What do you do?

[coltsfan715]

Okay guys,

I have been walking - I started about a week before I was admitted to the hospital this time, so I guess I have maybe stuck to a routine for about a month. With the exception of the past few days I have tried walking everyday - and the last few days I haven't due to doctor's orders.

I was up to 2 miles in about 45 minutes or so. Last week when I was having problems I couldn't even finish a mile though ... the farthest I got was about 8 tenths of a mile. Anyway that is beside the point.

I was wondering what you guys do to build stamina, strength and help bring your PFTs back up. Do you walk and just increase distance and speed? Do you walk with intervals of running or try to work up to intervals of running if you are unable to run when you start? Do you lift weights, do toning exercises or a combination of these?

I am wanting some ideas as I am wanting to build my stamina and endurance and I am also hoping to regain some of my lost pulmonary function. I am just hoping to hear ideas of things that have worked for you all, and things you have done to help make the exercising easier and more rewarding I guess (I mean helped you to see a bigger pay off - if you have experimented with different types of workouts and such).

Thanks for ideas guys and I look forward to reading your thoughts and what you all do.

Have a great night,
Lindsey

 

[coltsfan715]

Okay guys,

I have been walking - I started about a week before I was admitted to the hospital this time, so I guess I have maybe stuck to a routine for about a month. With the exception of the past few days I have tried walking everyday - and the last few days I haven't due to doctor's orders.

I was up to 2 miles in about 45 minutes or so. Last week when I was having problems I couldn't even finish a mile though ... the farthest I got was about 8 tenths of a mile. Anyway that is beside the point.

I was wondering what you guys do to build stamina, strength and help bring your PFTs back up. Do you walk and just increase distance and speed? Do you walk with intervals of running or try to work up to intervals of running if you are unable to run when you start? Do you lift weights, do toning exercises or a combination of these?

I am wanting some ideas as I am wanting to build my stamina and endurance and I am also hoping to regain some of my lost pulmonary function. I am just hoping to hear ideas of things that have worked for you all, and things you have done to help make the exercising easier and more rewarding I guess (I mean helped you to see a bigger pay off - if you have experimented with different types of workouts and such).

Thanks for ideas guys and I look forward to reading your thoughts and what you all do.

Have a great night,
Lindsey

 

[coltsfan715]

Okay guys,

I have been walking - I started about a week before I was admitted to the hospital this time, so I guess I have maybe stuck to a routine for about a month. With the exception of the past few days I have tried walking everyday - and the last few days I haven't due to doctor's orders.

I was up to 2 miles in about 45 minutes or so. Last week when I was having problems I couldn't even finish a mile though ... the farthest I got was about 8 tenths of a mile. Anyway that is beside the point.

I was wondering what you guys do to build stamina, strength and help bring your PFTs back up. Do you walk and just increase distance and speed? Do you walk with intervals of running or try to work up to intervals of running if you are unable to run when you start? Do you lift weights, do toning exercises or a combination of these?

I am wanting some ideas as I am wanting to build my stamina and endurance and I am also hoping to regain some of my lost pulmonary function. I am just hoping to hear ideas of things that have worked for you all, and things you have done to help make the exercising easier and more rewarding I guess (I mean helped you to see a bigger pay off - if you have experimented with different types of workouts and such).

Thanks for ideas guys and I look forward to reading your thoughts and what you all do.

Have a great night,
Lindsey

 

[cdale613]

Hi Lindsey -

I have made exercise a big part of my routine. I do a combination of running, biking, swimming, and weight lifting (although after a recent bike crash I'm just running and biking until my shoulder gets better... I digress..) I have exercised at many different levels - I ran competitively in high school and college. I've also had to deal with not being able to run a mile and build myself back up to a more moderate level.

I try to slowing increase my distance and/or time, not worrying about speed until I'm very capable of going a desired distance. I try to focus on increasing my distances weekly - not every day. From one week to the next, I won't increase more than 5-10 percent over the previous week. If you are interested in developing a workout routine you can maintain, I would not recommend pushing yourself too hard on a daily basis... focus on doing what you can do, and slowly moving forward from there. For example... I think its much better to walk 1 mile a day for four days than to walk 2 miles on one day and nothing for the next three. Once you can comfortably walk 2-3 miles everyday, I would recommend starting to jog for part of your workout... even if it is alternating jogging one minute and walking 4 minutes, for 30 minutes or so. The aerobic payoff from jogging/ running is much larger than walking... you need to walk much more to get equivalent benefits of jogging.

I think a lot of it has to do with how we approach exercise. I love workingout... even if its a bad day and I'm coughing all the time, etc. Just being able to be out there doing any of it motivates me to do more.

Anyway, just a few ideas... I hope it helps.

