"Should I Exercise a Little Every
Day?"
By Philip Clements, M.D., M.P.H., UCLA School of Medicine,
Dept. of Rheumatology (originally published in "Scleroderma
Voice," 2002 #3)
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Philip
Clements , M.D., M.P.H. |
Question: Should I exercise a little every day?
Answer: I recommend that
patients do range-of motion exercises every day, particularly
if they are losing joint motion (and that is usually most
prominent in early diffuse scleroderma).
I think warm-water pool therapy (with water temperature in
the 80s and 90s), with or without pool exercises, can be beneficial,
particularly since the water alleviates gravity. This may
help increase flexibility.
If people are able to walk, particularly when the weather
is nice, or they can walk inside an indoor mall, they should
do so; and should try to walk 30-60 minutes several times
a week.
If the lungs have severe damage, particularly if the damage
is enough to require oxygen therapy, I think the level of
exercise has to be reduced to a level that's tolerated fairly
easily.
This is a topic that should be taken up with your doctor
and your lung doctor (if you are seeing one). |
