Guest guest Posted June 26, 2010 Report Share Posted June 26, 2010 Joana, You should do what you feel comfortable doing, because everyone is different and only you know your own body. My ability to exercise is extremely limited, but when I do absolutely nothing, I just get weaker and find it just speeds up my overall decline in strength. I have a herniated disk in my back (pinching nerve down my leg) and a hip that needs to be replaced. (The other one has already been replaced.) Nearly any kind of movement causes me extreme pain. So, I get in the pool and just move my arms in different directions. My shoulders are the only part of my body that doesn't hurt. So I move my arms only (with relaxed hands-so my hands don't get sore), but holding the rest of my body firm to get some core benefit.In this way, I get some exercise and make my heart pump some. That and taking a shower are about all I can do. My point is that I would focus on what you CAN do, more than trying to strengthen muscles that are already significantly weakened by CMT. There are lots of upper body and core exercises you can do at the gym. You can even swim with just your arms, let your legs hang loose most of the time or just move them at the hips. In other words, I would encourage not to stop the gym, just cutback on the things that are overly-fatiguing your lower legs. Focus on overall strength, good heart conditioning, and staying active, rather than trying to retrieve lost muscles. JMHO Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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