Hi @zaa, Thank you for the private message and the kind words. I hope you don't mind but I thought I would respond to your private message in this discussion - After PMR and return to good health so that other members may benefit from our conversation.

Sadly my answer to your question if I have seen my muscles come back from riding my exercise bike is that I know the exercise is good for me but I am still losing muscle mass and have not seen it get better. From what I've learned about building and adding muscle mass I think I need to do more strength training exercises as well as the cardio that the exercise bike provides. I did find a good article that sums up how we can help ourselves.

HEALTHY AGING - Building muscle after 60: https://seniorplanet.org/building-muscle-after-60/

One item that I added to help me at home is a Teeter FitForm Home Gym - https://teeter.com/product/fitform/. What I like about it is that it doesn't take up a lot of room and comes with an app for your tablet or phone that gives you videos on how to exercise specific muscle groups. I haven't been using it lately as much as I should but I'm a work in progress and know that I have to make it part of my daily routine and not just use it when I feel like it. I'm more concerned about my arm muscles and strength as I need them more and more every day.

I have the same concern that you have about falling. I would love to be able to ride a normal bike again but I just don't trust my balance. I have thought about one of the 3 wheel bicycles, either the recumbent style that is low to the ground or the old style bicycle that is standard height. That would solve the balance and falling issue (I think) but I'm not sure I would get out and use it as much due to Winters and the heat of the Summer. The last bone density scan I had was in 2017 and I think I need to talk with my primary care doctor and schedule another one next year at my annual physical. The one in 2017 showed I had osteopenia and my 10 year risk assessment of falling and breaking or fracturing was 9.1% for major osteoporatic and 2.4% for a hip fracture.

When my PMR is in remission I am off of prednisone so I think that is the definition of remission is when you are able to stop taking prednisone and no longer have the associated pain.

I know that you want to get outside and ride your bike more but are worried about balance. Do you like to walk? I used to love walking but my lower back and my forward leaning posture makes it harder for me so that I'm only able to walk for a short amount of time or distance without resting. I have invested in some inexpensive Nordic walking sticks that they help with the balance and my ability to walk more upright but I still get tired easily.

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