# Exercise Frustration!!



## Neonpossum (Aug 13, 2021)

Hey all, I have been trying to walk more to help my blood glucose and have hit a kind of wall, and I guess I just wanted a little rant! I am always told to walk more and to start swimming again (which I will later this year I hope), but I also have a condition called popliteal artery entrapment syndrome (P.A.E.S.), it's the congenital version. This makes my legs hurt like hell after just a few minutes of walking and they tighten up, sometimes for days afterwards. For instance, I went for a 30 minute walk on Monday, Tues/Wed I was basically housebound because my legs wouldn't 'work'. With P.A.E.S. it's advised to NOT exercise the leg too much as it tightens the calf muscle more, which in turn compresses the artery more and causes more pain! 

I have had surgery on my right leg which revealed I have abnormal muscle compressing the popliteal artery at the back of my leg, so it was removed. My next surgery is in October for the left leg. 

But then the diabetes nurse and doctors tell me to exercise, and don't seem to understand P.A.E.S. at all. I also have fibromyaglia and chronic fatigue which do not help. I can't wait until one day maybe I can walk more and be pain-free. But at the moment I am trying to balance walking a little with managing pain and not aggravating my legs, all from mixed information from doctors. 

I am thinking of maybe doing some gentle exercise at home, until my surgery. Does anyone know of any good exercises I could do?


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## Thebearcametoo (Aug 13, 2021)

It’s so difficult when doing more sets you back for days afterwards. My fibro means I struggle to be active too. There are various seated yoga exercise on YouTube (yoga by Adriene is a famous one) and I like Qi Gong (again I use YouTube) but even then I have to be careful not to do too much. I also have a cheap static recumbent bike which I do no more than 10 minutes at a time on otherwise I will pay for it later. When dealing with multiple chronic issues your ‘exercise’ may look like like someone else’s normal day. Think of ways to increase your activity a little but sustainably rather than trying to do more exercise.


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## Leadinglights (Aug 13, 2021)

The NHS have some seated exercises and also Arthritis action seem to have stuff as well, videos etc which may be useful for you.


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## Neonpossum (Aug 14, 2021)

Thebearcametoo said:


> It’s so difficult when doing more sets you back for days afterwards. My fibro means I struggle to be active too. There are various seated yoga exercise on YouTube (yoga by Adriene is a famous one) and I like Qi Gong (again I use YouTube) but even then I have to be careful not to do too much. I also have a cheap static recumbent bike which I do no more than 10 minutes at a time on otherwise I will pay for it later. When dealing with multiple chronic issues your ‘exercise’ may look like like someone else’s normal day. Think of ways to increase your activity a little but sustainably rather than trying to do more exercise.


I will look these up, thank you!! I think I will try and tone it down a little and try yoga and such, it might help not burn me out so fast. 


Leadinglights said:


> The NHS have some seated exercises and also Arthritis action seem to have stuff as well, videos etc which may be useful for you.


Will look these up, thanks!!


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## Jenny105 (Aug 14, 2021)

I'm new to this but   I go to a local University pool. There's a gentleman comes 2-3 times a week. He walks across the pool and back for 1/2 hr with added time for a chat. He has sticks, out of the pool. He says its the only exercise he can do. 
I'm not an expert however their are exercises with dumbells etc. Can your doc arrange a physio for you , exercise seems to be important for diabetics


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## Vonny (Aug 14, 2021)

You could look at Lucy Wyndham-Read on You Tube. I regularly do a 7 minute standing abs one which gets me moving (and hopefully firming up my flabby abs!) but, at just 7 mins, it isn't too onerous. I'm pretty sure she does other "bite-size" exercises.


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## AndBreathe (Aug 14, 2021)

Neonpossum said:


> Hey all, I have been trying to walk more to help my blood glucose and have hit a kind of wall, and I guess I just wanted a little rant! I am always told to walk more and to start swimming again (which I will later this year I hope), but I also have a condition called popliteal artery entrapment syndrome (P.A.E.S.), it's the congenital version. This makes my legs hurt like hell after just a few minutes of walking and they tighten up, sometimes for days afterwards. For instance, I went for a 30 minute walk on Monday, Tues/Wed I was basically housebound because my legs wouldn't 'work'. With P.A.E.S. it's advised to NOT exercise the leg too much as it tightens the calf muscle more, which in turn compresses the artery more and causes more pain!
> 
> I have had surgery on my right leg which revealed I have abnormal muscle compressing the popliteal artery at the back of my leg, so it was removed. My next surgery is in October for the left leg.
> 
> ...



Neopossum, I'm not familiar with PAES, so apologies if I pitch this all wrong.

Firstly, there are quite lot of groups and organisations who offer exercise classes/groups for people with mobility challenges of one sort or another.   I have a friend who runs FABS/Move it or lose it exercise sessions locally.  They are extremely popular.

The idea of FABS/Move it or lose it is you do what you can, standing, using a chair or such likes as a support or sitting.  The parent organisation also have a YouTube channel which could give you some pointers, even if you don't want to go along with the videos.



			https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=move+it+or+lose+it+exercise
		


Secondly, our local Diabetes UK group had a researcher from the local research centre to tell us about the work he is doing, looking at exercise per se.  One thing he was very keen to stress is that exercise isn't all about lycra, speed and long distances.  It's just about moving about.

Some of the best exercise we have is stuff we do every day - going shopping, moving about - even inside the house. 

Going shopping we can just park a bit further from where we're going, whether parking further from the supermarket entrance or getting off the bus a stop early, on at home just doing the stairs a few extra times in the day and standing up regularly.  Mobilising our major muscle groups, like our thighs, bottom and back when we stand up can work wonders.

I'm fortunate enough to be an active person, with good mobility, but when at home, I always use "the other" loo.  If I'm upstairs, I'll use the downstairs cloakroom, and if I'm downstairs, use a loo upstairs when I need to go.  It's just a time bit of exercise, but it all adds up.

Just a few thoughts.


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## Neonpossum (Aug 16, 2021)

Jenny105 said:


> I'm new to this but   I go to a local University pool. There's a gentleman comes 2-3 times a week. He walks across the pool and back for 1/2 hr with added time for a chat. He has sticks, out of the pool. He says its the only exercise he can do.
> I'm not an expert however their are exercises with dumbells etc. Can your doc arrange a physio for you , exercise seems to be important for diabetics


Thanks! I am planning on starting swimming again soon, and I will ask the doc about physio too! I had it before but I was unable to do even the simplest exercises they gave me so I felt very dejected about it. 



Vonny said:


> You could look at Lucy Wyndham-Read on You Tube. I regularly do a 7 minute standing abs one which gets me moving (and hopefully firming up my flabby abs!) but, at just 7 mins, it isn't too onerous. I'm pretty sure she does other "bite-size" exercises.


Thanks I will look her up!!


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## Neonpossum (Aug 16, 2021)

AndBreathe said:


> Neopossum, I'm not familiar with PAES, so apologies if I pitch this all wrong.
> 
> Firstly, there are quite lot of groups and organisations who offer exercise classes/groups for people with mobility challenges of one sort or another.   I have a friend who runs FABS/Move it or lose it exercise sessions locally.  They are extremely popular.
> 
> ...


Thanks, this is good advice! There doesn't seem to be any FABS classes near me, but I am on the look out for light yoga and stuff like that. I used to enjoy Zumba quite a lot so I might look for that, if I can find one that is okay with people who can't do everything. 

I just did a 10-minute Qi Gong video and my legs are burning with nerve pains but hopefully I can try and build it up a bit. And you're right about daily activities, I will try and do more vigorous chores with the work out mind set I think!


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