Exercise and Fatigue

March 16, 2008

I have been learning that getting into an exercise regimen is

important, but with the extreme fatigue I experience, it seems almost

impossible.

Does anyone have any experience getting into some sort of routine, and

if so, how did you do it?

Also did it help alleviate the fatigue you were experiencing?

March 17, 2008

I have a walking video that I put in. It is a

three mile walk lasts about 40 mins. I put it in and

walk in my living room it exercises all major muscle

groups. I stop when I am tired even if its 10 mins

after I start.I really don't have a fatigue problem

but I love the exercise at home routine.

--- pam noneenator@...> wrote:

> .dear leslie;

>

> i love the question you asked about exercise

> and fatigue. i

> hear people on this site who do all sorts of

>

> psc pam dx 2001

>

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March 17, 2008

Hi

,

Not sure if this will

help you, but hey it’s free. Pre-transplant

Ken was too tired to exercise too. Post-transplant the doctors told Ken the most important exercise he could do is walk. Maybe you’re working it too hard,

try just walking. Swinging your

arms while you walk makes almost every muscle group work. And it’s something everyone can do

no matter what stage of PSC they are in.

HTH

Barb in Texas - Together in the Fight, Whatever it

Takes!

Son Ken (33) UC 91 - PSC 99 - Tx 6/21 & 6/30/07 @ Baylor in

Dallas

-----Original Message-----

Does anyone have any experience getting into some sort of

routine, and if so,

how did you do it?

March 17, 2008

Hi

,

Not sure if this will

help you, but hey it’s free. Pre-transplant

Ken was too tired to exercise too. Post-transplant the doctors told Ken the most important exercise he could do is walk. Maybe you’re working it too hard,

try just walking. Swinging your

arms while you walk makes almost every muscle group work. And it’s something everyone can do

no matter what stage of PSC they are in.

HTH

Barb in Texas - Together in the Fight, Whatever it

Takes!

Son Ken (33) UC 91 - PSC 99 - Tx 6/21 & 6/30/07 @ Baylor in

Dallas

-----Original Message-----

Does anyone have any experience getting into some sort of

routine, and if so,

how did you do it?

March 17, 2008

I'm post transplant and I'm not suffering from the fatigue that I was

before the transplant any more so my comments may not be too helpful,

but since I've finally got a successful exercise program going for the

first time in my life, and since I have dealt with the fatigue of PSC I

may be able to offer some pointers.

1. Find an exercise that you enjoy

When I started training for the triathlon last summer I had to learn to

swim. After a lot of practice, and a lot of learning I found that I had

a new favorite sport! On the other hand, when my wife tried to get me

to do aerobics with her, I just couldn't get into it. So try a few

different things and see if something really works for you.

(btw if you want to learn to swim, I highly recommend the " Total

Immersion " DVDs and books available in libraries and at

totalimmersion.net They took me from being basically a non-swimmer to

swimming a half mile straight in just a few weeks).

2. Keep going, but don't make yourself miserable.

One thing I've found is that, for me anyway, the first five to ten

minutes of exercise is by far the hardest. Once I get warmed up, and

get into the rhythm of it, it gets a whole lot easier. Often after five

minutes I feel exhausted and want to stop, but after thirty minutes I'm

feeling much better. It just takes a while to get all the joints and

muscles warmed up and for all the endorphins to kick in! At the same

time, don't make yourself miserable. If you do it will be all the

harder to get yourself going next time.

3. Find a goal or incentive to motivate yourself.

One of the things that has helped a lot for me is that I've been

training for an event. Last summer it was the triathlon I was preparing

for. Right now, I'm training to do a relay in the Knoxville marathon

(March 30). Having a specific event that I'm looking forward to and

trying to be ready for really helps to motivate me. Some people may be

able to accomplish the same thing by setting personal goals to reach,

but for me having something external with an unchangeable deadline helps

me to discipline myself.

4. Find an exercise partner, even if you're not actually exercising with

them.

My exercise partner is my brother. He's one of the other members of

my marathon relay team, so he's training for the same thing I am. Even

though we can't actually exercise together since he's in Chattanooga

(over an hour away), we call each other several times a week to see how

each others exercise has been going and to compare notes. We also call

each other when we've had a particularly good workout or broken through

some barrier that we've been trying to get past for a while.

