In the past year I have gained almost 40 pounds due to my inability to work out daily. I don’t eat bad in fact I am kind of a nut about healthy foods but the past year or so my headaches have been so bad if I exert myself at all I stopped working out. Does anyone have any suggestions on a good workout plan that doesn’t cause the pressure headaches? I would really like to at the very least stop gaining weight and maybe even lose a little. I have been able to do a little stretching but I can’t even do that very much anymore. I was a runner, which I miss dearly but the headaches have gotten unbearable so that’s out the window. I love lifting but even low weight hi reps cause a headache.
I was/am a fanatic of exercise. 30 pushups, 150 situps, run 3 miles a day...miss those days. The gym on campus told me their trainers won't even work with me because of chance of injury, shoot me while i'm down i told the director. The one thing they would allow me to take was yoga but the NL said with my DDD and the fusion that may be alot right now. If you don't have fusion or DDD you may want to try that or low impact aerobics.
I'm going to watch your thread cause this one I'm curious on to :)
My whole life I have played every sport & swam & dove competitively. I was also a lifeguard for several summers. Before I became sick in 2001 I worked out with a trainer daily and ran 4 miles a day. I Love working out. After I became sick I missed my workouts the most & still do. I would recommend walking in warm pools. All YMCA's have arthritis approved heated pools. They will also give you a huge discount if you are disabled. I can't swim anymore. You would be amazed you even hold your head up to do the back stroke, but walking & some water aerobics has worked. I even take water yoga. It helps immensly & you get a good workout. Most gyms will give you a week free to try it. The warm water pools really help. Cool water pools makes your mucles tighten up. I promise it's worth a try. You can even jog in the pool & it doesn't put a lot of pressure on your joints. I bought pool tennis shoes. To even furthur cut down on the joint pressure.
I walk on my treadmill as my foot/back and such will allow. The exertion gets to me from time to time. As long as I keep my head at a consistent angle, the chiari issues aren't so bad. I only go a half-hour at a time. I trimmed my calories down to 1200 calories and use My Fitness Pal to track my intake. I have lost 26 pounds in 2 months with mostly diet. And I eat junk more frequently than I would like to admit, but I keep the calories at 1200 and it made the difference.
Always listen to your body. There is no way I could do yoga with my stenosis, DJD, and DDD before, but now with the Chiari it is definitely a no-no. Even slight shifts in my head cause dizziness.
I’m right here with you all. For the first time in probably 2 years I’m able to walk for exercise (I take the dogs for a walk one at a time), and am hoping to start riding my bike again now that spring looks to be here. Everything else is hopefully going to fall into place now that we seem to have the right combo of meds (at least for the time being).
Water aerobics and stationery bike…because of my balance issues, stationery bike is best for me. Yoga is great, but gives me postural headaches. Water aerobics is gentle on my neck and shoulders…the strokes from swimmimg triggers my neck and trigeminal neuralgia.
Hope the exercises and why help! Everyone is different. I think it’s alot of trial and error.
Best of luck…weight has been an issue for me since my surgery too! Between fighting the symptoms and meds that make us gain weight, it really stinks!! (to be polite LOL)
XOXO Monique
I think it is a word Susan…I have an (adult) tricycle because we live at the lake all summer and it has a big basket in the back for hauling all the stuff up to the lake, pool and water park. Can’t get jostled or fall off when you look like the little old lady from Pasadena…I always have the music from the Wizard of Oz and the mean old woman riding her bike in my head when I’m riding it.
I also have a recumbent bike that I love. If I only ride a mile or so, I am fine. It is so frustrating though, to not be able to do as much as before CM. I love to walk, especially when it is this nice out. I walked about 2 miles the other night with my son and really enjoyed it. I felt good the rest of the night, but when I woke up the next day, I was slammed with headaches and numerous symptoms flared up. It has been 4 days and I am still exhausted from it. I feel pathetic. I know I over did it, but it is still frustrating to not be able to do what I was able to do before Chiari. Have a good day everyone!
Thanks everyone! I live in the middle of nowhere so going to a gym in town which is 50 miles away isn’t feasible unfortunately. I have a pool so as soon as the weather warms up a little more I may have to try some water arobics in the shallow end. I am also a bike rider, I have actally ridden across Iowa durring RAGBRAI 7 times. I can’t imagine even trying to ride right now, but I do have a stationary trainer for my bike so maybe I will try that, at least on the trainer I don’t have to worry about balance! As far as calories I use a calorie counter on my IPhone and I eat about 1300 calories a day, not sure I could cut that down any lower. It is such a bummer feeling like a lazy blob, I need some endorphin release!
I guess I get angry and just want to feel “normal” again so I can do all the things I love, which includes working out! I am sure we all feel the same frustration, I am so thankful to have found this site! Thank you all for your ideas!
I would have to say RAGBRAI is out now. I live in Iowa and know the beating your body takes on that. I've rode it 3 times in high school and 2 times since got out of navy. The stationary trainer should help you.
Oh, definitely don't go below the calories if your body says not to. My problem was when I was tracking in the beginning, I discovered I was only eating about 750-800 calories a day. Once I brought my intake to 1200, I started losing weight.
I take a 30 minute walk on the treadmill using one of the trainer programs (is automatically changes the speed and incline) and I put Sons of Anarchy Netflix stream on my laptop that is mounted on the treadmill and get to work walking. The hardest part of that is my foot pain, but if I turn my head; look down, or go above a certain speed, I have to get off of it.
I am fighting an uphill battle as I have been on morphine and Norco daily for over a year and a half. Truth be told, that simply takes my chronic pain from an 8 or 9 down to a 6 or 7, but at least I can function.
I hear ya on the weight gain. I too have a recumbent bike. It's great exercise and doesn't put too much strain on the head or back. I also just started a healthy, meal replacement. I do it once a day, ususally breakfast. My good friend is a BeachBody coach thru P90X. They offer Shakeology. I have a Shakeology shake everyday for the past 3 weeks. It's filled with minerals, vitamins & a slew of other wonderful things for the body. Helps your digestion, improve your immune system, boost your metabolism, to name a few. If you're interested, let me know.