With New Years resolutions in full swing, I wanted to talk a little about my exercise routine & how I’m going about achieving my exercise goals. I’m working on toning & strengthening my body in the hope that it’ll reduce my joint pain caused by my Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (a connective tissue disorder) & help prevent further injuries.
Fitness is a very personal thing. People have different fitness goals & enjoy different types of exercise. Our bodies are all different, so one type of exercise may suit an individual well, yet be completely unsuitable for another. What ever your exercise goals, abilities & likes, hopefully this post will give you some inspiration with your own fitness journey!
Cycling
I’m not legally allowed to drive because of my basilar type migraine (from which I can loose consciousness) & my needing to wear my precision tinted lenses. Because of this, I don’t feel it would be safe to cycle on the road.
A few years ago I invested in an exercise bike. It wasn’t anything fancy & only cost approx £80, but it’s served me well!
Before my knee op, I cycled 50 mins 5 days a week. Since then this has not been possible, mostly because it aggravates my hip & causes a flare up in the pain I experience. I currently cycle up to the 3rd resilience stage for 25 mins per week. This consists of:
5 min warm up
2 mins intense
5 mins moderate
2 mins intense
5 mins moderate
1 min intense
5 mins cool down
I like to watch YouTube videos as I cycle!
Yoga
I have been doing Yoga on & off since I was 16. My sister was diagnosed with mild scoliosis. She had a few unhelpful physio sessions & was told that physio would help her. My Mum bought a yoga DVD & I was hooked!
The Yoga DVD in question was Barbara Currie’s 7 Secrets Of Yoga; 10 minute sections that concentrate on different areas of the body. I do more or less, dependant on how my joints are feeling. The more I can maintain the better conditioned my body will be &, in theory, is less likely to become damaged.
Fit Woman
Fit Woman is a great app that contains ready-made workouts in ‘Beginner’, ‘Intermediate’ & ‘Advanced’ categories. These workouts can be used to focus on all or part of the body.
The app also gives you the option to create your own custom workout. I particularly like ‘Drop A Size’ which, whilst it absolutely killed my core muscles for days, gave me great results!
I haven’t used this app much since my knee op & when I have I’ve focussed on the lighter workouts. I really want to get my strength to the point where I can get much more out of this app.
Pole Fitness
I would recommend pole fitness to anyone! It really works on your core strength, as well as co-ordination. Classed are fun & you progress each week. There hasn’t been a lesson where I’ve come away not having achieved something new, whether it’s getting a step further to mastering a move or learning something different! I always feel myself walk home with better posture than I’d had when I walked to the lesson. You also make friends easily at pole classes – after all, you’re all scantily clad with shorts barely bigger than your knickers! If you’re worried about your age or your body, don’t be. In my class & the one before mine there are mature women, as well as those who are on the larger side. I’ve noticed that I’m not the only one who’s stomach is out of proportion to the rest of their body either, so I don’t feel self conscious!
Because of my EDS, I have to be careful doing pole fitness. I was doing a sit (a bit higher up the pole than the one pictured above) in a lesson & didn’t relax my grip coming out of it, leading to a subluxated shoulder (a partial dislocation)! Though I wasn’t able to participate in the following lesson I went to watch & earned the respect of my teacher. The dance school I go to have been great – when I don’t join in with certain things they know it’s for a good reason & if I sit down they check I’m ok in a very discreet way. I was in the middle of a 24hr ECG in my last class & I don’t think anyone noticed! If they did nothing was said. I really like that I can go & feel normal because of the way I’m treated. I can’t say this will be the case for all places that offer classes (of any sort). I know I’m very lucky to have found this school.
I really hope this post has given you some inspiration for your own exercise goals!
I must just add that I’m not a health professional & am just sharing the ways of exercising that I enjoy. If you do want to try some or all of these out, please do adapt them to your own needs & when in doubt, ask your doctor.
What are your exercise goals? What types of exercise do you enjoy?
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