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Exercise support group


[dr...]

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I would like to start a thread that supports our endeavors to try and help our recovery through exercise.  I know trying to get an exercise program going and staying with it has been very difficult for me.  I used to be able to exercise for much longer and felt much healthier.  Now, some days my body is so sore that it can be hard for me to walk a mile. 

 

I would like this thread to be an area where we can post what we did each day or comments about what challenges we may have had. With the large community here we can help each other out with strategies to help us build our bodies back to or even better than they used to be.

 

Lastly, I want anyone to post here and not worry about if they exercise enough.  Wether you can only walk to the kitchen or do a triathlon all are welcome.

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Great thread Drew!!! Last night I did leg raises (2 sets of 10) & Vestibular Rehab Therapy (VRT). 3 sets of 5. One time was just walking back & forth without holding onto anything. 2 was walking but with my hands across my chest, last one was heal toe.

 

I learned these in PT when I was going.

 

I suffer from poor balance and an old symptom (leg weakness).

 

A little about me. I'm 40 years old, mom of a 3 year old, used to run marathons, ran 6-10 miles a week & African danced weekly until I became ill due to Lyme Disease.

 

Got on benzos due to anxiety caused by Lyme midway through my treatment. Started getting my life back until benzo w/d set in  :tickedoff:

 

My goal...I want to get my balance back, ditch the leg weakness so I can start taking normal walks again and build up to jogging

 

I also do Tai chi, some yoga & when I can light weights for my arms.

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[ee...]
I love this thread! So far this week I have gotten the same amount of exercise as a veal calf and this needs to change! I'll update more later. Thanks Drew!
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Drew,...wonderful idea....can non-athletes join? ...I only do gentle yoga at this point ...and some vestibular exercises , but I am at a place where I want to do some strength work. Geriatric style. ...This is a very positive focus and will be a nice divergence from sx.  I would really love to come on board.  Thank you for starting this.  coop
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Good thread. Like the rest of you I've had a wide variety in what I can do. I'm 52 and have had Chronic Fatigue Syndrome for 19 years. Prior to that I was very active and a runner. I've been trying to recover from wd and the CFS and I'm getting stronger. I started with almost 6 mos. of PT and now I go to a 30 minute exercise class 2-3 times a week followed by 20 minutes of Nautilus (weights) for 20 minutes, I go to an hour long yoga class once/week then I try to walk around 4 miles or do dance dance revolution on 2-3 of the other days. Some days go by though and I can't do a damn thing. Still, I'm so thankful not to be bed bound anymore that I try to cut myself a break. It's especially hard when I've missed a lot of sleep since I'm not sleeping much now. I really think exercise is a key way to help ourselves and recover but we have to pace ourselves.
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Yes coop!!!  This is just not for athletes.  It's for anyone who wants to do their best to incorporate whatever they can do to improve their situation. 

 

Welcome billy and LM.

 

mTfan-sounds like you're doing great.  My goal is twent minutes of elliptical tomorrow.

 

 

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Hi Drew,

 

Ditto everyone else on what a great idea for a thread this is since exercise is SUCH a challenge to me right now and it bothers me that I can't do my usual activities! :thumbsup:

 

I am older and have a heart condition, but have always been in decent shape and able to lead a fairly normal life despite my heart, but with this benzo w/d I am really struggling. As part of my w/d sxs I have had not only fatigue, muscle spasms and pain, but also elevated heart rate and high blood pressure, which has totally put a damper on doing much exercise. Plus, I have a nearly non-stop headache.

 

When I can, I do a 10 minute morning yoga and a VERY light "calisthenics" routine (meaning I basically go through the motions I USED to go through when lifting light weights, only now my arms are so heavy they are weighty enough to tire me out!) and I try to do it in the sunroom or in front of a window to get early morning sunshine because I think this helps with my cortisol levels during the day and helps me to sleep better at night. I also try to do 7-10 minutes of easy "dancing" around the house a few times a week (when no one is looking) while playing my favorite music because it makes me happy and it's at least SOME little bit of a cardio workout. I also do a sitting/laying yoga type stretch routine at night before bed while listening to calming music, which also helps me sleep.