6. Keep track of your progress.

Whether you do this in detail on a computer spreadsheet or simply

walk or run the same route each day to see how much farther or faster

you're going than when you first started, it's encouraging to see your

progress. I've also found that spending 15 minutes working on tracking

my progress, or reading about swimming drills etc. can really make me

feel like getting in there and exercising. Not all of a successful

exercise program is physical!

6. If there are health problems that can be treated get them treated.

We can't get rid of the PSC, but I for instance had real problems

with asthma before my transplant, which kept me from exercising. Once I

realized this and got an inhaler I had an easier time. Similarly, when

my colitis started bothering me in the last few months, that made it

much harder to exercise (mostly due to the fevers I was having). Now

that I've got that under control I'm doing much better.

Hope that helps! I know what you're up against with the fatigue from

PSC, but just do what you can and do it consistently and you'll be on

your way!

athan

March 17, 2008

I'm post transplant and I'm not suffering from the fatigue that I was

before the transplant any more so my comments may not be too helpful,

but since I've finally got a successful exercise program going for the

first time in my life, and since I have dealt with the fatigue of PSC I

may be able to offer some pointers.

1. Find an exercise that you enjoy

When I started training for the triathlon last summer I had to learn to

swim. After a lot of practice, and a lot of learning I found that I had

a new favorite sport! On the other hand, when my wife tried to get me

to do aerobics with her, I just couldn't get into it. So try a few

different things and see if something really works for you.

(btw if you want to learn to swim, I highly recommend the " Total

Immersion " DVDs and books available in libraries and at

totalimmersion.net They took me from being basically a non-swimmer to

swimming a half mile straight in just a few weeks).

2. Keep going, but don't make yourself miserable.

One thing I've found is that, for me anyway, the first five to ten

minutes of exercise is by far the hardest. Once I get warmed up, and

get into the rhythm of it, it gets a whole lot easier. Often after five

minutes I feel exhausted and want to stop, but after thirty minutes I'm

feeling much better. It just takes a while to get all the joints and

muscles warmed up and for all the endorphins to kick in! At the same

time, don't make yourself miserable. If you do it will be all the

harder to get yourself going next time.

3. Find a goal or incentive to motivate yourself.

One of the things that has helped a lot for me is that I've been

training for an event. Last summer it was the triathlon I was preparing

for. Right now, I'm training to do a relay in the Knoxville marathon

(March 30). Having a specific event that I'm looking forward to and

trying to be ready for really helps to motivate me. Some people may be

able to accomplish the same thing by setting personal goals to reach,

but for me having something external with an unchangeable deadline helps

me to discipline myself.

4. Find an exercise partner, even if you're not actually exercising with

them.

My exercise partner is my brother. He's one of the other members of

my marathon relay team, so he's training for the same thing I am. Even

though we can't actually exercise together since he's in Chattanooga

(over an hour away), we call each other several times a week to see how

each others exercise has been going and to compare notes. We also call

each other when we've had a particularly good workout or broken through

some barrier that we've been trying to get past for a while.

6. Keep track of your progress.

Whether you do this in detail on a computer spreadsheet or simply

walk or run the same route each day to see how much farther or faster

you're going than when you first started, it's encouraging to see your

progress. I've also found that spending 15 minutes working on tracking

my progress, or reading about swimming drills etc. can really make me

feel like getting in there and exercising. Not all of a successful

exercise program is physical!

6. If there are health problems that can be treated get them treated.

We can't get rid of the PSC, but I for instance had real problems

with asthma before my transplant, which kept me from exercising. Once I

realized this and got an inhaler I had an easier time. Similarly, when

my colitis started bothering me in the last few months, that made it

much harder to exercise (mostly due to the fevers I was having). Now

that I've got that under control I'm doing much better.

Hope that helps! I know what you're up against with the fatigue from

PSC, but just do what you can and do it consistently and you'll be on

your way!

athan

March 17, 2008

I'm post transplant and I'm not suffering from the fatigue that I was

before the transplant any more so my comments may not be too helpful,

but since I've finally got a successful exercise program going for the

first time in my life, and since I have dealt with the fatigue of PSC I

may be able to offer some pointers.

