Hi there
I have not visited this site for around 4 years, but that time has come around again to battle with the weight. This time though things have changed which are making it much harder.
Iv 'e recently been diagnosed with spondyloarthropathy. For those unnaware, this is an auto immune disease, which causes arthritis in the spine and sacroiliac joints (among a list of other symptoms). It can also affect the ribcage (known as costochondritis). This condition usually progresses into Anklyosing Spondylitis where the spine becomes fused together.
My symptoms started 4 years back, but it wasn't known then I had this condition. I use to go to the gym twice a week (4 hrs total) and eventually stopped after a year as I could hardly walk and the pain was unbearable. This has affected my lifestyle to an extent, the only true temporary relief coming from past corticosteroid injections.
None of the meds I'm currently on are improving the condition, even the injections have stopped working. I have had years of physio which didn't help. I have been prescribed pilates as a treatment, and that too has not made much difference. My sports physician has tested my range of movement in certain exercises, and i am at around 30%, where most healthy individuals are at around 70%. I was always very active as a teen, spending many hours doing dancing and playing sports, but there is no way i could even do half of the dancing moves i use to be able to do back then.
So what exercises could be suggested that I may be able to do for this condition? I cannot do any swimming or hydrotherapy at this stage due to skin problems this condition causes, so really what else is there to do besides pilates? I use to do weights at the gym and have been told I also cannot do that at this time. Just walking alone hurts! I was thinking of buying a rowing machine, but im unsure how the repetative knee action would affect my sacroiliac joints. Alot of the pilates exercises I am doing are modified, so as to not put down any weight onto the SI joints.
Also what would a recommended calorie intake be for me now? I am currently 90kg (198pounds) the biggest i have been, and I would like to get back down to say 65kg (143 pounds). My ideal lowest weight I've been is 57kg(125 pounds) and I feel most healthy at this weight (im 5'5 tall). Before when I was at the gym doing 4 hrs exercise week, I had 1600cals a day and lost around 1.5pounds per week. Atm I am spending 2 hrs of pilates per week, spread over 7 days, but it is a muscle retraining program that I'm not gonna lose any weight from (at least i dont think so since it's mainly stretching exercises). Should I have 1200 cals a day, or even go down as low as 1000, given how inactive i am?
I'd be really interested in hearing if anyone else has this condition, or something similar and what meds or exercises have helped you!
Thanks for listening,
Cheers.