To Exercise or Not to Excercise

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GlenBrittle

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Joined
Oct 9, 2008
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PALS
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10/2008
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CA
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Ontario
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Alexandria
I have been reading how some people get the "twitch" after exercising.

But , the answer to my nagging question is really there.

Should I exercise more or less.

I was diagnosed Oct 2 . I try to do as much in a day as possible. Still working , walking talking. I am a soon to be 50 year old IT manager .

I find that my muscles are getting sore . I try to stretch them as much as possible. Some days I can get on the Gazelle (exercise machine) for about 5 minutes. Some days I am too tired.

Am I doing more harm than good ?

let me know your opinions.

Glen
 
Hi Glen. Use our search feature for lots of discussion on the issue. Consensus is do range of motion and flex exercises but not strength building. If you hurt a muscle they don't repair.

AL.
 
exercise

Hi, I agree with AL....and I saw a neuro physio yesterday, she said to do some stretching exercises which she showed me, only simple ones just to stretch the muscles and she said it was ok for me to continue using my static bike, but on low impact...I do about 20 minutes a day which she said was fine and the minute it hurts (if you go that far) stop...get plenty of rest. I am also now taking Baclafen which has loosened the muscles a bit. I have trouble getting up the stairs...my knees wont take the weight without some help from me pulling myself up...I asked if I should practice going up and down stairs...a definate NO... only go when needed
 
I am stil underwatch and not diagnosed with ALS but thought i would share.... Stretching excersizes are good and maybe walking or light swimming, i suggest not swimming underwater as this may cause your chest muscles to get extremely sore. I dont know what is wrong with me yet but i do know that when i feel good and rested i go out and do more then regret it the next day. Dont take your energy for granted use it wisely.......... For example: I will rest and putter a couple of days and feel energized and start playing a lot more with my kids and going to the beach to take a long walk and running errands and the next thing i know i am so drained it takes at least three or four days for me to feel okay again. These are normal things people do on a daily basis but personally for me, going grocery shopping is like a great workout for me! Its just the way it is.
 
exercise or not

I watch Rick closely and he pays if he does too much. Too much means.... too long a walk, too much stacking wood, trying to mow the lawn, vacuuming the whole house at once, or similar activities. If he goes out in the morning to shop or go to an Elks meeting, he takes a nap in the afternoon before he would go out again in the evening. He is stiff and weaker for a couple of days if he doesn't heed his limits. At the time he is busy, he feels just fine and strong..... it is later he feels the strain. He is walking, talking, driving, working doing his paperwork in the office, etc. without anyone even guessing there is anything wrong with him. But he is one year into his diagnosis with ALS and he and I both realize his symptoms. You cannot build up or strengthen your muscles.... but if you are careful you can maintain some average strength. Trying to lift weights or do even low impact arobics will take away what you have. Stretching or Yoga type exercise seems to be fine. Don't be a turtle, but don't be a rabbit either! I hope this helps. M
 
Hi Glen, I got diagnosed in September but it took a good 6 months of tests, during this time I gave up excercising. I regret this now as I have started back at the gym working on the excercise bike and resistence machines and I feel this helps me walk and move more easily. Back in May I was fairly fit and I wish I had kept excercising as it is slightly harder to get back into it now.
Low resistence exercising and a positive attitude are worth their weight in gold in my opinion.
 
Excercise

Hi am in the process of being diagnosed with ALS and one fo the questions I asked my Neurologist was "Is it good to excercise" His answer was that a colleague of his who is a Neurologist has had ALS for about five years and does lots of weight training excercise and as much of other sports as he can. This neurologist believes that it certainly has helped him :D
 
I'm so glad someone asked about this as it is something that I've been wondering about recently, too. There are things I do in my daily life and as job functions that can equate to heavy exercise, namely lifting/turning patients and taking the stairs everywhere I go. While it's been good to finally learn why it was feeling harder and harder to do these things in the past few months, it's really led me to wonder how much longer I should really try pushing myself to do them. It's really so silly. I always just thought I was a weakling and my mom and partner would joke about what a wuss I was becoming. While it's good to now know what the problem is, it sucks knowing what the problem means.
 
To Exercise or Not? That is the Question.

There are two different issues here. (1) If you haven't been diagnosed with ALS yet, or are in the process of being diagnosed'ed, the exercises that you do can be up to you. Your body knows when it has had too much, sort of the "No Pain, No Gain" theory. So, what I'm saying is do whatever excercises you want to do.

(2) If you have been diagnosed'ed with ALS and are progressing you can only do so much excercising. The stretches and range of motion and some some small strengthing excercises is about all you are able to do.

I excercise all parts of my body every day, but nothing too strenous. When I'm resting, watching T.V., reading the forum, I'm still stretching my legs, or back, or working my mouth muscles. I have posted some pictures of some of the exercises I do every day in my members profile, if you are interested.

Lastly, I think you need to do what your body will allow you to do. It not only helps your muscles, it occupies your miind and makes you think that at least you are doing something to help yourself.
Gordon
 
Thank You for all of the feedback.

I am seeing the fatigue part starting now , so I will definitely keep to the low impact style of exercise and stretching.

Glen
 
Exercise And Doms

As someone has already posted, if you have an NMD (or some kind of ongoing muscle problem where the muscles aren't repairing themselves) and you over do it, the muscles that got the "over doing" are going to let you know about it for days.

Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness - once you experience it, you'll want to avoid it!

Zaphoon
 
I was asking the same question here about a year ago. Unfirtunately, as with most of ALS related questions, the answer is "nobody knows". There was a small Canadian study suggesting that exercises were good. On the other hand, I read one theory of ALS that says that physical stress helps the damaging agent to attack horn cells - well, I may be confusing things slightly :lol:, but basically it was saying that physical stress is one of the things leading to ALS. Now, once ALS is there, is physical stress still bad ? Nobody knows.

So may be watching your body reaction is the best way to judge if it is good or bad.
 
The best thing to do is exercise the muscles not involve yet and to do stretches and range of motion on muscles that are involve
If you feel sore on the muscles you are exercising Do less
Its common sense


Pat
 
Water Aerobics

I have been officially diagnosed with MND today after six months of tests. During this time I have been active with swimming and water aereobics which I find relieves the muscles and makes me feel if I can do anything. I also am working with a personal trainer who has helped me both emotionally and physically. So in my opinion this has to be all good. I also wrote earlier that my Neurologist has a collegue who is also a Neurologist with MND and he excercises regularily and believes that it has helped him.
So go for it and live life to the fullist. :lol:
 
My partner asked this question when diagnosed two weeks ago (upper limb onset). The neurologist specialising in ALS advised him to continue doing all of the activities he was doing prior to the diagnosis (namely some hill walking, running and ice skating which we took up recently) but not to over exert himself or push himself to the limit. So I guess the this confirms then idea of one of the previous posts about exercising the unaffected muscles but knowing the limit.
 
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