1. Find an exercise that you enjoy

When I started training for the triathlon last summer I had to learn to

swim. After a lot of practice, and a lot of learning I found that I had

a new favorite sport! On the other hand, when my wife tried to get me

to do aerobics with her, I just couldn't get into it. So try a few

different things and see if something really works for you.

(btw if you want to learn to swim, I highly recommend the " Total

Immersion " DVDs and books available in libraries and at

totalimmersion.net They took me from being basically a non-swimmer to

swimming a half mile straight in just a few weeks).

2. Keep going, but don't make yourself miserable.

One thing I've found is that, for me anyway, the first five to ten

minutes of exercise is by far the hardest. Once I get warmed up, and

get into the rhythm of it, it gets a whole lot easier. Often after five

minutes I feel exhausted and want to stop, but after thirty minutes I'm

feeling much better. It just takes a while to get all the joints and

muscles warmed up and for all the endorphins to kick in! At the same

time, don't make yourself miserable. If you do it will be all the

harder to get yourself going next time.

3. Find a goal or incentive to motivate yourself.

One of the things that has helped a lot for me is that I've been

training for an event. Last summer it was the triathlon I was preparing

for. Right now, I'm training to do a relay in the Knoxville marathon

(March 30). Having a specific event that I'm looking forward to and

trying to be ready for really helps to motivate me. Some people may be

able to accomplish the same thing by setting personal goals to reach,

but for me having something external with an unchangeable deadline helps

me to discipline myself.

4. Find an exercise partner, even if you're not actually exercising with

them.

My exercise partner is my brother. He's one of the other members of

my marathon relay team, so he's training for the same thing I am. Even

though we can't actually exercise together since he's in Chattanooga

(over an hour away), we call each other several times a week to see how

each others exercise has been going and to compare notes. We also call

each other when we've had a particularly good workout or broken through

some barrier that we've been trying to get past for a while.

6. Keep track of your progress.

Whether you do this in detail on a computer spreadsheet or simply

walk or run the same route each day to see how much farther or faster

you're going than when you first started, it's encouraging to see your

progress. I've also found that spending 15 minutes working on tracking

my progress, or reading about swimming drills etc. can really make me

feel like getting in there and exercising. Not all of a successful

exercise program is physical!

6. If there are health problems that can be treated get them treated.

We can't get rid of the PSC, but I for instance had real problems

with asthma before my transplant, which kept me from exercising. Once I

realized this and got an inhaler I had an easier time. Similarly, when

my colitis started bothering me in the last few months, that made it

much harder to exercise (mostly due to the fevers I was having). Now

that I've got that under control I'm doing much better.

Hope that helps! I know what you're up against with the fatigue from

PSC, but just do what you can and do it consistently and you'll be on

your way!

athan

March 17, 2008

, I started to exercise again in November 2007 about a year after my first hospitalization. I started slowly by adding back one piece of my old exercise routine at a time. Prior to getting sick I was going to five yoga classes a week and had a home practice, lifting and doing cardio in the gym three times a week and walking for 30 to 40 minutes a day outside with my furry daughters (aka Lady and Maxie my schnauzers). Needless to say when I got sick that all went out window. I never gave up my yoga practice during this period but I did go to less strenuous classes and gave up doing ashtanga twice on Thursday. I don't see myself being able to do that again. I'm slowly getting back in shape and I'm certainly not there yet. In November I started a cardio kickboxing class one day a week with several of my co-workers as a part of a new wellness

initiative at work. In December I started going to the gym again and riding the exercise bike or just walking on the indoor track. In January I started going to kickboxing twice a week. In February I started lifting twice a week. I tried to wait until my body had adjusted to one thing before I added another. On a good week I do all this and go to four yoga classes and maintain my home yoga practice. On a bad week I do yoga, walk and go to kickboxing and leave the lifting and extra cardio out. When the weather breaks I plan to get back outside with my furry daughters but not until then. I don't handle the cold well. I do feel better and my stamina has increased. I'm pretty motivated to get back in shape because I'm going to Peru and I want to hike the Inca Trail so I need to have some sort of fitness level to deal with hiking at altitude. Without

