Weights and exercise

[Freedom]

Hi,
New to this interstitial cystitis! Really aggravated. Used to do
cardio 6 days a week and 15 pound free weights 4 days a week and ride my horse,until May 1st. I've slowly gotten worse and worse until could barely pick up 5 lbs and forget walk/jogs. I received a diagnosis of IC Friday.since it seems I have to learn to live with this stuff. (Doctor put me on Naproxen 2 weeks ago and Friday gave me a prescription for Elmrion-which I haven't started yet as not sure I want to start before I do my IVP next week to see if I have any stones left). Anyhow,since I will have to live with this stuff-will it hurt for me to try to slowly restart my weights and exercise? I am hurting off and on all day and am in bed most of the day. I just wondered as I am hoping maybe light exercise could help me get back on my feet. Any suggestions?

[pottywoman]

Sort of weird you should ask this question. I just started lifting weights again last week. Have gained 40 pounds from the IC taking over. I found I can't do the heavy lifting parts or pushing but I can take little weights (feel so stupid doing it that way) and just do some little weight lifting with them. I don't do any kind of lifting where I have to use my stomach or back. Mostly for my sides and arms. Do a few leg lunges too. Holding onto to something so I don't fall flat on my face. :biglaugh: If I have really bad pain then I skip it. If it's the same old pain I make myself do it. Sometimes it will only be 10 minutes other times 20 minutes. Try and do some of the lifting standing first and then the sitting down lifting. I think that helps. Good luck with it.

[Julie B]

You may be able to get your doctor to order a couple of physical therapy sessions. The PT can teach you new ways to do old exercises. (I have my Rx sitting on the kitchen counter................just have to make the appointment! I figured I don't have anything to lose!)

[Hangin' Tough]

Just to let you know; when I took Naprosen, it made my IC symptoms much worse. Of course, it took me several doses to figure out what was causing it. Just be aware that myself and several other people on the board have problems with that medication.

Steve

[twiggy]

I tried lifting light weights and it made things worse. I have tried aerobics in the pools, elliptical trainer, ballet (that was hilarious), and light weight liftting. I get pain immediately. I am left with just walking but may give the weight lifting a try again someday. I wish you all the best and hope you find what works for you. Don't give up completely. You will find what works for your body! I used to be a very avid runner so having IC really sucks. However, I am convinced that one day I WILL run again.

[cybersis]

What a timely thread. I haven't weighed myself since my diagnosis back in November of 2004 and have discovered I have gained 18 pounds. Can't exercise for the pain, can't eat fruits, and spend lots of time just lying in bed. Used to be the same as you cardio 6 times a week and weights 3 times, now have trouble getting motivated. The Elmiron has really helped my IC but still get flares where my belly bloats to twice its size and nothing fits. As vain as this sounds this may be one of the worst side effects of this disease for me, the weight gain. Hate looking at myself in the mirror and hate going out and buying new clothes every month, one size bigger. Thanks for letting me vent.
Karen

[pottywoman]

You know Karen I agree with you. Being so fat from this is the hardest I think too. I have finally lost some weight (not weighing myself but a few cloths fit now) which seems to take forever. Can only loose a few in a month instead of 2 per week like I could do before the IC happened. It's also so hard when people start telling you how fat you have become and how you must be eating everything in the store.

[Freedom]

Do you think we gain,because the blan diet has SO many calories? I know
not being able to exercise is part of it,but wonder about the blan diet with
all the carbs like noodles,oatmeal,bread etc...Because weight gain is 90% food.

I also wonder if the weight gain is what is making me worse as that
is MORE fat resting on my tender bladder...any thoughts?

[pottywoman]

There is more pressure on my bladder since I've gotten fatter. That is one reason why I want to loose it all. I think we gain weight because of not being able to really exercise. Even when i ate nothing but fruits/salads I never lost anything. Since I started to do some exercising (nothing to kill the bladder with) and eating the diet bars I have lost some. Not real fast but slowly.

