I just want my younger body back!!

With arthritis in my shoulders, elbows, wrists, spine, hips, knees and ankles, I don't move anywhere without pain!
I was managing fairly well, taking my painkillers if I wanted to have a 'normal' day, but since having Covid, I can't walk, with my sticks or by hanging on to DH, for more than ten minutes before the pain in my back gets too bad to even stand up.
I'm 65, and it often feels as though my life is over!

I miss the ease of giving myself a pedicure. My feet don’t want to come up as far as I need them to.

me neither hollysteers.
I have been wondering if there are some exercises I can do to help matters.
I assume the tops of my legs are not so strong or something like they used to be.

Juggernaut

With arthritis in my shoulders, elbows, wrists, spine, hips, knees and ankles, I don't move anywhere without pain!
I was managing fairly well, taking my painkillers if I wanted to have a 'normal' day, but since having Covid, I can't walk, with my sticks or by hanging on to DH, for more than ten minutes before the pain in my back gets too bad to even stand up.
I'm 65, and it often feels as though my life is over!

I'm sure my joints far worse since having Covid (at least twice).

I have been wondering if there are some exercises I can do to help matters

I was shown armchair Pilates a few weeks ago - it's not actually done in an armchair but on a dining chair and some of it standing up, holding on to the back of the chair.
If only I could remember the exercises .....

Minute Senior Pilates Chair Class- to build Core Strength in a Safe and Gentle Way
YouTube · The Girl With The Pilates Mat

I haven't watched this one but there are several on YouTube

Sorry, that doesn't work as a link but if you Google, there are several.

I come from a family who have lived fit and healthily to an advanced age, I have inherited the family genes and I am duly grateful.

What I miss is my stamina. I used to be known in the family as the 'Duracell bunny', because I could keep going when things needed doing and never seemed to rest (ADHD, did help).

Now, an hour or so in the garden, and I am knackered. We have just returned from a short holiday in Scotland, the journey up there was a catastrophe, 16 hours instead of 7, and the exhaustion of the travelling, never really cleared all weekend, nd rather took the edge off it. Ten years ago, one good nights sleep and we would have recovered.

By the way, Calendargirl, I, too, was always modestly endowed, but it never ever worried me, I was always really thankfully to never get beyond a B cup.

Irony... I was one of the early diagnosed M E cases. Of course there was not even the suggestion of help as clearly we were mad and or malingerers. Lost my 'good' job and most of my 'friends'... After the shock and 6 months of being barely capable of anything, I realised no-one can help and started reading around how athletes live and eat. I built a routine of eating, supplements, and self care (this took years). Slowly health and energy rebuilt. That interest in 'what works' and self help has persisted so that now I am pretty good for 70xxx - it feels a bit weird but there we are. I now think 'M E' is a portmanteau diagnosis and the collapse it describes has many roots so there never will be one solution. - And I have come across the mad and malingering too.

Callistemon21

^I have been wondering if there are some exercises I can do to help matters^

I was shown armchair Pilates a few weeks ago - it's not actually done in an armchair but on a dining chair and some of it standing up, holding on to the back of the chair.
If only I could remember the exercises .....

There is a video on the NHS site, I do these about 5 times a week.

Tizliz

Callistemon21

I have been wondering if there are some exercises I can do to help matters

I was shown armchair Pilates a few weeks ago - it's not actually done in an armchair but on a dining chair and some of it standing up, holding on to the back of the chair.
If only I could remember the exercises .....

There is a video on the NHS site, I do these about 5 times a week.

www.nhs.uk/conditions/nhs-fitness-studio/chair-based-pilates-exercise-video/

Thanks Tizliz
Funnily enough, I was just saying yesterday that I should start doing them.

I've downloaded it.

This pilates-inspired workout is suitable for people who have difficulty getting down on the floor and prefer the support of a chair.

It's not the getting down on the floor - it's getting up again!

I used to love sports as a teenager and played hockey until I was 27 when I had my first baby. I also played tennis and loved swimming. I played tennis and badminton in my 30s and 40s. We always had dogs so I walked miles with them. I did yoga in my 50s and enjoyed that.

In my 40s and 50s I used to cycle a lot and although I still have my bike, my cycling friend gave up years ago and I don’t go so far now or so often.

Now I try and have a few miles walk a couple of times a week but I do my stretching and balancing exercises every morning and I think that keeps me a bit supple.

I don’t really have much in the way of health issues and have had no replacement hips, knees etc. I often think I should do a lot more exercise but I have tried a few exercise classes and I did not enjoy them at all. I also tried zumba and spinning but didn’t enjoy those much either.

I only enjoy swimming now if it is as warm as a bath!

I was so slim and petite when I was a teenager and I remember our family GP asking me what I wanted to do when I left school and I said a PE teacher. He laughed and said “my dear, you are much too petite for that.” If he could see me now! 🤣🤣

It's my energy I miss the most. I was on my feet all day in my job and would come home and do my housework and cooking and rarely sat down till after 9pm.
Now if I do the hoovering I need a rest!

In many ways I am happy as I am, nearly 75 with very few wrinkles, a size 10 instead of 16 and 18, I can still ride my bike and I am happy with life BUT I have an autoimmune condition that has moved on another stage and my worry is will I still be able to have a liver transplant or am I to old. Need to ask next time at the hospital. I am in pain from it but have a painkiller that works so will be restarting my seated Pilates classes next week. I just wish I had more energy. I will carryon loving life

Callistemon21

Sorry, that doesn't work as a link but if you Google, there are several.

Thank you. I will take a look.

Tizliz

Tizliz

Callistemon21

I have been wondering if there are some exercises I can do to help matters

I was shown armchair Pilates a few weeks ago - it's not actually done in an armchair but on a dining chair and some of it standing up, holding on to the back of the chair.
If only I could remember the exercises .....

There is a video on the NHS site, I do these about 5 times a week.

www.nhs.uk/conditions/nhs-fitness-studio/chair-based-pilates-exercise-video/

And this.