3 Weeks Forced Rest, How To Avoid Deconditioning?

[Serbo]

Hi all,

I have manged to give myself some serious groin injury (ultrasound to rule out a 3rd hrenia later this week, *** EDS!), so doctors orders are 3 weeks of rest, minimal walking, carrying nothing hevier than a shopping bag and a course of anti inflamitory meds if i can tolerate them.

I'm normally quite active, walk every day for @ least an hour and light weights every other day which has really helped my POTS. Really worried that 3 weeks stationary is going to move me back to square one.

Any advice on what I can do to stave off deconditioning until i heal up? I'm open to any andvice e.g dietary, anything at all.

Thanks in advance!

Aaron

Edited May 25, 2012 by corina

[Dizzysillyak]

Sorry to hear you're going to be down for a bit. Fwiw, I've gone through several exercise programs

over the years and despite crashing each time due to my me/cfs, I managed to rebuild muscle very quickly.

So maybe you don't need to be worried about this.

Even then there are a lot of exercises that can be done while laying flat that won't cause you

further damage. An inexpensive set of wrist and ankle weights can help here too. I bought both and

once I had gotten used to the lower weight, I combined them for extra muscle building.

On diet, it can't hurt to go on the wahls diet ... Her info is on the web .. tc .. D

Ps. I bought the ankle weights that allow you to add or remove weight sections as needed.

[issie]

The weights are a good idea Dizzy for those that don't have EDS. For us with EDs and our connective tissue problems ankle or wrist weights that we would constantly wear around is not a good idea. You see we can pull our bones and joints out of socket very easily. It's not even suggested on some sites to use rubber bands to work out with.

Aaron, I'm not sure I would stop walking and just totally sit still. If you're not lifting anything hopefully you won't make a hernia worse with gentle walking. Otherwise, no lifting or stress on your abdominal areas and if you lift with your arms nothing to strain your mid-section. (Just my opinion - but, I have EDS too.) The only exception would be if there is a tear and he is wanting it to mend back together on its on and then walking might pull it and keep it from healing.

Issie

[Dizzysillyak]

Hi issie,

I didn't mean to walk around with these weights on but I can see how that would've been assumed.

I just used the when doing arm or legs lifts, circles, etc. to add tension when these exercises got too easy.

I held the wrist and ankle weights weights in my hands. And put the ankle weights on my ankles only when doing leg

exercises while laying down. I got bored too and tossed these to try to increase my eye hand co-ordination. Tip .. Never ever try tossing weights while on your back .. Lol

This thread actually motivated me to pick them up again .. Tx .. D

[Serbo]

Thank you Issie and Dizzy, some good ideas! Dizzy - Glad your about to hit the ankle weights again.

Doc doesent think i have a hernia, but hopefully ultrsound next week will rule it out. Doc said some walking ok, but no "forced walking"

thinking that i may just try and go from sitting to standing as often as i can and try and use the time to build up OI tolerance over the time i'm out.

[firewatcher]

J Appl Physiol. 2012 May;112(10):1735-43. Epub 2012 Feb 16.

Effect of rowing ergometry and oral volume loading on cardiovascular structure and function during bed rest.

Hastings JL, Krainski F, Snell PG, Pacini EL, Jain M, Bhella PS, Shibata S, Fu Q, Palmer MD, Levine BD.

Source

Institute for Exercise and Environmental Medicine, Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital Dallas and.

Abstract

This study examined the effectiveness of a short-duration but high-intensity exercise countermeasure in combination with a novel oral volume load in preventing bed rest deconditioning and orthostatic intolerance. Bed rest reduces work capacity and orthostatic tolerance due in part to cardiac atrophy and decreased stroke volume. Twenty seven healthy subjects completed 5 wk of -6 degree head down bed rest. Eighteen were randomized to daily rowing ergometry and biweekly strength training while nine remained sedentary. Measurements included cardiac mass, invasive pressure-volume relations, maximal upright exercise capacity, and orthostatic tolerance. Before post-bed rest orthostatic tolerance and exercise testing, nine exercise subjects were given 2 days of fludrocortisone and increased salt. Sedentary bed rest led to cardiac atrophy (125 ± 23 vs. 115 ± 20 g; P < 0.001); however, exercise preserved cardiac mass (128 ± 38 vs. 137 ± 34 g; P = 0.002). Exercise training preserved left ventricular chamber compliance, whereas sedentary bed rest increased stiffness (180 ± 170%, P = 0.032). Orthostatic tolerance was preserved only when exercise was combined with volume loading (-10 ± 22%, P = 0.169) but not with exercise (-14 ± 43%, P = 0.047) or sedentary bed rest (-24 ± 26%, P = 0.035) alone. Rowing and supplemental strength training prevent cardiovascular deconditioning during prolonged bed rest. When combined with an oral volume load, orthostatic tolerance is also preserved. This combined countermeasure may be an ideal strategy for prolonged spaceflight, or patients with orthostatic intolerance. PMID: 22345434 [PubMed - in process]

Perhaps with something extra to expand your volume and some bedbound exercise to regularly get your heartrate up you won't atrophy as quickly.