 

Of course, that is all on a good day...some days I do only one or two of those and some days I do NOTHING... I have finally learned that on some days I just seem to need to stay in bed late or go back to bed in the afternoon because my heart rate is too high or I am just too tired. I have gained 5+ pounds since starting my taper, which does not put me overweight as I have always been thin, but as the weight is all fat — and it's on my belly — it concerns me health wise, but I am ALWAYS hungry now and I crave carbs and sweets. So I am trying to stick to my usual healthy diet, but I swear, eating chocolate MAKES me feel better — at least for awhile.

 

I have done tons of research on this and found some interesting information, like the effect benzo w/d has on dysregulation of the autonomic nervous system (affecting heart rate, BP), how it messes up the neuroendocrine system (DHEA, cortisol, adrenalin) and hyper sensivitivy to catecholamines generated during exercise (including walking into the kitchen for some of us), but nothing that is really definitive or that I feel I know enough about to have much control over without experimenting with various supplements that are not regulated and which I don't want to add to my already messed up body chemistry.

 

One of my biggest issues is that if I exercise "hard" on one day, it seems like the next day or two, my heart rate goes up and I am totally exhausted out of all proportion to what I did the day before. So I don't know whether I am overdoing it, or if this is okay and just the way it is?

 

Looking forward to hearing from and about others on this thread!

 

Best,

 

mo

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Great thread Drew....count me in.

 

I'm a mother of two tweens, and work full time as a real estate agent and part time as a lab tech in our community hospital. I was extremely active up until Dec 2014 when I as prescribed Ativan daily, which was an increase to my "as needed" use. I played hockey 2-4 times a week, yoga 2-3 times a week, and rode my bike to school with the kids (to and from school).

 

Now I'm happy if I walk 10-15 minutes around the block, 2x a week....and I had to work up to that.

 

Now that spring is coming (we still have lots of snow here in Canada) I'd like to really make an effort to build my strength and endurance.

 

Looking forward to reading about everyone's success  :thumbsup:

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Hey Drew

Great idea for a thread! I thought exercise helped me a lot through my benzo ordeal.

Bart

Hi Bart,

 

Were you able to exercise the entire time you were tapering? And were you able to keep up with your usual routine or did you find you had to cut back and then work up to it again? What sorts of exercises did you do?

 

Thanks very much,

 

Mo

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Hi Mo

 

I couldn't do any exercise for the first several months of my taper. When I was able to start exercising it was at a very low level and my exercise capability increased at an excruciatingly slow rate. Here's a link to my piece on exercise in benzo withdrawal where I mention my details. http://www.benzobuddies.org/forum/index.php?action=post;topic=129461.10;last_msg=1723444

 

I'm a long time bodybuilder. Benzos took me down to the proverbial "weak as a kitten" state but it all came back and I feel the process of gradually increasing duration and intensity mightily aided my recovery. I feel that with exercise in benzo withdrawal you really have to avoid overdoing it. Just keep making very small gains.

Good luck with your workouts.

 

Bart

 

 

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Bart, ...I remember you from when I first came on. How are you doing now? ....hope that's not too off topic...just wanted to say hi ..nice to see you....coop
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Hey man

I'm fine so long as I don't party too hearty. My strength levels and exercise tolerance eventually came back but it did take a long time. I remember you as well. How's things?

Bart

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Hi

If you would accept someone who has such minimal goals re exercise I would love to join. its not exactly exercise but this is my plan- I bought a small device that counts how many steps I make every day. I attach it to my cloths. My goal is just to walk more everyday - it could be walking for shopping or walking along the beach or just not taking the car somewhere and walking. The idea is to get out of the house and to increase walking. I keep making decisions about it- but don't follow regularly . If this turn  out to be a place to report progress on a regular basis- I may want to try and share how well I did with walking. Any how it will encourage me to walk today. Great idea for a thread !

Carem

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I was just thinking about exercise today.

 

I am in a wave, avery bad one, and honestly, I am too terrified to do any real exercise. LAst year this time, I did so much more, I don't understand why now is worse. That said,  I bike rather regularly, but there is no big effort involved, there are no hills. Still, I can bike less now, than a year ago, or 6 months ago.