[Freedom]

I wondered if anyone else noticed that.So, I guess I need to get serioius about loosing!
I've gained over 10 pounds so far...used to be 135 since May.Auugh!Wonder how much
of that is fat on or around my bladder. Doesn't matter. Need to figure out how to loose again. For now the 6 days of cardio and 3 days of weights isn't gonna work,until I get my pain worked out. I've been reading and read that cortisol which loves to hang onto sugars and sugars in carbs then converts them into fat.Also that cortisol is also an anti inflammatory ie hydrocortizone creme contains cortisol.
cortisol is increased during stress and we KNOW pain is stress. Wonder how I can get cortisol to work with me as far as anti inflammatory without the fat storage. Hmmm
Maybe make sure supper has NO carbs,so that while I sleep it isn't storing more sugar,yet still working for me.Just a thought. What do you think? I read one article
on line about IC and exercise and weight loss Here is the link
http://www.ic-network.com/bev/may99.html

[pottywoman]

I tried the IC exercising booklet for stretching and I couldn't do it. Too much laying on my back and that makes the pain worse. Feels like someone is sitting on my stomach. Use to do yoga but can't do that either. They do sell that cortisone diet pill but with diet pills you still have to eat less and exercise. I bought oen of those pedometers and I try to do 10,000 steps a day. Not sit so much and no sweets. You do need some carbs for energy. The diet/energy bars has lots of vitos in them and I actually feel like I have more energy. I just try to go by what the bladder feels up to. If there is too much pain I skip it all together. If I'm having a good bladder day then I push it. Need to get rid of my flabby arms. I could fly to the other side of the world in 5 minutes flat. :bonk:

[sweetpea2555]

I think the IC diet makes it hard to diet. Most fruit=flare, Salad dressing=flare. Alot of IC friendly foods are high in carbs. I just eat what I want and eat less. 1200-1400 cal. a day and it's been working. It depends on your weight how many cal. you can have a day. So far so good. Good luck!
Freedom-Great link! Thanks!

[NonnyJ]

I would try swimming, its relaxing and it works everyone of your muscles. I suffer not only from IC but Chronic back pains. My doctor recommed swimming, its wonderful

[fireflicker285]

with me. It does not flare my IC and I find I am getting in some kind of shape.

(I have heard that it bothers some others by irritating them though, the clorine I would imagine).

[pottywoman]

Well, 20 minutes is the longest I can go lifting weights. The bladder starts yelling then which I don't understand. i'm not using any stomach muscles. Does anyone have a problem with doing the squats? It feels like the bladder is being pulled down on my way up. Almost pee myself too.

[Freedom]

squats? LOL! I can't do them either! so, I do a modified version. I stand up and almost
sit down in a chair then go back up. It is like a 1/2 squat.

[Freedom]

BTW I used to do 20 pounds of free weights and 10 pounds of leg weights...not anymore. I do no leg weights and 5 lbs of free weights. Try lifting less pounds! Even
if you don't think you are using stomach muscles with weights you are as they are the core of our body and lifting ability!

[pottywoman]

I use to do some heavy weight lifting but not so I looked the the Incredible Hulk. lol I'm doing about the same as you with the weights. Maybe the bladder will get use to the squats. I'm even holding on to something trying to take some of the "weight" off the bladder. I think it's strange how the bladder can apply itself to every thing in life. Wish I could do some stomach exercise but it's getting smaller just loosing the weight. I want to buff up my legs and get them strong again so will stick with the squats. Hoping to shape up my arms as well.

[Freedom]

LOL! sit ups aren't for me anymore either...I think what the problem is there
are a lot of muscles that surround the bladder and when we work those muscles
that have an affect on our bladder. sounds like your idea of holding onto something
is a good idea. I do the same.
I get my exercise plan off the ediets website. I don't do their foods and only pay
for the exercise program and it let's me chat with other folks loosing . I just started
a thread for those of us with IC who are trying to loose weight to help brainstorm for ideas in the 30 something chat area.
I used to do the advanced exercises on ediets,but since IC I reset it to beginner. It gives me a different set of exercises I can do at home and I tell it how many days a week. Then it asks me once a week if I did the exercises and if they were too hard or easy.wonderful program! When you set it up it will ask you what you have for exercise equipment..treadmill, ankle weights, free weights a bunch of questions then designs
your exercise around what you have and how often you want to do it!
Go take a look at ediets.com

[Freedom]

They used to have a 30 day free trial too!

