PT and exercise have become very important to me...I first started with Tai Chi Gong along with stretching...I have advanced to strength exercises and weights...

I've always been fascinated by Tai Chi, though I've never attempted it. Who knows?? It just may be in my future. I've always wanted to try water aerobics as well for a bit of strengthing. Now if I could just have the guts to put on a bathingsuit....lol....
Blessings,
Kim

LOVE yoga...although I had to stop when I tore my Achilles (still 'rehabing"). Couldn't live without stretching. Don't stop!!!! You will turn into a brick. Those dead spaces in your muscles where those muscle fibers used to be fill in with "fat" and solidify. I have an MRI of my "glute" to prove it. Don't let it happen... KEEP moving.

I'm a long termer.. now 41, had 1st episode of PM @ 17. So don't let my ass become yours.....massage works pretty good too. It's passive stretching.

I started with Water PT in a hot pool for range of motion and strengthening, now Theraputic Yoga/Pilates to use the muscles that i don't use naturally. I have found that some of my muscles build back quickly. I have biceps again, but some are not wanting or able to work. I can't hold an empty muffin tray for 15 seconds, or lift dishes into the cabinet. I can get one or two down, but not up. The Yoga helps me to work with the muscles that are not easy to use for me.
I am now able to swim a few laps and kick with a kick board. It all feels good and causes sore muscles but it is a good kind of sore if i progress slowly enough. I could not live without it.

I'm just learning Yoga, and I love it. The first thing I learned is I really can get up myself if I fall. Sounds silly to someone without the PM, but it made me more confident. I'm looking forward to following this post. I can't wait to see all the interesting input.
Exercising was never my thing and Yoga seems perfect for me.

That was one of the things that prompted me to begin yoga. I live alone and when I got to the point that I could not roll over in bed I realized that if I fell it could be days before anyone noticed I was missing. I bought a video (AM & PM Yoga) and began following it. The PM series was too much at first, so I just did parts of the AM, which has a lot of modified poses and floor stretching. I have found massage helpful too, but it is a luxury I can't afford very often.

Before I got sick, I worked out at the gym doing cardio and strength training and took yoga and aerobics classes. After DM knocked me on my butt, gentle stretching for range of motion was the only thing I could do for almost a year. I tried aqua-therapy, but my skin couldn't tolerate the chemicals in the pool. That first year was really frustrating, but my PT advised me to keep moving and listen to my body, and that seemed to work pretty well for me.

I've gradually resumed most of my pre-DM activities, but my strength and endurance seem to have plateaued at a much lower level than pre-DM. My rheumy explained that this is likely to be as good as it gets due to the DM damaging the blood vessels that supply oxygen to the muscles. With a compromised oxygen supply, my muscles just don't hold up very long when I start exercising - makes sense to me. I just have to keep my eye on the big picture and remember how much better off I am now than I was 5 years ago. ~Lucky

Before I was diagnosed with DM I was so strong. I did yoga, swimming a mile a few times a week, kayaking on the river, hiking. I am a massage therapist by profession and I had great stamina and strength for that as well. I knew something was wrong when I became less interested in exercise and was conserving all of my energy for working and taking care of myself. It was a day after a yoga class that I 'crashed' and could not lift my arms. At first I thought we must have done a lot of arm work in that class, but it didn't go away, I kept getting weaker and weaker every day. Then I got diagnosed and when I was really sick I couldn't even straighten out my arms. Since I started my treatment I have slowly been able to do some gentle yoga and Qigong (lke Tai chi). I am getting my range of motion back and feeling much better. I highly recommend both. Gaiam makes nice dvds you can use at home. My doctor told me not to exert myself during this period or I can do permanent muscle damage. So I am not 'pushing' myself right now but I am gently stretching what had become contractures. I am looking forward to the next time I see him in a few weeks and he says it's time to get strong again. I want to go to physical therapy. My goal is to swim a mile again, even if it takes a long time.... I want to do it again.... I will!

I use to do yoga but i am not sure i can get myself up off the floor.I love yoga though it is very calming and relaxing .

My doctor and I talked about exercise in general at length yesterday. I was "bragging" about how much i've been going to the gym and how important it is to me to do it. When I take my days off, I feel so sore and stiff...and it's not the hard workout sore...it's the "I need to move my ass" sore!

I told her that when I worked in ortho, it was so hard to get patients with arthritis and pain conditions to move! Even a light walk. Folks are so resistant to exercise because they think it makes the pain worse, when in reality, the absolute worst thing you can do is remain inactive. She too has a hard time getting many of her patients to participate in any activity outside of normal daily living skills. What a shame. It's so good for your body and your mind. Fresh air and movement...that's such a good recipe for feeling well.

I'm glad you guys have found things that keep you moving and feeling well! I personally am an aerobic step fan and cardio kick boxing.

Have a great day!