Spondylitis Association of America Forums General Discussion Men Only Message Board Do any of you guys work out with weights?

Yea, I would def agree with you Sandcut. I was getting a bit depressed for awhile and when I reupped my exercise regimen ( I just started out with pullups and pushups as well ) I started to feel physically better, mentally better...well just better in general!

Sandcut, I'm with you regarding the music. I love both the Ramones and SD, but I listen to various metal bands while working out. It really helps with the mental block thing. Regarding the amount of weight, it only matters that I make progress, even just tiny amounts. I only compete with myself. Throughout the years, I have had times that I am not mentally ready to work out, and I don't. But I know that is how it is with me and I will always get back into it.
My original question was just that I was curious if any of you had any limitations in what you can do.

In my mid 30's (mid 50's now) I was able to go to a gym daily, spending the first hour on weights (machines, not free weights) and another hour on aerobics and stretching (I was the odd immovable character in the corner of the room who grunted a lot).

During that golden time, I was able to go completely off NSAIDs and took two aspirin once a day. Work and life changes then sent me to a decade of long plane rides and no work-outs, and I was back to square one, popping NSAIDs, in constant pain, and fast losing mobility.

Now that I am semi-retired and in a physically demanding job, the exercise is once again providing some relief.

I think that the worst medical advice I received when first diagnosed in the late 70's was to avoid weights and sports and only do stretching. But the fact is that strong muscles, especially stomach, lower back and chest, help remove weight from your bones when standing, help maintain an erect posture and IMO is key to better living under AS. Secondly, toned muscles are far easier to stretch than those out-of-shape, so strength training coupled with stretching is the way to go.

I have also constantly moved everything that hurts every day ever since I was diagnosed. Cases and severity of AS differ, but the result in my case is that I am fairly mobile (for AS) and only have total fusion in my lower spine. The trade-off is that all my joints, from neck to back to ribs to wrists, elbows and knees all hurt all the time. Pain management then consists of hot shower, exercise, and the lowest dose of NSAIDs I can get away with.

Ooops! My bad.

When it comes to uppper body I have no limitations. My lower body is gradually becoming flaccid. Most excercises that involve squatting or repetitive extentsions cause my knees to swell so I generally avoid them. Oddly, a little Tae Bo doesn't seem to hurt the knees but angers the one foot. Oh well.

I work out with weights and do cardio three times a week. I can't tell you how much its helped my body, and my mood. You do have to be careful with free weights. I don't do squats or military presses because of the compression it puts on my spinal column. My cervical and lumbar discs disappeared a few years ago, so I have to allow for that. I've lost weight too, especially after increasing my cardio workout. Used to weigh 230+, now I weigh 208. Like how I look in the mirror too.

Like Sandcut said, working out helps me feel like I'm in control of my body, not that my body is in control of me.

I used to love working out with weights, but since everything started going downhill 3 years ago I have been able to do less and less and less. I have lost about 25 pounds of muscle mass since then because of the inability to work out much. It is like I became a frail 90 year old overnight. I am only 44.

It is very demoralizing. I hope I can be diagnosed in January so that I can get effective medication to get the inflammation down so I can exercise properly again.

Bummer. You can get it back man. Hang in there.

yea I know the feeling. I used to work out at least an hour a day, just with weight exersizes, along with other exersizes(Cardio, stretches, ect.) But every since my dx I feel so limited, I do 3 exersizes with weights and the rest I do is all core strengthening exersizes. It's really a bummer, I feel like a I'm 80, im 20 years old; its so hard to stay positive when you feel like crap and can't act like you want to