Muscles and Poses

[BlessedBe]

Couple of questions.

My muscles are all very tender to the touch. I don't have Fibromyalgia, as they only hurt when pressure is applied. Could this just be because I don't use them much? (Very sedentary lifestyle.)

If I did some poses (tai chi and yoga) and held them long enough, would this build up muscle in the same way as weight lifting? Or at least similar? I'm extremely out of shape, and have no real access to weights.

I've also been thinking about doing water aerobics, since I read that is what docs prescribe to people who have muscle atrohpy. Would this still build some strength and help my muscles get stronger, at least for a start?

[redsox33]

Originally Posted by BlessedBe

I've also been thinking about doing water aerobics, since I read that is what docs prescribe to people who have muscle atrohpy. Would this still build some strength and help my muscles get stronger, at least for a start?

I cannot give fantastic advice because I am not an expert, however, I look forward to the expert advice that you'll get from the others!

All I can say is that back in February, I was literally housebound for the majority of the winter. I really felt that atrophy feeling in my legs and worried it would take me forever to gain muscle back. I started with a half-mile walk, which didn't kill me, but just got me going. I slowly built up from there. Yesterday I did just under 6 miles of combined jogs and walking (5.82 miles if you want to be exact)... all I can say is that whatever you do, start SLOW and SHORT (distance wise) and build from there. I followed up on yesterday's workout with 2 video workouts (20 minutes each) so I'm not "dead" and bed ridden from a 6ish mile workout of yesterday.

The pool is a fantastic place to get a workout, so if you enjoy doing it, go for it! Whatever your workout choice, just start small... there is always tomorrow. Aim for a 5 minute workout if that's where you need to start... it's 5 minutes more than yesterday! Good luck to you! You will see improvements much faster than you think you will... if... you just start out slow and don't push yourself toward injury. Again, the experts will chime in and give you specific goals for your needs. Injury is the worst, so just take it slow.

All the best!!!!