The link above will take you to a video on strength training for MS. Back in my late 20's thru age 32 I was an avid body builder using free weights and Nautilus equipment along with running, aerobics & biking on a rigid schedule while maintaining a very disciplined lifestyle especially when eating my meals. I was a bit out of balance at the time. The more workouts I did the better I felt and the better I felt the more active I became. The endorphins in my mind were on over drive. I sometimes think that quite possibly the MS came to visit so I would learn a balance in my life.
Once diagnosed with the MS my life started changing, I now see for the better. Yes I was very, very fit. But I was so busy running, lifting & jumping that the things I had always appreciated in life like the ocean, sand, trees, flowers, bees, birds, sky, sunsets,sunrises were just becoming a blur to me as I would be on my way to a hike, walk, run, gym or to the pool.All these things were always so important to me since I was a little girl. When Ms came to live with me it was then I slowed down and not only admired God's creation but had the time to look so very deeply into not only the beautiful sights created but to also become alive and hear the sounds that nature makes. From the stillness of the sun rise to the roaring of the ocean waves, I finally knew and witnessed more so the power of God behind it all. And I fell in love all over again with the earth. My young son age 2 at the time was always along side me when hiking, walking or at the pool. He was not left out of the fun. Most exercise was done at 5am while he & hubby slept. When he was 4 he was old enough to go with us to the gym and sit on a large round bench and color while he watched us grunt & grown as we lifted and circuit trained. He would gaze his young eyes at us at times and only now I know he was thinking "what is wrong with them". He does not lift weights or do the things we liked to do but he does walk & hike. In fact he has a set of legs & calves on him to die for. All from walking everywhere. When he was 3 we would walk to a park 3 towns away from us to just have lunch and play in the park. His little legs carried him everywhere, no complaints. It is the one good habit I am glad he has carried on with him in life. But, back to me & MS. My doctors 26 years ago attributed my MS not leaving my body very damaged at first due to the condition my body was in at the time the disease manifested itself in me. They also attribute a low fat diet and one high in natural fruit & vegetable juices and mega supplements controlled by a certified nutritionist as to a very good explanation as to how I got into a remission and was able to function as normally for myself as I did. My body was in excellent shape when the disease hit. And for this I am thankful.
I have tried from time to time to start weight training again or yoga or Pilate's but once my body gets overheated or stressed from the weights I need to stop the programs. Sometime the duration for me doing this was only 3 or 4 days then a week or 2 rest. Then over time with having to work a full time job and during my divorce 3 jobs I was to worn out to exercise. So now that I have come out of remission in the last several years and now since surgery I have relapsed to a state of which I have not been in many years I now am hoping to bring exercise back into my life and hopefully rebuild. It will take time I know but the thought process is there, the desire to do so never has left me it has always been a burning passion within my soul to be free, active, running, jumping & living my life as full as I can. I will do this again. Maybe not as accomplished as before but I will surely try.
At the time of my training all those years ago I weighed 118 lbs of solid muscle, I had 5% body fat and was able to bench press on my own 135 lbs. I could squat 165 lbs on my own. Load the bars myself and load up those 50 lb weights on that bar. Those days are history for me I think as today in PT as I am going for a fractured humerus and inflamed and possibly torn rotator cuff injury from a fall I could only do a seated shoulder press with 2 lbs on the plate. MS along with pain from injury and hand surgery which is still healing.......a very long road ahead of me. But I will try. I need to remind myself daily that I am no longer that young energetic woman I am a 58 year old woman with a neurological disorder that I need to monitor. This may be a bit hard for me. But I will try.
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