I had my first day of work today after being out of work for about 2 years. It was only about 5 1/2 hours, but I feel like a zombie. Probably the combo of lots of information to take in and having to pay attention for that long at a stretch. And I'm tired lately anyway - I think doing my PT exercises 3 times a day is a bit too much for me.
Everyone was very nice, though, and it was good to have a fairly thorough run-through of the basics of the job. I am fairly confident I can manage even an 8 hour shift, especially if I have a day or more of down-time in between.
I'll do a bit more training later in the week and talk about schedules, etc. I'll be subbing for people much of the time, so I may not have a super-consistent schedule.
Tomorrow is physical and brain therapy day. Wooo.
And it seems the heat-wave has finally broken so I should be able to get some chores done and spend some time crafting without worrying about heat-stroke or stuff melting or felting.
Also, we established within the first hour that I'm not allowed to hit or clothesline people with my cane. The fact that the response to that question was laughter is a very good sign. :P
Showing posts with label exercise. Show all posts
Showing posts with label exercise. Show all posts
8.16.2010
8.07.2010
Post-Exertional Malaise in Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
Post-Exertional Malaise: Perception and Reality
Very interesting synthesis of some recent finding regarding fatigue, specifically "post-exertional malaise" in CFS. "Post-exterional malaise" refers to extended fatigue and general craptastic feeling after exertion - exercise, work, whatever - that lasts longer than would otherwise be considered normal. It's a very common issue for people with CFS.
The article notes that there are now some ways of actually quantifying and objectively identifying differences in PEM among patients with CFS vs. normal control groups.
There also seems to be a connection between aerobic exercise and PEM for people with CFS, which is not so much the case for people with other conditions with a large fatigue component, like lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, and MS.
I have a tendency to avoid aerobic activity because it's in the category of exercises that "suck; a lot" for me. I tend to have more physical discomfort and feel generally shittier after things that I consider highly "aerobic" (what I think is "aerobic" and what actually is may be different things). So, things like the Obstacle Course, Step Aerobics, Running, etc., in Wii Fit Plus or in "actual: practice tend to make me miserable. Actually, in general, anything that significantly elevates my heart rate and breathing tends to make me miserable and tire me out a lot faster. I thought that just meant I was a wuss. :P
Interesting.
Yoga, stretching, walking, range of motion stuff I can do for longer and tend to feel less discomfort during and after.
I may need to try paying attention to this more. It may be that I'm out of shape or it may be CFS-related.
Very interesting synthesis of some recent finding regarding fatigue, specifically "post-exertional malaise" in CFS. "Post-exterional malaise" refers to extended fatigue and general craptastic feeling after exertion - exercise, work, whatever - that lasts longer than would otherwise be considered normal. It's a very common issue for people with CFS.
The article notes that there are now some ways of actually quantifying and objectively identifying differences in PEM among patients with CFS vs. normal control groups.
There also seems to be a connection between aerobic exercise and PEM for people with CFS, which is not so much the case for people with other conditions with a large fatigue component, like lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, and MS.
I have a tendency to avoid aerobic activity because it's in the category of exercises that "suck; a lot" for me. I tend to have more physical discomfort and feel generally shittier after things that I consider highly "aerobic" (what I think is "aerobic" and what actually is may be different things). So, things like the Obstacle Course, Step Aerobics, Running, etc., in Wii Fit Plus or in "actual: practice tend to make me miserable. Actually, in general, anything that significantly elevates my heart rate and breathing tends to make me miserable and tire me out a lot faster. I thought that just meant I was a wuss. :P
Interesting.
Yoga, stretching, walking, range of motion stuff I can do for longer and tend to feel less discomfort during and after.
I may need to try paying attention to this more. It may be that I'm out of shape or it may be CFS-related.
6.04.2010
Suck It, Wii Fit Plus!
I did another body test today. My age dropped to 34. Wooo!
I'm also in a fair amount of pain, but whatever.
Also, the juggling game is IMPOSSIBLE!
I'm also in a fair amount of pain, but whatever.
Also, the juggling game is IMPOSSIBLE!
6.03.2010
Self-Esteem Boosting
Wii Fit Plus thinks I'm 50 and is shocked that I can walk without tripping over myself. And Oreo likes to bark at the background noises in the meditation/Lotus Position mini-game and otherwise make a distraction of himself. Also, I think it wants me to gain weight so my BMI is a perfect 22, but it can suck it. Most of my clothes fit and we're keeping it that way.
It says Tom is 39 and also thinks his balance sucks, but for a different reason.
We're of course responding to this in a completely mature reaction and at no point have I flipped off the machine or Tom. Nor has Tom said anything like "it's okay, I am only 39 and you're 50."
Oreo weighs 15 lbs. He doesn't get to play any games though.
All of the balance games were a challenge and even with just 5 minutes of playing, I have aches.
Also, WTF is up with the random flying Panda heads in the Soccer Ball Heading game? Are they randomly assaulting furries and throwing their costumes at us?
Anyway, the plan is to do at least 5 minutes with it every day, probably yoga in the mornings, but possibly other things and keep up with my daily walks too. We'll see how that goes for being enough, but not too much activity.
Tom is doing the skateboarding right now and it looks awesome but really freakin' hard. Oreo is deeply baffled by Tom trying to speed up by moving his foot on the floor, which is hilarious. He just sat right next to him and stared up at his face for a good minute with his head slightly tilted. Then, since we're obviously playing some sort of game, even if it is a weird human game, he went to get his tennis ball and join in.
