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I started lifting weight when I was 19. I never lifted competively but I always made time for my workouts. I became a jogger for awhile as well. It is addictive if you try to take care of yourself your whole life then get PMR. I had read it was not a muscle wasting disease but lack of activity could be. So I went from heavy weights(for my age) to barely lifting the bar. I could barely get out of bed but I felt better if I went to the gym. I set up an exercise rotation where I briefly worked every muscle. Everything hurt. I have about 15 exercises I do where I do one set of ten and then start over and do the second and then the 3rd. Then 3 times a week I do the treadmill for 15 min. I do the Bruce protocol on the treadmill. PMR and Covid made gym workouts difficult but I did my best. Once I started steroids I was almost pain free. Like you I had to be careful. I was not feeling any pain. There were days that I just did what I could but I very seldom miss. I go every day for about an hour and fifteen minutes. I have kept the same workout since PMR. The only difference is my 3 sets are the first set is an easy set of 10 for warmup. Second set I add some weight and the third set is where I can barely do a set of 10 or 8. I am 72 now. That has also added a level of humility. I attribute the fact that I burned out PMR in 6 months and was off steroids to my dedication to exercise and knowledge of steroids. Steroid dependency was a lot more serious condition than the PMR. I no longer believe I can build muscle due to age but I can still maintain and strengthen what I have. I also after PMR had all my hormones checked. I have been able to stop most medications that I started from 6 months on steroids. I dont know if this helps. I can give you specific exercises I do. Its just a full range of movement from legs , shoulder, back , abs, arms. They say to let muscles rest a day or two between workouts but I needed to keep blood flowing to everything. I very seldom do single rep heavy weights. Occasionally some young pup fires me up into competing then I pay for it.
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Hello Tucker! I've been feeling a bit sad and depressed this past week after recently being possibly diagnosed with PMR. I've been spending a lot of time researching the condition as well as discovering forums like this one to help me better cope and accept. After reading your response, I found a lot of encouragement because we have traveled similar journeys. At an early age, I had two lower back discs ruptured two years in a row. I decided to take an aggressive action plan and dedicate myself to a life of fitness and health. For the last thirty to thirty-five years, I have become a fitness enthusiast ... weekly bootcamp classes, HIIT classes, heavy gym workouts, rowing marathons, running, sprinting, jumping rope -- you name it, and I probably tried it and / or still do it. A month ago I was at a really good peak of conditioning as I was training for an indoor rowing marathon. A week after the marathon, my body completely shut down and became immobile. It truly scared me. How could I be at the height of my conditioning and then become frail and weak? I visited many doctors and all of them simply felt I had overexerted myself and sent me home with new pain killers (none of them worked). Everything was a physical struggle for me ... walking, getting in and out of my car, getting dressed, picking things off the floor, writing on the whiteboard (I'm a teacher), raising my arms, sitting, standing, putting on shoes ... I went from being able to easily perform 15 to 20 pull-ups and 50 push-ups to not even being able to hold my body weight in plank position or hang on the pull up bar. Last week a doctor suggested that my symptoms might be related to PMR, so like many other people on this site, he prescribed Prednisone. I did regain a lot of mobility quickly, but after reading all the information about Prednisone, I returned to that place of fear and worry again. Perhaps what worries me the most is that fitness and exercise have been my safe place to escape my workaholic lifestyle. I've tried to be very cautious about returning to exercise (especially since I am now 61 years old). Your story honestly gave me a source of hope that I too will be able to once again rejoin the fitness community and the exercise regime that I once enjoyed a few weeks ago. I'm even a certified NASM personal trainer, so all of this is very humbling to me and all the goals I have tried to achieve by aging with a healthy lifestyle. Thank you for sharing your story online, and thank you for being an example of hope for me as I learn to battle and deal with this possible diagnosis. I could really use a friend right now, so I hope my words reach your heart as well. In sincere appreciation!!
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WOW, good for you, Tucker! I'm fascinated by your story, the commitment and hard work. I think regular exercise, whatever you can do is possibly the healthiest thing for us mentally, physically, emotionally.
I would love any info you wish to share about the exercises you do. Isn't the Bruce Protocol for medical stress testing?
Big respect to you! I'm older and still fired up. And I believe it's due to my unfailing commitment to physical exercise. I always say that exercise has saved my life...many times.
Looking forward to any feedback and homework!! LOL
Thanks so much for responding, so helpful.