Chris 26 m w/CF

 

[cdale613]

Hi Lindsey -

I have made exercise a big part of my routine. I do a combination of running, biking, swimming, and weight lifting (although after a recent bike crash I'm just running and biking until my shoulder gets better... I digress..) I have exercised at many different levels - I ran competitively in high school and college. I've also had to deal with not being able to run a mile and build myself back up to a more moderate level.

I try to slowing increase my distance and/or time, not worrying about speed until I'm very capable of going a desired distance. I try to focus on increasing my distances weekly - not every day. From one week to the next, I won't increase more than 5-10 percent over the previous week. If you are interested in developing a workout routine you can maintain, I would not recommend pushing yourself too hard on a daily basis... focus on doing what you can do, and slowly moving forward from there. For example... I think its much better to walk 1 mile a day for four days than to walk 2 miles on one day and nothing for the next three. Once you can comfortably walk 2-3 miles everyday, I would recommend starting to jog for part of your workout... even if it is alternating jogging one minute and walking 4 minutes, for 30 minutes or so. The aerobic payoff from jogging/ running is much larger than walking... you need to walk much more to get equivalent benefits of jogging.

I think a lot of it has to do with how we approach exercise. I love workingout... even if its a bad day and I'm coughing all the time, etc. Just being able to be out there doing any of it motivates me to do more.

Anyway, just a few ideas... I hope it helps.

Chris 26 m w/CF

 

[cdale613]

Hi Lindsey -

I have made exercise a big part of my routine. I do a combination of running, biking, swimming, and weight lifting (although after a recent bike crash I'm just running and biking until my shoulder gets better... I digress..) I have exercised at many different levels - I ran competitively in high school and college. I've also had to deal with not being able to run a mile and build myself back up to a more moderate level.

I try to slowing increase my distance and/or time, not worrying about speed until I'm very capable of going a desired distance. I try to focus on increasing my distances weekly - not every day. From one week to the next, I won't increase more than 5-10 percent over the previous week. If you are interested in developing a workout routine you can maintain, I would not recommend pushing yourself too hard on a daily basis... focus on doing what you can do, and slowly moving forward from there. For example... I think its much better to walk 1 mile a day for four days than to walk 2 miles on one day and nothing for the next three. Once you can comfortably walk 2-3 miles everyday, I would recommend starting to jog for part of your workout... even if it is alternating jogging one minute and walking 4 minutes, for 30 minutes or so. The aerobic payoff from jogging/ running is much larger than walking... you need to walk much more to get equivalent benefits of jogging.

I think a lot of it has to do with how we approach exercise. I love workingout... even if its a bad day and I'm coughing all the time, etc. Just being able to be out there doing any of it motivates me to do more.

Anyway, just a few ideas... I hope it helps.

Chris 26 m w/CF

 

[welshgirl]

weights or squats would be very good for bone strength/mass. i was reading somewhere about about osteoporosis which is directly related to cf due to diet and malobsorbtion of fats and vitamins. i'm no expert though. thought i would mention it 'cos i'd never heard of this before. good luck with your training<img src="i/expressions/face-icon-small-happy.gif" border="0">

 

[welshgirl]

weights or squats would be very good for bone strength/mass. i was reading somewhere about about osteoporosis which is directly related to cf due to diet and malobsorbtion of fats and vitamins. i'm no expert though. thought i would mention it 'cos i'd never heard of this before. good luck with your training<img src="i/expressions/face-icon-small-happy.gif" border="0">

 

[welshgirl]

weights or squats would be very good for bone strength/mass. i was reading somewhere about about osteoporosis which is directly related to cf due to diet and malobsorbtion of fats and vitamins. i'm no expert though. thought i would mention it 'cos i'd never heard of this before. good luck with your training<img src="i/expressions/face-icon-small-happy.gif" border="0">

 

[NoExcuses]

I lift weights 3 x a week (biceps, tricepts, lats, delts). I am osteopenic so weight baring exercises are important for me.

I use an elipitcal machine because it keeps me in doors away from the horrible So Cal heat and I have an air purifier running.

I used to only be able to do it for 8 minutes...now I'm up to 20. It took a while, but good music helps <img src="i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif" border="0">

 

[NoExcuses]

I lift weights 3 x a week (biceps, tricepts, lats, delts). I am osteopenic so weight baring exercises are important for me.

I use an elipitcal machine because it keeps me in doors away from the horrible So Cal heat and I have an air purifier running.

I used to only be able to do it for 8 minutes...now I'm up to 20. It took a while, but good music helps <img src="i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif" border="0">

 

[NoExcuses]

I lift weights 3 x a week (biceps, tricepts, lats, delts). I am osteopenic so weight baring exercises are important for me.

I use an elipitcal machine because it keeps me in doors away from the horrible So Cal heat and I have an air purifier running.

