Exercise during flare

What types of exercise do u do when u have a flare? Or do u just lay low? How much is too much?

I need to do more. I just feel so exhausted when I'm in a flare. I'd imagine that is really based on how good you feel and what your body is telling you. If I can manage it, I try to do stretching at least.

Depending on how I am feeling, walking, yoga and if I feel really great, a slow jog. Listen to your body, it will tell you when you are doing too much.

When in a flare and on pred, I up my exercise regime. I start running every other day. This keeps me fit, stronger and keeps my joints moving so as to reduce the risk of osteoporosis whilst on the pred and keeping my weight stable. I also watch what I eat whilst on pred as appetite goes through the roof so I try to snack on healthier foods so as not to pile on the weight whilst on pred.

When I flare I continue both with both weights and cardio (riding a bike). There maybe an impact to how long it takes me to complete circuits/ride. However I make it a point not to let UC completely take over every facet of my life.

I will admit to a bit of stress on a ride in needing to find a bathroom while well away from the house. I have also had to sprint to the toilette after hitting the front door.

I find it pointless to exercise when flaring. I am already so thin and the diarrhea makes me lose a ton of weight since i dont absorb anything. I dont like wasting calories on exercise if i cant replace them. I just veg out a lot. If im on pred though, i will use the recumbant bike a few times a day because i retain a lot of water in my limbs and my joints hurt a lot. That seems to help.

just curious hc - when were you dx'd and how long have you been using this less healthy eats/exercise vs more healthy eats/exercise protocol ?

Yoga is a really great way to get into a workout, with a lot of it being stretching/holding poses for a fairly short time, it definitely has it's place for us suffering with pains and fatigue and it really helps both of those issues as well as releasing feel good endorphins and increasing energy and for our emotional/mental health...

so you don't always have to do cardio and weights especially when the less energetic you feel the harder it is to get into cardio and weights, sometimes I trick myself into a work out starting with doing some yoga, then I see how I feel after I've done some for about 30 minutes or so...then I might get on my elliptical and do some weights if I'm up for it, if not then I at least feel satisfied that I did something rather than nothing regarding physical activity.

soystud said...
just curious hc - when were you dx'd and how long have you been using this less healthy eats/exercise vs more healthy eats/exercise protocol ?

Diagnosed since 2000 so it's been 14 years. But at that point I didn't have any sort of plan in how to deal with the disease and did no exercise whatsoever. I've only started looking after myself in the last 4-5 years or so.