In an ironic twist, I have fallen off the wagon-circling wagon. There are reasons for this, which I may get into in another post. But for now, I’d like to jump back on and talk a little about my next set of wagons – physical activity.
Exercise is a seriously tricky proposition for a lot of people with RA. On the one hand, we know that it’s a really important part of maintaining joint health – sometimes it very literally is “move it or lose it.” On the other hand, when the joints are in flare or already damaged, things can get dangerous. Another annoying thing about RA is its changeability – the line between just enough activity and too much is razor-thin and seems to move around all the time, making it hard to stay consistent. At least it sure works that way for me, and for a lot of other RA folks I know. So I have to admit that after going SPLAT a few too many times from overdoing, I have erred on the side of doing… well, nothing.
(Sheepish grin)
I was going to write a somewhat lengthy post that covered all of these different thoughts I’ve had about exercise over the years, but I’m really tired today and so I will get right to the point, which is my plan to change this. I’m realizing that as time goes by, I’m getting weaker and have less and less energy, and that I’m beginning to have new muscle problems in addition to my usual joint problems. While I do realize that my illness has a lot to do with this, I want to be proactive about the parts I might be able to influence. I also want to model something better for my boy than a sedentary lifestyle. So here are the wagons I plan to start circling:
Wagon #1: Water exercise
(Okay, so I may never be Esther Williams, but I think the picture is cute!)
A long time ago, my rheumatologist said that swimming would be good for my joints. Problem – my “swimming” is really more like “trying-not-to-drown.” So then he suggested low-impact water exercise – for example, the Arthritis Foundation Aquatics Program (AFAP), which offers gentle range-of-motion exercises for people with all different forms of arthritis. I learned that it was offered at several different local YMCA’s, as well as a few other places. Around the same time, my husband and I thought that it would be a good idea for our son to take baby swimming lessons. One of our friends had taken her son to the Y, so we checked it out. And then, in one of those beautiful events of synchronicity that makes you think things are meant to be, we saw it:
AFAP class and Infant Swim, Saturday mornings, same time, same pool.
So off we went on Saturday mornings for a little family exercise. At first I felt a bit ridiculous, since I was by far the youngest person in my AFAP class. It was a little awkward explaining to people why I was there, since most of them were osteoarthritis patients. But it didn’t take long to get comfortable, and I really enjoyed the sensation of being in the water, which is kept at a soothing 90 degrees. And it was so sweet to look across the pool and see my baby splashing away in my husband’s arms, loving his swimming class. He was a natural water baby right from the start. Sometimes he would catch sight of me, and I could see him laughing and saying, “Mama!” The little old ladies in the class loved seeing him, too. And I liked knowing that his father and I were being good models for him.
Unfortunately, I had to stop going to class for a loooooooooooooong time because of problems with non-healing wounds and repeated infections – a really unpleasant story I won’t share here right now. (Fun times, let me tell you - aren’t immunosuppressant meds great?) Then we just got busy and involved with other things. But two weeks ago, we decided to start going back. This time we joined the Y as a family (we were guests before) as part of a bigger commitment to exercise. The AFAP classes are free to Y members, and the Y also offers free childcare to members while they are working out, so I would like to start going more than once a week. (That’s if my son, now a toddler, will cooperate with the childcare thing – something we are working on.) I’m also encouraging my husband to start swimming during the week - he likes it and hasn’t done it in years. And we’ll keep up our family Saturdays, which are good for all of us.
Well, I was going to write more – there are at least three more wagons in this particular part of the circle – but to tell the truth, I’m in a lot of pain today, and I’d still like to get something posted. So I’ll sign off here, and tell you about the others when I’m able.