It says Tom is 39 and also thinks his balance sucks, but for a different reason.
We're of course responding to this in a completely mature reaction and at no point have I flipped off the machine or Tom. Nor has Tom said anything like "it's okay, I am only 39 and you're 50."
Oreo weighs 15 lbs. He doesn't get to play any games though.
All of the balance games were a challenge and even with just 5 minutes of playing, I have aches.
Also, WTF is up with the random flying Panda heads in the Soccer Ball Heading game? Are they randomly assaulting furries and throwing their costumes at us?
Anyway, the plan is to do at least 5 minutes with it every day, probably yoga in the mornings, but possibly other things and keep up with my daily walks too. We'll see how that goes for being enough, but not too much activity.
Tom is doing the skateboarding right now and it looks awesome but really freakin' hard. Oreo is deeply baffled by Tom trying to speed up by moving his foot on the floor, which is hilarious. He just sat right next to him and stared up at his face for a good minute with his head slightly tilted. Then, since we're obviously playing some sort of game, even if it is a weird human game, he went to get his tennis ball and join in.
12.21.2009
Unfit
So, in an effort to reduce anxiety and get in some stretching and light exercise, I decided to check out what Netflix instant play and/or video podcasts had to offer in the realms of yoga and Tai Chi I need very low-impact things. I was trying to avoid yoga just because it can be so challenging for me to get on and off the floor, but I think I may not have a choice. I'm also tending to prefer videos to classes because a) I'm cheap; b) I want something to do even when I don't feel up to leaving the apartment.
So, I found a cool-looking video podcast (Tai Chi for Well-Being) of the 24 basic Tai Chi poses. Unfortunately, it was waaaaay too complicated for my fragile brain and crippled body to follow. Even with Tom trying to help me that was a big "hell, no, not happening." I either need a real, live, very patient good-humored instructor or a video that breaks things down into very small, very slow steps.
So, I instead tried Healing Yoga: For Common Conditions which is aimed toward people who have issues with weight, diabetes, and/or high cholesterol. Not really me, but whatever. It's broken into three sections. You can do just one or add on. I got through the first 12 minute session only barely. Srsly. I'm still super wobbly/shaky all over. And I'm having more involuntary movements, but at this point I've almost given up trying to control them.
It's just basic breathing and some stretches but was still super hard and seemed really fast and hard to follow to me. Tom was watching, though, and said I did pretty well, so maybe it was just me. It's sort of hard to tell if it's partially my cognitive junk or if it's that I can't move quickly, or what. Anyway, I'm tired out. If I don't find anything better, I'll probably try to stay with the first session on a semi-regular basis until it gets easier and then move up. I have to be careful not to over-do it or it will be counterproductive and wind up with me in bed for a day or more recovering, which sort of defeats the whole purpose.
Oreo is also tired out. He "helped" by occupying the very center of my yoga mat, barking at the TV when the woman first went into a downward kneeling pose, and refusing to get off my mat when I needed to put my hands where his butt was. So, we both got a workout. He's sleeping it off curled up on my lap right now.
So, I have a few other things in my Instant Play queue to try (I love my Roku). It will play video podcasts now via Mediafly, too, which is also awesome. If anyone has any workout recommendations, I'd love to hear them.
I've given some thought to a Wii Fit set-up, but I'm a little worried about the balance board - mostly I'm worried about falling off the balance board. My balance is dreadful. If you give me a field sobriety test I fail. So, I'd hate to spend $100 only to have a bunch of stuff I can't use for fear of breaking myself.
So, I found a cool-looking video podcast (Tai Chi for Well-Being) of the 24 basic Tai Chi poses. Unfortunately, it was waaaaay too complicated for my fragile brain and crippled body to follow. Even with Tom trying to help me that was a big "hell, no, not happening." I either need a real, live, very patient good-humored instructor or a video that breaks things down into very small, very slow steps.
So, I instead tried Healing Yoga: For Common Conditions which is aimed toward people who have issues with weight, diabetes, and/or high cholesterol. Not really me, but whatever. It's broken into three sections. You can do just one or add on. I got through the first 12 minute session only barely. Srsly. I'm still super wobbly/shaky all over. And I'm having more involuntary movements, but at this point I've almost given up trying to control them.
It's just basic breathing and some stretches but was still super hard and seemed really fast and hard to follow to me. Tom was watching, though, and said I did pretty well, so maybe it was just me. It's sort of hard to tell if it's partially my cognitive junk or if it's that I can't move quickly, or what. Anyway, I'm tired out. If I don't find anything better, I'll probably try to stay with the first session on a semi-regular basis until it gets easier and then move up. I have to be careful not to over-do it or it will be counterproductive and wind up with me in bed for a day or more recovering, which sort of defeats the whole purpose.
Oreo is also tired out. He "helped" by occupying the very center of my yoga mat, barking at the TV when the woman first went into a downward kneeling pose, and refusing to get off my mat when I needed to put my hands where his butt was. So, we both got a workout. He's sleeping it off curled up on my lap right now.
So, I have a few other things in my Instant Play queue to try (I love my Roku). It will play video podcasts now via Mediafly, too, which is also awesome. If anyone has any workout recommendations, I'd love to hear them.
I've given some thought to a Wii Fit set-up, but I'm a little worried about the balance board - mostly I'm worried about falling off the balance board. My balance is dreadful. If you give me a field sobriety test I fail. So, I'd hate to spend $100 only to have a bunch of stuff I can't use for fear of breaking myself.
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