Posted 5/18/2013 5:59 PM (GMT 0)
The argument against treadmills is often that they don't provide the shock absorption you get by walking normally. Obviously this is partially true of concrete / tarmac but that's what fields and woods are there for. If you've had a delicate repair done then the last thing you want is repeated shock from hitting a treadmill. Runners knacker their knees because of running on tarmac and the impact your body takes from it.
As for prednisolone - it's a right sod for making you hungry. I've been on it for years and only now am I noticing weight gain but that's more from luck than management. My collar size has gone up an inch in the last year and I'm noticing the flab so it's time for me to do something - quite what I'm not sure about although I do know that my dose has gone up just as it's beginning to make me gain weight. I think it's as a result of changing hospitals so I'm riding 15 mins twice a day rather than 45 mins twice a day - as odd as it seems, riding a motorbike is actually light exercise, especially when you've no screen to protect you from the wind. Perhaps riding more and faster (I barely top 50mpph these days) is what I need to do as it's exercise I can tolerate. Perhaps finding something light that you can tolerate a couple of times a day without worsening the pain would be beneficial. For arthritis and back issues you don't want to put on weight and put more pressure on joints as you well know.
Perhaps you could look into an appetite suppressant as a way of helping? One thing I'd suggest is eat the protein in your meals first as this is what stops the hunger (this is why the Atkins diet can work, health issues aside). Caffeine, sugar and alcohol will likely set all the gastric juices flowing and make you feel the need to eat more.