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Anemia and exercise
I’m just sticking this here for anyone who may have significant anemia and struggle with keeping active. I’ve got MDS and have red cell transfusions every couple of months. I’ve always been a walker, but as my haemoglobin declines each time (between transfusions) it becomes increasingly less appealing, if not impossible. Any incline makes me feel like I’m running a sprint…gasping, heart racing and pounding etc..and I have to keep stopping. However much to my surprise Ive recently found that I’m able to slowly swim/splash up and down the pool and in fact, enjoy moving. Maybe it’s because I don’t feel self conscious stopping each end to get my breath back and also, there are no hills so I can very much control my level of exertion. If exercise is difficult, it’s worth giving it a try (with your dr’s approval) 🙂
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I hear frequently from various sources, print and news media, that diet and exercise are essential keys to health. My practice and that of my wife (ages 86 and 85) is to continue to move around, not become sedintary. Easier for me than she who has aplastic anemia and spent around 7 weeks in the hospital last year. When I had open heart surgery in 1995 the doctors got me out of bed within a day to start moving around, and after leaving the hospital to walk every day to aid recovery. It worked! I can still walk easily and lift 20 - 30 lbs boxes without much complaint from my heart with its metal mitral valve.
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3 ReactionsNot quite anemia, but my RBC level has been very low for years. I had covid followed by LC in March, 2023. I went from averaging 20 mi/day on my bikes, to 5 miles followed by a nap (PEM). I still exercise in bits followed by a short break. It is handy to go to a rec center and lift weights because those are sets with rest breaks between each. Just moving is important, even if one can't run a marathon, you can still do the miles (maybe over days with naps between). Celebrate any improvement that you get (and check with doctor before starting new exercise regimes). I'm 70 and collect autoimmune diseases and such.
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3 ReactionsI, too, have MDS and have 2 bags of blood every 4 weeks by transfusion. The only exercise I can do is aqua aerobics and while I struggle some days to drag myself to the pool, once in the pool I seem to find an energy I didn’t know I had. I try to go 3 times a week and the class is 45 minutes. Would recommend trying some time in a pool even if it is only walking up and down pool. I am 77 years of age.
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2 ReactionsThat's just how I feel in the water! I have only been a couple of times, but was so surprised at what I could do. My Hb is presently in the 7s and I'm having a transfusion today, but I spent 30 mins in the pool yesterday. Yet if I walk too fast or go up a few steps I'm really struggling. The flotation must make a difference. I'm so glad to have found a way to stay a bit active, even with the lowish Hb. (I'm 55.) 🙂
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