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Re: Weight Lifting
#87629 02/13/06 12:23 AM
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HI there all; I see that many of you have had water exercise recommended, but did any of you actually try it? You might be pleasantly surprised. I am not a weight lifter, I am a swimmer. Water walking keeps me moving. I see it as stretching while supported by the water. We work all the joints, not just a few, and work the range of motion for all of them. My instructor is certified by the Arthritis Foundation. If "water walking" is not enough, try water aerobics. I do my water workout 3x/week. On the off days I walk. You could be doing weights on the off days, or after warming up with the water workout. Good luck.

Re: Weight Lifting
#87630 02/25/06 04:44 PM
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Hi Mt. Sgt,

I think you go out and do what makes you happy.

Walking in a pool to me is like driving 20mph on the autobahn lol smile

I've been lifting weights off and on ever since high school and I'm 38 now. I find excercises that feel good and some that irritate it and mold my workouts around what doesn't irritate the joints. Chest workouts seem to be ok for me but back workouts can irritate my joints later.
Leg workouts I can do just about anything but squats. Any weight bearing on the spine I try to avoid. I do lay down squats to replace the upright squats and that is plenty enough for me.

I have a great way of swimming. I had tried swimming many times and was discouraged because I have neck involvement and I spent too much energy lifting my head out of the water every nanasecond because I also have no chest expansion.
At any rate I got a SNORKEL smile best thing I purchased for excercise. I can swim and breath at nanosecond speed and just swim! Really good excercise to compliment your excercising.

I also find low impact, high intensity cardio to get the heart rate up. My favorite for two things is the Step Up machines. I sweat within 8 minutes of being on it and my back doesn't get bothered one way or another by it. Great leg workout. Two I'm training for a summit to Mt. Ranier. The only thing that could be a factor for me is the chest expansion after 10,000 ft. I need AIR lol smile

Have a good day,

Tim

Re: Weight Lifting
#87631 02/26/06 12:14 AM
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Hi, Tim. It sounds like we have discovered about the same things for weight lifting. I have also had to give up squats in faver of incline leg presses. Like you, I am bothered by anything that exerts too much preasure on the spinal column. I appreciate the tips regarding swimming. I never thought of trying a snorkel. I envy you living where you do. I spent about 25 years in Washington state, Spokane, Colville, Kettle Falls, Richland and Longview. I was even in Spokane for the big "Mt. St. Helans gala".
mike

Re: Weight Lifting
#87632 02/26/06 03:40 PM
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Morning Mike,

The spinal column can really throw me a day or even three days later if I irritate it.
I get too much out of lifting weights for me to stop them but I've added much more strength building cardio to the mix.

Where do you live? I don't mind the rain out here so Washington is a great fit for me. I live in Issaquah near Snoqualmie. Many hiking trails are literally 15 minutes away so I do alot of hiking for workout as well. A big benefit for me living in this state with all the outdoor fun.
I actually went skiing a couple weeks ago at Crystal Mountain. There are a few risk involved on that when your body is fused in many places lol I wonder what the doctors would say on that smile I need excitement and that does it for me. I only fell down three times an no tumbling was involved... just a face plant. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't a little sore the next couple days but it was worth it for me.

Have a nice Sunday Mike and pain free I hope smile

Tim

Re: Weight Lifting
#87633 02/26/06 05:14 PM
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Hi Tim. I live in the Atlanta, Ga metropolitin area now. My only sister is a senior management bureacrat for the State and lives in Olympia. She and her husband have been trying to get me to coe for a vist for some time and it is deffinitly on my "todo" list as I love Washington (as well as my sister, of course).

