Exersize with RA?

Hey Sj.. I do Yoga and Pilates.. the stretching feels really good to me, and there is no impact on my hips and knees.. Have you tried it before?

Good luck to you! I know it helps me immensely! I feel so much better after I'm done.. the stretching and breathing is key! :)

If you go to the gym (have one available) the elliptical is also very good.. very low stress on your joints.. but my fav, is Yoga and pilates!!! :)

Momto3, Ducky,
Thank you so much for your advice. Currently the walking is the thing hardest on my knees and the longer I walk the more it hurts (My knee gets more swollen the more I walk although most of that is gone a few hours later so its not synoval fluid just bogg). The recumbent bike (I got one specifically for this) has a great range of motion for me-at the extention my knee extends to like 90% of it fullest open and then I never have to bend it far. I use just enough tension to keep the motion smooth and controlled and not enough that I actually have to push on the peddles. Three times a week would probably not bother me-its the everyday thing that does it.
The walking is tougher.
I am not doing weight training right now largely because I don't know what lifting I could do with out straining the knee or the shoulder. I am doing a bit of resistence training with my upper body using a yoga band and some exersizes that came with the band. Even then I have to be careful or my shoulder swells and that hurts.

I think my rhuemy may be right-as much as I hate to admit it-and I may just have to not push so hard. Or rotate things a bit. I love the yoga idea maybe, if I can find a class I can do that a few days a week, do the bike a few days.... If I'm not trying to string together so many days on the bike I may be okay. Not much I can do about the walking I have a 70 lb beast that needs the exersize.
Anyway thanks for listening to me whine and for the great suggestions.
Sj

When my knees were at their worst, the elliptical put a big strain on them.

For cardio I got a recumbent exercise bike, which has worked out pretty good.

That still irritates the knees a little, so I moved to the upper body a bit for cardio. This impact might not be a good idea for some, but because of my really bad knee problems I got a speedbag to move some cardio to the arms. I use gel-padded gloves (striking with bare hands is NOT a good idea).

I know - it probably doesn't sound like a very smart thing - being arthritic and running out and buying an impact-based piece of exercise equipment! But I am not using this thing like a pro or using bare hands. The key to avoiding injury is to start VERY slow and careful, no matter what you are doing. It is much better to err on the side of non-injury than to do too much and set yourself waaay back.

I'm actually currently in the third week of P90X right now, and I just modify some of the moves to reduce knee impact and strain. I tried P90X about a year ago and had to HEAVILY modify almost everything because my left knee was swollen pretty bad at that time. It was really hard, I couldn't do a lot of the exercises, many I had to modify, and I couldn't be anywhere near as intense as a "healthy" person could in doing this program, but I still shed a lot of fat and lost about 30 pounds total.

Again, trying something like P90X probably sounds really stupid, but I actually bought the program just because of the wealth of knowledge it contains on body weight and hand weight exercises that you can not only do at home, but anywhere pretty much. I didn't want to commit to a gym membership and then be in too much pain or have too much swelling to actually use the membership - I went through that a few years ago - even tried to get a refund with a doctor note and such, but that is a story for another thread...

The funnest thing P90X contains is a really good cardio workout called Kenpo X. Not a lot of impact, but a lot of arm movement (punches and blocks and such). I was even able to do it when I had the really swollen left knee. And depending on how much pain you are experiencing, it is easy to reduce or increase the "intensity" of the workout.

I have a yellow lab.. she will be 2 on the 8th.. :) She likes people, as long as you throw the ball for her! :) :) :) then she will be your new best friend!!!

I think swimming is great for anyone with joint issues! Its the only thing I can do besides a 30 min walk that I dont regret the next day. Our local high school has free lap swim every day. If you dont mind being starred at by a bunch of teenagers in gym class. The YMCA charges $5/day but that adds up quick. Isnt there a Y by you? Maybe they have a month long membership for the winter months? I like stretching (cant call it yoga/pilates I lack any coordination!) I know swimming doesnt cause extra joint stress because there is no impact like running. The eliptical is very hard on knees. The bike is sometimes too. I wish I lost wt with the plaq! Im glad that you a getting some benefits with it.
Melissa

What are the opinions of all your doctors about excercise?  Mine always looks very worried when I tell her about exercise I've been doing.  I get the feeling she would rather me do less than more.  She definitely doesn't encourage it at all.

I've relaxed my exercising habits over the last few weeks.  After a particularly rigorous shoulder/back workout my back kind of hurt for a few days, so I'm ready to calm down now.  Don't think it was arthritis related, just a minor injury.  I think I'm just so happy I can move again that I was on the verge of over-doing it.