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When you feel
great (green on the stoplight plan), try anything your body can handle as long as
you monitor the
effects.
Weight-bearing exercises will improve your chances of fighting
bone problems. If you’re arthritis-prone, try
lower-impact exercises.
Feeling queasy
or crampy or need to sit down more or less (yellow on the
stoplight
plan)? Try biking, slow walking, stretching, swimming,
pilates or
any of the less strenuous exercises. Don’t forget that
keeping your mood up through exercise can help you quell a possible
flare-up.
If you’re coming
back from a bout of inactivity, gradually increase your activity by
taking a five-minute walk. Then add five minutes every other day. After
a week, try adding five minutes of a more strenuous activity (like
running) every other day while decreasing your walk time by five
minutes.
In bed, on the
toilet or just lacking energy (red on the
stoplight plan)? Try more
meditative or slower exercises such as yoga or stretching. Do as little or as much as you can without
discomfort -- even if you're stuck in the hospital. You might want
to stick to slow, gentle arm stretches and toe flexes.
At whatever
level you're functioning, it's important to stay in tune with your
body. As a general rule, don't push yourself when you're sick.
Types of
exercises
Weight-bearing exercises are important for
building bone density and protecting against osteoporosis.
In these exercises, you carry your own body weight
against gravity. The following list of weight-bearing exercises
comes from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Web site on bone health:
Low-impact exercises are good because they
don’t jar inflammed joints. Daily stretching and adequate warm-up
before working out is very important. Low-impact exercises include:
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Swimming
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Yoga
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Pilates
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Walking
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Low-impact aerobics
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Biking
Before beginning any exercise program,
make sure to speak to your doctor to be sure it’s appropriate for
you.
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