the trip I would probably be happy to lay on the couch on a rough day. I need to be working toward something to be most productive. I am usually really tired after going to gym to lift and doing cardio. Sometimes I even come home and take a nap but when I'm up again I'm happy that I exercised. I usually take 3 or 4 days off when I've had an ERCP. I try to be mindful of how I feel and adjust my schedule if something isn't right. The only real issue I have is that I keep passing out in my kickboxing classes. Its a little embarrassing but it has been a good recruitment tool to get my co-workers to start to exercise. They joke that if they stay upright they are better than me I saw my family dr. about it and his conclusion was that my low blood pressure (usually @ 88/68) and my low red blood cell count is causing it. Otherwise everything else is going good

and I feel better. I really think starting slowly and having a reason to be motivated are what helps me. Darcy Happily packing my bags to head to Omaha for the NCAA Tournament! Let's go Kent State Golden Flashes! -Does anyone have any experience getting into some sort of routine, andif so, how did you do it? Also did it help alleviate the fatigue you were experiencing?

Be a better friend, newshound, and know-it-all with Yahoo! Mobile. Try it now.

March 17, 2008

, I started to exercise again in November 2007 about a year after my first hospitalization. I started slowly by adding back one piece of my old exercise routine at a time. Prior to getting sick I was going to five yoga classes a week and had a home practice, lifting and doing cardio in the gym three times a week and walking for 30 to 40 minutes a day outside with my furry daughters (aka Lady and Maxie my schnauzers). Needless to say when I got sick that all went out window. I never gave up my yoga practice during this period but I did go to less strenuous classes and gave up doing ashtanga twice on Thursday. I don't see myself being able to do that again. I'm slowly getting back in shape and I'm certainly not there yet. In November I started a cardio kickboxing class one day a week with several of my co-workers as a part of a new wellness

initiative at work. In December I started going to the gym again and riding the exercise bike or just walking on the indoor track. In January I started going to kickboxing twice a week. In February I started lifting twice a week. I tried to wait until my body had adjusted to one thing before I added another. On a good week I do all this and go to four yoga classes and maintain my home yoga practice. On a bad week I do yoga, walk and go to kickboxing and leave the lifting and extra cardio out. When the weather breaks I plan to get back outside with my furry daughters but not until then. I don't handle the cold well. I do feel better and my stamina has increased. I'm pretty motivated to get back in shape because I'm going to Peru and I want to hike the Inca Trail so I need to have some sort of fitness level to deal with hiking at altitude. Without

the trip I would probably be happy to lay on the couch on a rough day. I need to be working toward something to be most productive. I am usually really tired after going to gym to lift and doing cardio. Sometimes I even come home and take a nap but when I'm up again I'm happy that I exercised. I usually take 3 or 4 days off when I've had an ERCP. I try to be mindful of how I feel and adjust my schedule if something isn't right. The only real issue I have is that I keep passing out in my kickboxing classes. Its a little embarrassing but it has been a good recruitment tool to get my co-workers to start to exercise. They joke that if they stay upright they are better than me I saw my family dr. about it and his conclusion was that my low blood pressure (usually @ 88/68) and my low red blood cell count is causing it. Otherwise everything else is going good

and I feel better. I really think starting slowly and having a reason to be motivated are what helps me. Darcy Happily packing my bags to head to Omaha for the NCAA Tournament! Let's go Kent State Golden Flashes! -Does anyone have any experience getting into some sort of routine, andif so, how did you do it? Also did it help alleviate the fatigue you were experiencing?

Be a better friend, newshound, and know-it-all with Yahoo! Mobile. Try it now.

March 17, 2008

Darcy,

Thank you so much for sharing your experience with me, because hearing

about what you are doing is really encouraging and inspirational -

except the passing out part :-).

I just spoke with my hepatologist a couple of hours ago to get my lab

results, and asked him about the fatigue and exercise as well. He

loves the idea of walking for me as a jumping off point. He said that

walking is great because even if you only take a few steps, you can

always stop and sit down. He is not thrilled with the fact that when

I feel up to it, I take private karate lessons, he thinks it is too

intense at this point. But after reading your post, I am all of a

sudden optimistic that someday I may be able to resume some semblance

of normal physical activity, even if I have to take a nap afterwards.

Thank you again, and watch out for that orthostatic hypotension in

your kick boxing :-)

March 17, 2008