I feel the same way about weight lifting as you. I have been doing it for 42+ years and it is something that still makes me feel good. I was lucky to find this site and the people on these boards as some of my early "exercise" discussions with my doc were not good. She of course recommended the standard "walking in the swimming pool" for strength building...yea right. I have got her to reluctantly concede that anything that I can do 12+ reps with should be okay....I don't dare talk about weight as I know that would freak her out. I used to do power lifting so have fairly strong legs and am having to use around 900lbs on the lying incline leg press. Because the machine provides reall good suppor for back and hips and becasue the weight is not loadeed at the top of th espinal column, this seems to work very well for me and gets me tired. Some people, including the personal trainers at the club focus on the weight and get a little nervous, though and I no my rheumy would probably go totally balistic but you have to do enough to make you tired, right?

I also know exactly what you mean about the "delayed" pain for doing something wrong. A couple of times, I have done things that I knew I shouldn't, just to humor the young PTs at the club who are freaked out about my leg presses. The problem is, their alternatives have all either loaded weight at the top of the spine or stressed my spine "asynchroneously". In one case, I had trouble walking the next day due to back and hip wierdness..I am sure you know what I am talking about. I finally suggested to the manager of the PT group taht he look up AS on the internnet. At this point, they pretty much leave me alone and deal with what I am doing

The one place that I am not satisfied yet is with the cardio stuff. Currently I ma using a stationary bike which has a comfortable seat and a back, thus providing support again. As soon as I get access to a pool I think I am gong to try the swimming tip that you provided as it has some obvious collateral advantages such as range of motion and total body support.

Well, have a good Sudnay...I am enjoying our "conversation".
mike

Re: Weight Lifting
#87634 02/27/06 02:43 PM
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Mike,

I'm going to have to use a catch phrase I acquired from a young customer service rep at Best Buy when I told him I got Klipsch speakers for surround sound.. He replied to me "That is sick..." smile . I reply to you on your 900 lb squat, "That is sick!!" lol

I do have to tell you that at 17 in high school (Germany) my friends and I had a squatting contest and I did not have proper form at all. My back bent and such... The next morning I could not get out of bed due to my lower (sacroilic) pain that was running through my left hip. That was the start of me having problems with AS.
I went to the army hospital in Landstuhl Germany for HIP TRACTION to fix my hip dislocation lol
To make it even more offensive I had to display my rear to the gods for three months so they could work on my hip... smile What a riot..

If your ever over here in WA let me know.
I'd certainly like to touch base with you.

Have a great day. It is nice to go back and forth here. I agree walking in water is just not enough cowbell for me smile

Have a great day..

Re: Weight Lifting
#87635 02/27/06 08:48 PM
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Remeber, that is a "incline"...I never saw the day that I could do more than 500lbs on an actual squat.

I am like you in that I learned to squat by doing it wrong and injuring myself. I finally got lucky when I waa about 31 and a guy started working out in th eYMCA that I was lifting in who was a pretty good power lifter (600-700lb squat). He gave me some real good form tips and I quit hurting myself with squats.

I will try to take you up on your invitation to meet up. My saister has been after me to visit them in Olympia for some time and I really want to do that.
mike

Re: Weight Lifting
#87636 03/20/06 06:45 PM
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high-impact repetitive exercize is one of the worst things you can do for your body -- ESPECIALLY if you have AS. And the thing about weight lifting is, if your not careful about how you do it, you can really mess up your body, healthy or not.


ow! my knee!
Re: Weight Lifting
#87637 04/13/06 02:32 AM
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Listen to your body. It will tell you what you can and can't do. It took 10 years and 12 doctors to diagnose my classic AS. Why would I listen to them concerning exercise when I know more about the subject than they do?

I am surprised that so many of you with AS can lift weights. I am a female but build muscle easily. I find lifting makes me too tight and causes pain at the tendon attachments.

For those of you with lower back problems . . . strenghthen your core and stretch your quads. Yoga or pilates is good but be careful that your instructor knows how to protect the lower back or you may do more harm than good.

For runners . . . STAY OFF THE PAVEMENT AND BLACKTOP!!!!!!!!! Run shorter distances. Always skip a day. Buy new shoes often. Stretch often. Don't forget the quads.

I was a big 10 runner and I could not run for 8 years until I learned all of these things. I never run more than six miles a few times a week as fast as a snail, but that is better than nothing.

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