[pottywoman]

Yeah, I found that web site and thought it was free. Filled out the questions and then found out I had to pay. I did try the Slim Fast web site but most of the people never messaged back. I find the cardboard bars are better and I actually don't get the weak tired feeling with them like I had with the slim fast shakes. I can feel a muscle in the back of my arm that has been dormate for many years. It's coming back to life very slowly. To bad they didn't sell a fat sucking machine at department stores. :bonk:

[emilyrose197377]

I can't do squats at all or any pelvic exercises it makes my bladder pain worse. Does anyone experience this?

Take Care
Kim

[Freedom]

If you want, I'll contact them and see if they still have their 30 day free trial.

[pottywoman]

Thanks for the offer Freedom but I will just keep using the diet cardboard bars. It is actually easier. I'm also trying not to stayed glued to the computer anymore.

[makeyourday]

Since you are newly diagnosed, you need time to get your pain under control. Don't get discouraged if it is rough for a while. It took awhile for the Elmiron and then instills to get me settled down. I have resumed marathon running and gym workouts that I enjoy so much. If you are in a flare, back off from the heavy work outs. Thats a good time to do the yoga or walking, get more sleep.
Often I see gentle excercise as the recomendation on this site, but I don't see why? Its not like we got loose parts in there that are going to bounce around. When you get to a place where your bladder is settled down enough to resume your regular work out, then go for it. I am very guarded with my rest though. I even take a nap daily. Rest helps me fight off fatigue. I feel that fatigue is what makes me personally vulnerable to my body breaking down. It took me a year to really figure out what works for me. Don't be afraid to test the water, you may have temporary set backs with discomfort, but you are not doing damage to yourself.

[makeyourday]

don't forget the endorphins that release when you work out. I believe that endorphins are healing. When I was in a flare, the first 10 minutes or so of cardio, was rough, but then the pain would subside. In fact the best I would feel was when I was running. It was when I had to sit at a desk at work that I would be in tears. It was like a knife was stuck inside me, stabbing me.
With IC, it can be so consuming, but excercise gives me some balance. I don't feel so much like aliens have taken over my body. I have a choice to get off my butt and do what I CAN do.

[pottywoman]

The only time my bladder settles down is at night after taking the hydroxyzine and that can take up to 2 hours. If I do any kind of jumping I can feel the bladder "moving" right along with it. With some any kind of hard exercising makes the pain way to much which is the same with me. I've had IC for a long time and have tried and tried to do arobics, yoga ect and would end up with so much pain standing was to hard. Walking is the only arobic type I can do and some days I can't even do that. Some people have pills for the pain. I don't.

[Silverfern]

Wow! I'm still very new to this IC game and it's now dawning on me why my bladder is so bad in bed at night.....I do some pelvic tilts and back/abdominal stretches before I go to bed... :loco: For some reason I just didn't realise that exercise was so involved with the bladder. :hmm: Most days I can walk, but every time I attempt to do anything that pulls across my pelvic area, a little while later I'm wondering why my bladder is misbehaving so badly. I've always blamed it on something I've eaten, even though I'm following the IC diet. Sure isn't easy trying to stay in shape with IC! I do manage to do some bicep curls using handweights while sitting on a stool which obviously doesn't involve my pelvic area too much.

This IC journey sure is a voyage of discovery!

[golfergranny]

[QUOTE=cybersis]What a timely thread. I haven't weighed myself since my diagnosis back in November of 2004 and have discovered I have gained 18 pounds. Can't exercise for the pain, can't eat fruits, and spend lots of time just lying in bed. Used to be the same as you cardio 6 times a week and weights 3 times, now have trouble getting motivated. The Elmiron has really helped my IC but still get flares where my belly bloats to twice its size and nothing fits. As vain as this sounds this may be one of the worst side effects of this disease for me, the weight gain. Hate looking at myself in the mirror and hate going out and buying new clothes every month, one size bigger. Thanks for letting me vent.
Karen[/QUOTE

Hi Karen,
I never put together my taking Elmiron and my weight gain before. I too started taking it and the scale has been a nightmare. Thank you so much for the heads up. I was dignosed in August 2004 and tried to control with diet but it didn't help much so I started Elmiron in January.Now to find a support group for us Elmiron fattys (I gained 20 pounds this year) I really miss the fruit. This is my first summer without the peaches and plums. My other side effect is musshy hair. I haven't lost much but the texture feels like cooked spinich.
Feel free to email me anytime. Golfergranny@wowway.com