I'm a total exercise newbie & have arthritis on top of it!

LeggedEgg

LeggedEgg

New member
Ok, so....yay...I finally decided to take my husband, family, kids & doctor's advice & take care of myself. Happy New Year to everyone else riding the new years resolution wagon. ;)

Ok, so I weigh almost 240 & am 5'5". ouch. Yes, I let myself go....and go...and go some more.
I have Ankylosing Spondylitis, fibromyalgia, and some loss of flexibility in my fingers, ankles & shoulders. I have NO backward flexation in my wrists or fingers.
Per doc's orders I am NOT to lift any weight over 5 pounds.
So, this ought to be fun attempting to lose 95 pounds of extra me.
What exercises would you recommend? Avoid?

I have looked into the local specialized health club's aquatics classes & I WILL be taking those for arthritis & fibromyalgia patients. That's 3x a week.
1x a week I will be doing Obedience classes with my dogs, which involves quite a bit of walking/slow running/pivoting for 2 hours. Weekends I will walk the dogs with my hubby for exercise, along with housework/assorted chores like mowing lawns, etc. What I need is a ONE time PER WEEK activity. Treadmill? Eliptical? Yoga? Zumba?
Any suggestions are appreciated that are appropriate for a big girl who has limited mobility & is 40-something & totally unfamiliar with real exercise.

At this point I am unsure if I will joining a gym, or just doing the water classes at the health center plus buying a single piece of equipment like a treadmill/eliptical/exercise bike for the house.
Thanks for the help & I look forward to your suggestions!
 
Forgot to mention I am UNable to bend to sit on the ground...my knees don't flex that much. Also, I have a crushed disk (L4) in my back. LOW to NO impact is a must.
 
I do synchronized swimming and it has worked wonders, I am only 13 but severe scoliosis and back problems have plagued me and I can still do it with ease even though I have different length limbs, a slipped disc and a titanium rod in my back. Many people assume it is hard but it actually isn't and they work you into it gradually. :) A lot of communities have masters classes for adults (you don't have to be a master swimmer, it just means for adults) and it's very low impact and burns tons of calories. One two hour practice for me burns around 1350 calories. :D
 
Thanks Laurendobi for the info, I will look into it.
I am inspired by you! Best of luck reaching your goals. :)
 
I'm a big fan of the elliptical trainer because it's easier on the joints. That said, embarking on a policy of 'no sitting' will also burn calories as well, while hopefully putting less stress on your joints. Swimming is also great, although be a little careful of your shoulders since all of the overhead reaching when you swim can put extra stress there :D

For the record, standing instead of sitting for an hour burns as many calories as walking a mile. So it's something to consider. Also, women who sit for less than 3 hours a day have much lower risks of all kinds of health issues later in life. ... I say while sitting on my butt at the computer ;)

Good luck to you!
 
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