Kickas.org Forums Ankylosing Spondylitis General Discussion #1 AS Web Support Group How exercise saved my life

Well the amounts of sets and reps depend on the muscle group. It varies between 6-10 reps and 3-8 sets.

I do hope you will be able to achieve your goals. I would love to hear some updates on how you're doing and if you ever have any questions, please feel free to ask

I got a question on PM, but I will share my answer here as well, in case anyone else have the same question, but is afraid to ask.

Question (shortened and anonymous):



First of all, I am so happy that you have no spinal fusion

I don't know how restricted your movement is, but you are right, disk herniation is a risk. Not only for people with AS, like us, but we should be more careful. For example, I never do deadlift-exercises as it puts too much strain on my lower back.
When you lift, try to keep the weights closer to your body, and try keeping a straight and upright posture.
I too have some issues with lying flat on a bench, so instead I do exercises standing up. Here are some good exercises that you can mention to your PT, and ask him to show you how to do them.

Legs:
Standing/seated calf raise
Bulgarian squat
Seated leg press
Glute ham raise

Upper body:
Cable chest press (play around with the height adjustment of the cables)
Cable crossover (play around with the height adjustment of the cables)
Wide grip pullup (supported?)
Wide grip seated cable row
Close grip pulldown
Dips (supported?)
Cable back flyes
Bicep curls (dumbbells/cable-bar)
Cable overhead tricep extension
Cable tricep pushdown (rope/bar)

Play around with the different grips for the cable machine.

For posture it is important that you do stretches. Try lying flat on a soft mat, first with something to support your head, then slowly make the support flatter.
Just try to move your back a lot. Not only when you work out, but all the time. When you walk outside, when you sit and relax at home, when you lie in your bed. Just stretch your back. Move it around. And slowly you will find that you get more movement back and the posture improves

These are just some of the main exercises i do (which is working well for me), and not a complete list.

hi chris,
thanks for the info

another important question: how do you grow those majestic beards

No problem. I've been trying to get better at writing down my workouts, so I might come up with a more detailed plan when I have a good overview.

Beardwise it takes a lot of laziness. Just don't bother shaving, throw away your razors. It will itch for a while and people will think your a hobo, but after a few months when it has gotten a nice length, go to a good barber and let him teach you how to shape it. Oh, and I moisturize it with oil.

Hi Chris

What do you do for abdominals?

I'm struggling to find abs exercises.

Crunches, sits up and knee raises all aggravate my hips and lower back.

Plank is fine but doesn't seem to do much (its too easy, I suspect i'm doing it wrong actually)

I find it really interesting that you weren't working to a program. I thought that as a scientist you would have it all planned out precisely and rigorously, especially as you have had such amazing results.

Ahhh, ab exercises. I wish I could tell you that I have the solution. Sadly enough, I'm looking for it myself. I can't do regular crunches, but I can almost manage knee raises without too much problem. I do some half-assed crunches at home, lying on a mat with a thick pillow under my upper back, so that my starting position is "mid-crunch" and then I just tighten my abs really hard (withouth actually doing much of a movement). It seems to work...kinda...but yeah, abs are hard to train.

I get that comment about my distaste for programs, plans and recipees a lot. I love to cook, but I never ever go near a recipe. I'm an organic, synthetic chemist and most of my research is explorative. I just test a lot of stuff and write down my findings

Pilates is the answer for abs. Take a course with a good teacher who takes time to work with you and learns about AS; don't use a video. Learn how to breathe and why you breathe that way; how to activate your various core muscles so they can strengthen and do their jobs of supporting our spines properly.

Crunches shorten our rectus abdominus. That six pack means trouble for standing upright. Have you ever noticed that really ginormous weight-lifters with awesome six packs don't actually stand upright? They can't because of crunches.

Learn to curl from your tailbone, activating your pelvic floor (women think Kegals; men think drawing your testicles up) to protect your lower back. Learn to use your transverse abdominus, obliques and rectus abdominus. Learn to use them in everyday life - when walking to help your body resist gravity; when carrying (in combination with pulling the Lat Deltoid under the arm while drawing your shoulder blades down ever so slightly into a V to strengthen your upper back). Even opening a door is easier with strong abs and core.

Just a few thoughts.

Warm hugs,

Pilates isn't for me unfortunately but it's a point very well made.

If Chris is struggling with abs too, I think I'll just stick with the planks. And trying to retract my testicles!

Congratulations on your success with becoming fit despite this disease. I'm glad your feeling better. I go through periods where I'm not motivated and let the pain and stiffness keep me down. I'm not on a biological yet only a Dmard as my first medication treatment since being diagnosed properly (took 7 years.) It's helped my joints in the extremities but my spine and shoulders are still really flared up. What do you do to keep motivated?

Well in the beginning, to actually be able to stand upright, to be able to walk up stairs without getting exhausted or to just sleep through a whole night, that was enough motivation.
Now, i get motivated when I see myself in the mirror and not hating my body and posture anymore.
Also, if I go a week without working out I feel a lot stiffer, and I sleep worse and have less energy throughout the day.