 

I am 43, I cted and before that, I did not have a regular routine. I liked to swim, take very long walks and very long bike rides. One day, soon I hope, I want to get into more serious stuff. I would love to run, I love running, really do.

 

But for now, that is a no-no.

 

But from what I see here, we are really all different. Look forward to hearing your insights on the topic. :)

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I love this thread idea - thank you Drew. I am 31 years old, a life long runner. I used to do martial arts and dance, but that felt sideways for now. I have been running all through my taper - I made a commitment that I would run 4-5 times/week, health permitting, before starting my taper. Some days were downright impossible, so I took a week off here and there.

 

I actually ran my first half-marathon two weeks before my jump. I was super proud of that. I strongly believe that if exercise can be put in a pill form, it would be the most prescribed pill on the planet. I definitely think it helped to keep me more sane as I worked full time. I just quit my job because we are moving to the west coast to the east coast.

 

Last week I ran 5 times and did a dance class :) It's supposed to get warmer here today, so I am looking forward to a nice LSD run (long slow distance  :thumbsup:).

 

Lastly, for my insomniac friends. I just finished reading a book on insomnia, and it strongly recommends exercise for better sleep (but not too close to bedtime). Apparently one of the things that signal sleep is a drop in body temps, and insomniacs often have problems with the body temp dropping. Exercise induces the temp drop, because we raise it when we exercise. Just an FYI.

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I started going to the gym every morning since the first day of school for my kids in August. I give it so much credit for improvement. I was largely bedridden for years and my body a mess, weak as a kitten. I don't do a ton but a brisk walk for a mile, alternating 30 second jogs when I can, on an incline with hand weights does it for me. I literally drag myself there because mornings are hard and I feel awful. I come home, shower and go back to bed. Exhausted but I think it really helps. There were years when I was in tolerance and interdose withdrawal when any exercise made me much worse, so you really have to start small and experiment and create a routine.
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Hi

If you would accept someone who has such minimal goals re exercise I would love to join. its not exactly exercise but this is my plan- I bought a small device that counts how many steps I make every day. I attach it to my cloths. My goal is just to walk more everyday - it could be walking for shopping or walking along the beach or just not taking the car somewhere and walking. The idea is to get out of the house and to increase walking. I keep making decisions about it- but don't follow regularly . If this turn  out to be a place to report progress on a regular basis- I may want to try and share how well I did with walking. Any how it will encourage me to walk today. Great idea for a thread !

Carem

 

Everyone trying to do something positive for themself is welcome here.  If you can only take ten steps that if fine.

 

 

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Everyone posting here-I just want to repeat please post here anything you want in ways of daily goals, challenges you may need help with, or anything related to exercise while in benzoland to help others. 
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I love this thread idea - thank you Drew. I am 31 years old, a life long runner. I used to do martial arts and dance, but that felt sideways for now. I have been running all through my taper - I made a commitment that I would run 4-5 times/week, health permitting, before starting my taper. Some days were downright impossible, so I took a week off here and there.

 

I actually ran my first half-marathon two weeks before my jump. I was super proud of that. I strongly believe that if exercise can be put in a pill form, it would be the most prescribed pill on the planet. I definitely think it helped to keep me more sane as I worked full time. I just quit my job because we are moving to the west coast to the east coast.

 

Last week I ran 5 times and did a dance class :) It's supposed to get warmer here today, so I am looking forward to a nice LSD run (long slow distance  :thumbsup:).

 

 

 

Lastly, for my insomniac friends. I just finished reading a book on insomnia, and it strongly recommends exercise for better sleep (but not too close to bedtime). Apparently one of the things that signal sleep is a drop in body temps, and insomniacs often have problems with the body temp dropping. Exercise induces the temp drop, because we raise it when we exercise. Just an FYI.

 

Not to be a contrarian, but when I do endurance exercise (>85% max heart rate) for many continuous hours, I raise my metabolic rate for a straight 48 hr which causes continuous heat output, during that interval. My skin is super hot and stays that way until my metabolism drops back down at the end of the 48 hr period. More moderate exercise intensity doesnt elicit a sustained metabolic rate increase, but the big/lomg pushes leave me very hot for 2 solid nights, making it hard to sleep due to the heat. As an effective treatment, I soaked (surfed) in the cold winter ocean yesterday for several hours, which was effective in getting my body temp down. Slept like a baby afterwords. :)

 

And Drew, I am also 46 years old.