I used to only be able to do it for 8 minutes...now I'm up to 20. It took a while, but good music helps <img src="i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif" border="0">

 

[65rosessamurai]

I went 12 years without a car for transportation. I used the train, bicycle and mostly my feet!
Good music helps with walking a long distance, and sometimes having to walk somewhere to do something seems more easy to do than just walking. Is there a store or something you could walk to and from? My mom once had an idea to actually go walk in a big shopping mall! Makes pretty good sense, Most of my walking was done in a shopping mall, too! (the other half was from the train station to home)
Another form of building stamina (besides eating enough garlic), was make it to more of my Iaido practices.
Good luck with your training.

 

[65rosessamurai]

I went 12 years without a car for transportation. I used the train, bicycle and mostly my feet!
Good music helps with walking a long distance, and sometimes having to walk somewhere to do something seems more easy to do than just walking. Is there a store or something you could walk to and from? My mom once had an idea to actually go walk in a big shopping mall! Makes pretty good sense, Most of my walking was done in a shopping mall, too! (the other half was from the train station to home)
Another form of building stamina (besides eating enough garlic), was make it to more of my Iaido practices.
Good luck with your training.

 

[65rosessamurai]

I went 12 years without a car for transportation. I used the train, bicycle and mostly my feet!
Good music helps with walking a long distance, and sometimes having to walk somewhere to do something seems more easy to do than just walking. Is there a store or something you could walk to and from? My mom once had an idea to actually go walk in a big shopping mall! Makes pretty good sense, Most of my walking was done in a shopping mall, too! (the other half was from the train station to home)
Another form of building stamina (besides eating enough garlic), was make it to more of my Iaido practices.
Good luck with your training.

 

[Chaggie]

For me it's a lot of cross training. I play hockey (shocker I know) at least once a week usually 2, do weights 3 times a week run a couple times a week and ride the bike a couple times a week.

As Chris above said it's better to not go as far as you can and then need to take 3 days off. Do what you can at first then when you are comfortable doing that start increasing speed and distance to where you are pushing yourself a little more each time.

 

[Chaggie]

For me it's a lot of cross training. I play hockey (shocker I know) at least once a week usually 2, do weights 3 times a week run a couple times a week and ride the bike a couple times a week.

As Chris above said it's better to not go as far as you can and then need to take 3 days off. Do what you can at first then when you are comfortable doing that start increasing speed and distance to where you are pushing yourself a little more each time.

 

[Chaggie]

For me it's a lot of cross training. I play hockey (shocker I know) at least once a week usually 2, do weights 3 times a week run a couple times a week and ride the bike a couple times a week.

As Chris above said it's better to not go as far as you can and then need to take 3 days off. Do what you can at first then when you are comfortable doing that start increasing speed and distance to where you are pushing yourself a little more each time.

 

[LouLou]

for me aerobics classes are great. Stay away from the one's that are all dance. You don't want to be focusing energy on learning routines unless they provide a cardio work out and aren't frustrating in the least. I do one class that is weight lifting. Low weight tons of rep's - for me I get a cardio work at the same time because of the pace we keep. Fun music - upbeat people. I highly suggest a class like this. Also I do another class on mini trampolines. This is good (cleans lymphnadic system) cardio workout as well as toning muscles due to agility workout. Sometimes makes my hemoptysis act up though.

In general though, I need an hour long class because otherwise I will wimp out on the elyptical machine. Probably I get bored and then I focus on my labored breathing and find I've had enough. pity party. you know the drill. So with the class things are always changing and I work hard and enjoy it. With each passing class you get better and better until you'll find you're better than most of the people in the class.

I also do yoga once a week. I find this class good for concentrating on good deep breathing and reconnecting with my lungs. I do not find this class a good workout though. For me I need to get my heartrate up between 140-160 for a solid hour to feel good day in day out.

 

[LouLou]

for me aerobics classes are great. Stay away from the one's that are all dance. You don't want to be focusing energy on learning routines unless they provide a cardio work out and aren't frustrating in the least. I do one class that is weight lifting. Low weight tons of rep's - for me I get a cardio work at the same time because of the pace we keep. Fun music - upbeat people. I highly suggest a class like this. Also I do another class on mini trampolines. This is good (cleans lymphnadic system) cardio workout as well as toning muscles due to agility workout. Sometimes makes my hemoptysis act up though.

In general though, I need an hour long class because otherwise I will wimp out on the elyptical machine. Probably I get bored and then I focus on my labored breathing and find I've had enough. pity party. you know the drill. So with the class things are always changing and I work hard and enjoy it. With each passing class you get better and better until you'll find you're better than most of the people in the class.

I also do yoga once a week. I find this class good for concentrating on good deep breathing and reconnecting with my lungs. I do not find this class a good workout though. For me I need to get my heartrate up between 140-160 for a solid hour to feel good day in day out.