Go back 5 years and I was involved in sport and was running regularly and could comfortably run for 3 or 4 kilometres without a break.

Now I can barely run 100 metres to catch a bus without being exhausted by the time I get there. Now that I have no more pain in my hip I have decided that I need to work on my fitness again. I am not sure where to start.

My question is, how healthy is running or jogging when one suffers something like AS, even if it is under control. If I start running regularly, am I just putting more pressure on my joints which will come back to haunt me in 10, 20, 30 years? I have heard varying opinions on this.

I know things like swimming are the best exercise, but sometimes it is just not practical to do it regularly. I do not have a pool where I live here in Germany and public swimming pools are far out of the way and expensive.

Does anybody have any advice on getting back into improving fitness without doing more damage to the joints?

Phil

Hi Phil!

I am a German-American. 50% German. Deutschland über alles! My physical therapist told me not to jog as it would accelerate joint damage. I have avoided it. I try to walk fast instead. I figure why take a chance! I do the 10,000 step a day workout.

If there is pain, I would not run. If it doesn't hurt, though, it's probably fine. That is what my own rheumatologist told me. It probably depends how active your disease is.

Enbrel has put A.S. into remission for me, for the time being. I have logged over 100 miles (>160km) on some weeks, and have ran 3 marathons since being diagnosed with A.S. I am running another marathon in 2 weeks.

Running with A.S. is not for everyone, and many with A.S. should definitely not do it, but it can certainly be done. I think it actually helps me feel better. Move it or fuse it.

Thanks guys.

I think the conflicting information makes it difficult to make a decision. Some doctors etc. say yes, some say no.

I guess it's a risk either way. I would really like to be able to do some running again. I sometimes worry that I may not be able to run anymore in 5, 10, 20 years or whatever. It would be a shame to stop doing it now while I am still able to.

Is there anything that you do to minimise the pressure on the joints while running? Shoes? Grass or road? etc.

Phil

Hi, There are lots of people who run in the water to ease the pressure on the joints. Here's a video.

I guess I will tell my story. When I was first diagnosed my doctor told me to stop running. I stopped for a while, but then started again. I found that running helped keep the AS calmed down. Sometimes I would be in some pain when I started running, and after a 1/2 mile the pain would ease up. I decided long ago that if I was still in pain after about a mile I would abandon the run, and walk back home. I am not fast, and getting slower, but still going. That is my personal story.

Thanks guys.

Yeah I think I will get back into it.

I don't want to run marathons or anything... just a bit of running or jogging to stay fit.

Phil

Have you tried nordic walking? That way you can get the fitness you want with the stability of the sticks. It works all areas of your body. I started doing that when I lived in Switzerland and found it was an easy way to get fit. But, since moving back to Canada, I haven't done much cause of the yet undiagnosed back/joint pain. Now that I know what I have and am on Simponi (which is helping ease the pain in the joints) I am thinking of doing the nordic walking again. As much as my mind thinks I am a marathon runner..hahaha, my joints say nope! Maybe that would be a good way to ease your way back up to jogging. Just a thought. Good luck.

Nordic walking is awesome. My hands can't always handle holding the sticks... and I can't really walk distance anymore... but it is an awesome exercise.

I'm going to get back into running again. Don't know whether the two are related, but when I'm on the no-starch diet, I run pain-free. I frequently lapse on the diet, but I'll get back on it again and let you know how the running goes.