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I love this thread idea - thank you Drew. I am 31 years old, a life long runner. I used to do martial arts and dance, but that felt sideways for now. I have been running all through my taper - I made a commitment that I would run 4-5 times/week, health permitting, before starting my taper. Some days were downright impossible, so I took a week off here and there.

 

I actually ran my first half-marathon two weeks before my jump. I was super proud of that. I strongly believe that if exercise can be put in a pill form, it would be the most prescribed pill on the planet. I definitely think it helped to keep me more sane as I worked full time. I just quit my job because we are moving to the west coast to the east coast.

 

Last week I ran 5 times and did a dance class :) It's supposed to get warmer here today, so I am looking forward to a nice LSD run (long slow distance  :thumbsup:).

 

 

 

Lastly, for my insomniac friends. I just finished reading a book on insomnia, and it strongly recommends exercise for better sleep (but not too close to bedtime). Apparently one of the things that signal sleep is a drop in body temps, and insomniacs often have problems with the body temp dropping. Exercise induces the temp drop, because we raise it when we exercise. Just an FYI.

 

Not to be a contrarian, but when I do endurance exercise (>85% max heart rate) for many continuous hours, I raise my metabolic rate for a straight 48 hr which causes continuous heat output, during that interval. My skin is super hot and stays that way until my metabolism drops back down at the end of the 48 hr period. More moderate exercise intensity doesnt elicit a sustained metabolic rate increase, but the big/lomg pushes leave me very hot for 2 solid nights, making it hard to sleep due to the heat. As an effective treatment, I soaked (surfed) in the cold winter ocean yesterday for several hours, which was effective in getting my body temp down. Slept like a baby afterwords. :)

 

And Drew, I am also 46 years old.

 

Laser, you are a unique human being :) Have you tried taking ice baths? That may work to bring your temp down.

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Ice baths?!! Why would i do that when i have one of the best surf breaks within 5 min of my home? And the water stays cold most of the year.

 

Unique? I'm just an everyday joe.

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[af...]

Awesome thread, Drew!  :)

 

It's inspiring to read what everyone is doing.

 

At 9 months out, I'm finally able to get through an entire 45 minute cardio workout without passing out, falling down, or forgetting that I'm exercising and simply wandering off.  :crazy:

 

I just turned 47 and have always enjoyed running and yoga.  :yippee:

 

I do 45 minutes of cardio in the morning, 30 minutes of yoga in the evening, and I'm walking home from work instead of taking the subway, so progress is being made.

 

Have you all seen this study out of Duke? Seems that exercise alone is actually better for depression than exercise with an AD. 

 

http://today.duke.edu/2000/09/exercise922.html

 

I started benzos and other psychiatric drugs when I was 17 and thirty years later, I'm finally coming off them. Hoping to use exercise and mindfulness meditation to handle the mania and depression.

 

Great thread.  :smitten:

 

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Good thread. Like the rest of you I've had a wide variety in what I can do. I'm 52 and have had Chronic Fatigue Syndrome for 19 years. Prior to that I was very active and a runner. I've been trying to recover from wd and the CFS and I'm getting stronger. I started with almost 6 mos. of PT and now I go to a 30 minute exercise class 2-3 times a week followed by 20 minutes of Nautilus (weights) for 20 minutes, I go to an hour long yoga class once/week then I try to walk around 4 miles or do dance dance revolution on 2-3 of the other days. Some days go by though and I can't do a damn thing. Still, I'm so thankful not to be bed bound anymore that I try to cut myself a break. It's especially hard when I've missed a lot of sleep since I'm not sleeping much now. I really think exercise is a key way to help ourselves and recover but we have to pace ourselves.

 

That is great that you can get out and work out like this! Kudos to you!  :clap:

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Ice baths?!! Why would i do that when i have one of the best surf breaks within 5 min of my home? And the water stays cold most of the year.

 

Unique? I'm just an everyday joe.

 

Ice baths right before sleep to bring down your temps. It may not be convenient to go out to surf right before sleep in the dark.

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