Edited May 24, 2012 by firewatcher

[Chaos]

I keep trying to imagine what condition would require you to be on bed rest for extended periods of time but would allow you to be able to do rowing exercises? Bed rest is generally avoided except in cases of complicated pregnancy or illness that is so severe (like ICU) they couldn't possibly do rowing. With a complicated pregnancy I couldn't imagine a doc giving permission to do rowing either. What am I missing here? Obviously I must be over looking something.

[corina]

I have a hernia too and was advized to move and walk as much as I could. Sitting was a nono which was pretty difficult as at the time that was about the only thing I could do. I was on bedrest for it for 10 days but after a week I was in so much pain that I really couldn't stand it anymore so I got out of bed and tried to work with the Wii which helped me get rid of it. Of course I don't have EDS so maybe it isn't for you but lots of walking and moving around is very helpful too according to my doc.

Hope you can get rid of it soon as it isn't fun at all!

[firewatcher]

I actually wasn't thinking of rowing, but there are many other exercises that you can do supine that will get your HR up, but no stress your groin injury. You could get a set of pedals (like the physical therapists have) and pedal/cycle from a seated position, Pilates, arm exercises, etc.

The article actually seemed to state that fluid was as important as exercise in maintaining conditioning. You may have to see a physical therapist anyway, so why wait?

Good Luck!

[Serbo]

I have a hernia too and was advized to move and walk as much as I could. Sitting was a nono which was pretty difficult as at the time that was about the only thing I could do. I was on bedrest for it for 10 days but after a week I was in so much pain that I really couldn't stand it anymore so I got out of bed and tried to work with the Wii which helped me get rid of it. Of course I don't have EDS so maybe it isn't for you but lots of walking and moving around is very helpful too according to my doc.

Hope you can get rid of it soon as it isn't fun at all!

thanks for your reply. Yes, i have had 2 hernia and advise was the same. Move! This time it's multiple groin strains/injuries not hernia so the advice is different, rest to allow inflamtion to go down and body to heal

[Serbo]

I actually wasn't thinking of rowing, but there are many other exercises that you can do supine that will get your HR up, but no stress your groin injury. You could get a set of pedals (like the physical therapists have) and pedal/cycle from a seated position, Pilates, arm exercises, etc.

The article actually seemed to state that fluid was as important as exercise in maintaining conditioning. You may have to see a physical therapist anyway, so why wait?

Good Luck!

Thanks FW, think i will do some isolated arm stuff. i have the seated pedals, but you'd be suprised how much one uses the groin to cycle even when reclined. Seems the core is so involved with everything, we just take it for granted when it works!

[Chaos]

I actually wasn't thinking of rowing, but there are many other exercises that you can do supine that will get your HR up, but no stress your groin injury. You could get a set of pedals (like the physical therapists have) and pedal/cycle from a seated position, Pilates, arm exercises, etc.

The article actually seemed to state that fluid was as important as exercise in maintaining conditioning. You may have to see a physical therapist anyway, so why wait?

Good Luck!

Thanks FW, think i will do some isolated arm stuff. i have the seated pedals, but you'd be suprised how much one uses the groin to cycle even when reclined. Seems the core is so involved with everything, we just take it for granted when it works!

Firewatcher- Thanks for clarifying. I was just wondering what population they were thinking of when they did the study- not that you could read their minds to tell me. LOL

Serbo- I'm thinking you're on the right track with doing the isolated arm stuff. Even working with weights in hand, you may be surprised by how much you use the groin area to stabilize. You may be able to do some isometric type exercises for the legs without aggravating it too much. Would a home health Physical Therapy visit be an option for you? They could help design a program that would be appropriate for you to do while on bedrest.

[yogini]

I think you will be OK and not get de conditioned. If I understand correctly, you're not on bed rest, just have to take it easy? Can you sit up instead of lying down? And do gentle stretches and other exercises your dr OKs. I have gone without exercise for more than 3 weeks and it didn't affect my POTS.

Edited May 27, 2012 by yogini

[lissy]

Just getting up every hour walking around your house should be helpful , the laying around for extended amount of time would contribute to deconditioning.

I had major surgery recently and wasn't allowed to walk alot of lift anything or 5 lbs for 8 weeks and did just fine I just made sure to keep moving on a regular basis.

[firewatcher]

You could certainly do "tilt training," as long as you are allowed to get out of bed. That would at least prevent the cardiac atrophy portion of your rest. You simply stand still against a wall, or in front of a chair and allow your POTSiness to do the rest...

Of course you sit down if you feel dizzy or pre-syncopal! There were several posts on tilt training in the past if you look for them.

Being upright may be enough to keep you from getting the cardiac atrophy portion of deconditioning.