long and the joint damage has led to OA in my knees and ankles. Yuk.

Exercise is important because it helps the muscles surrounding the affected joint to better support it but I think the key is a little and often. From doing little you suddenly went all-out, possibly forgetting that your OA was another year older. 200 metres at a time is a goodly amount for once a week, maybe twice but more? Hmmm, dodgy. Walking is a high-impact form of exercise, i.e. your hips, knees and ankles bear the brunt of your feet hitting the ground, cycling is a better option as that is more gentle on those joints. I can no longer cycle or swim thanks to my joint damage and walking is difficult as I need a rollator but I can stil get out and about and try to do so. Do what you can but make sure you have a good rest period in between each burst of activity, OK? I wish you well. DD

barbara12

Hello crumpets and welcome to the forum....
Like DD say little and often is the key, a little every day or every other day..I went to the gym 3to4 times a week before I got OA, I did try to keep it up, thinking I could burn it out, but I was so sore and tired.
only you can judge what is over doing it ..
Good Luck with it all

crumpets

Thank you very much for your lovely reply - very reassuring and comforting, had been feeling a bit teary about the whole thing!

Funny isn't it, how I've never been one for exercise, but now that I'm not able to do as much I want to do loads!! My peverse nature, I guess! :roll:

Thank you for your advice and all the best to you too.

ichabod6

Hello crumpets,

All the self management courses advise that people with long term health conditions should exercise at a moderate level.
Moderate level is between 3 and 5 on a scale of 1 to 10 where 1 is no exercise and 10 is the hardest exercise you could manage.

barbara12

Crumpet you are doing what lots of us have done, its the one thing they tell us to do, but then there are no guidance on it , it is really important to keep moving those joints, stretching is good, I have a couple of friends that do palates, but I just cant get down on the floor, if you like swimming that is brilliant, there is no pressure on the joints, unless like me can only do the breast stoke and very badly...I couldnt walk after with the hip pain :shock:

pegleg

Hello Crumpets and welcome

I had osto arthritis in my ankle and knee , (Iv'e just had a knee replacement at 48 yrs) , and I used to swim 2 or 3 times a week and walk the dogs everyday for about 30 mins , its very important to keep active , but try not to run or do anything high impact . I used to do front crawl at the pool as breast stroke was bad for my knee . xx

hileena111

Hi Crumpets and welome from me as well.
Yes like the others I think....too much too fast. Take it easy and build up.
There is an Arthritis Care booklet on Exercise....you can usually get them from your hospital....I place mine in the stand in the physio dept. or if you go to the front page of this site you can order them.
Love
Hileena

Petitesse

Nice to meet you crumpets:-) I am a newbie here too.

As the others say, the key is to not overdo it. I am lousy at swimming and end up exhausting myself just to not drown!*LOL*

I have recently been at a physical rehab programme at hospital for a month. I found that warm water exercise was the best solution for me. The warm water is soothing for the sore joints and using the water resistance you can easily adapt your workout to your own level.

As I was (and still am) very out of shape, I just did whatever felt okay each day. The warm water is comfortable to stay in even on days when you are sore and wouldn't be able to exercise yourself warm as you would need to in a normal temperature pool.

With the other exercise forms it was more difficult to tell and all the patients there were asking the same question as you: I am in pain - did I overdo it then? Should I push through or slow down?

It can be hard to tell if the pain is because of the arthritis or from over-exercising. We were told that we shouldn't be feeling real discomfort while exercising and it is better to exercise little and often:-)

elnafinn

crumpets wrote:

I've been getting down about not being fit and last week I went swimming 4 times and did quite a lot of walking. However, I'm now very sore and very tired. I don't think I overdid it (only did about 4 lengths of a 50m pool each time) and I think I was expecting that swimming would be ok for my joints.

Hi Crumpets,

Welcome to the forum. Methinks that you did overdo it especially after not taking much exercise for about a year.

Exercising should be enjoyable in the main to my way of thinking and if one aches for quite a long time afterwards then that was too much. Now if you had built up to that gradually, you would probably have found it to be ok.

Try not to get despondent, we learn by trial and error. Best to start off doing less and increase to more. If you find it too much, then step down a little for a time and then try a little more again. It is difficult for anyone to guide you too much as you know how bad your OA is and you know your own body more than anyone else.

I am sure you will soon find a happy medium and even be able to work up to more over time.

Any exercise is better than none - use it or lose it is a good motto, well it is for me.

Keep posting.

I believe you can download the AC exercise booklet from this site or call the helplines and they will be pleased to send you a copy.

Elna x

julie47

Hi Crumpets

Unfortunately I agree with the others and think that yes, you may have overdone it :?

I just want to welcome you to the forum and hope that next time you exercise it is a little easier for you.

Love Juliepf x

frogmella

Hi Crumpets,

It is really tempting to get going and do too much too soon. I know I have been guilty of it in the past. I have spinal arthritis but I suspect my knees are going too.

As far as swimming goes I would guess that breaststroke wouldn't be that good for you. I think it was doing loads of breastroke when I was younger that did for my knees. I now swim crawl.

I went back to swimming after my latest surgery and (having learnt from last time) worked my way up slowly and am now back to the distance I could do before. It took me months to get back there though. I know it is frustrating but yaking it slowly will be better in the long term.

You will get there in the end. Good luck.

Froggy

elainebadknee

Crumpets

So after not doing a lot of exercise for over a year you go swimming 4 times a week and walk a lot...Bear in mind that a normal pool is quite long and not warm hydrotherapy pool that would benefit you better then im quite sure you have overdone it and no wonder youre sore!
Ask about hydrotherapy in your area, walking isnt great for the joints, cycling isnt as bad....Ask at a local gym to tailor a programme for your needs, so you dont overdo it...

After not being active you need to ease yourself in bit by bit not go hell for leather all at once...Great intentions and get up and go mind you but just need steered in the correct direction...

Good luck

Elainex

crumpets wrote:

Hello,

I was diagnosed with osteoarthritis last year (I'm 36) and was advised that staying active was key... but promptly didn't do very much for about a year!

I've been getting down about not being fit and last week I went swimming 4 times and did quite a lot of walking. However, I'm now very sore and very tired. I don't think I overdid it (only did about 4 lengths of a 50m pool each time) and I think I was expecting that swimming would be ok for my joints.

I'm now not sure how to proceed. I really wanted to increase my exercise in order to improve my fitness and to help my mental wellbeing too.

Does too much exercise have this affect or is it maybe something else going on? How much exercise is good to get fit but not get sore?

Any help or tips with this and to help combat soreness and tiredness greatly appreciated.

Trayce

Hi and welcome

Most get told to do excersise i had a wii fit for my 30th and loved it and still do and love swimming gp told me to stop for a while so i did but am very active around the home gp has told me to go back to swimming but due to pain i will not push myself so you do what you feel you can manage and rest if you need

Soretoe2

Hello crumpets, yummy name. As everyone has said you probably over did it.
I have RA and OA and my docs all talk about 'pacing ourselves'. Small smooth movements several times a day. A nice walk, gentle swim , whatever you feel like doing, just gently and in moderation.
Listen to your body and it will tell you when to stop.
Nice to meet you, I'm new too and this forum is just wonderful.

crumpets

Thank you all so much for your replies, I feel really supported and comforted

I will not give up, but will take it more slowly next time - I think I have just about recovered from my frantic exercise burst!!

Interesting to note about the breaststroke too - there is a bit for me to get used to I think but great to know you guys are here.

Thank you x