Thread: Limited exercises

Sunny,
Have you tried some modified strength training with VERY light weights in a seated position? Might be a good place to start to regain some strength for your muscle and joints. Maybe mention this to your doctor and see what his advice is

Mary, sorry to hear about your problems, but you're on the great track starting the LC diet and light exercise - and joining this forum since it will provide you with support, motivation and information.

I do not know the extent of your back problems, but my knee trouble was cured by yoga and pilates. I know that both of these have exercise modifications based on injuries/pain, so that is all I can recommend at the moment. If you get a chance, you could check out the following two books:

"Back Rx: A Fifteen-Minute-A-Day Yoga-And Pilates-Based Program to End Low Back Pain Forever"

"The Pilates Back Book: Heal Neck, Back, and Shoulder Pain With Easy Pilates Stretches"

Or maybe there is something better out there.... In any case, good luck and be brave - we're all here for you.

PBS has a series called Sit and be Fit... all exercises are slow, in seated position, using towells for some lifts, and they show regular and modified (for people that can't move much) it is geared to older people, you might want to check with your local pbs station and see if they carry it, and if not, ask them to, if they won't, ask where you can purchase the tapes that the program has....
pbs also has a couple yoga programs... ylana yoga is the one we have here in texas

Well when you said back problem.... I have watched what you are going through. My dad has had several back surgeries(and to no avail he still has pain). I would have said water exercises immediately... and I actually might still encourage this. My only question about you water exercise is.... what is the pool temperature at? Alot of pool that are used for lap swimming(aka swim teams) keep their pool at a lower temperature to prevent overheating in long swim races.... there is definately a difference in what people doing water exercise need versus competative swimmers. Sound like it could be the temperature? If not..... I might suggest going to the WATP forum in exercise... alot of people really enjoy the WATP DVDs and there is even a really low intensity yoga program listed there....
...hope this helps!

I know what you mean about doctors and weight. Every so often I would bring up shortness of breath issues to my former doc--who is actually a very good doctor. But it wasn't until I ended up in urgent care with what I thought was a nasty bought of upper respiratory infected when the physician's assistant (not a doctor) asked me twice if I was sure that I don't asthma. Of course I was sure...my doctor would have told me if I was, right? Well, she insisted that I make an appointment with my doc and have him rule out asthma. Luckily, my doc was out that day and had someone else filling in for him. (I'd never experienced that with my doc.) Lo and behold, the substitute doc didn't lecture me about losing weight or pooh-pooh my shortness of breath...instead, he said he believed the PA was right and prescribed me more asthma meds.

That was a year ago. Now, I've got a different insurance and a different doctor (who is a bit of a pooh-pooh type himself) but I also saw an asthma specialist who put me on a third medication...which almost eliminated my need for the emergency inhaler. Now that I'm no longer fearful of gasping for air on the slightest exertion, I'm able to exercise a bit. My cardiovascular health has greatly suffered from my fear of stairs and other forms of exercise that would cause me to breath hard and gasp for air. But I'm on the road to recovery...all thanks to a stubborn physician's assistant. She won't remember me from a year ago, but I think it's time to send her a note of thanks.

I got a bit off topic here...sorry about that.
Have you asked your doctor to prescribe some sort of physical therapy where you will be monitored while you exercise? It sounds like you need someone who is familiar with back problems to oversee your workouts.

I have been in rehab for a long time can still go to it if i feel like i need to but i am now exercising at home and walking more to and doing my chair exercies and some i do laying on the bed also. so i am getting in alot of exercies just not streneous ones yets.