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Working out..is it worth it?

Evening all,

Hope everyone had a good xmas and are looking forward to new year celebrations.

anyhoo - new year, new start and all that, im looking to get back into weight lifting/going to the gym. My question is - is it worth it? am i realistically likely to gain any muscle mass or come to think of it, have the energy to do it?

do many of you work out? if so, (especially gents) do you see any improvement with 'the guns' etc?

after my j-pouch surgery and before being diagnosed with crohns, i was hitting the gym hard and a good 12 stone. im now just over 11, look about 12yrs old and fed up of people saying im skinny or that ive lost weight.

im currently on 100mg azathioprine and 2g pentasa granules 1, twice a day and take multi-vitamin and esomeprazole for acid pains.

any help or advice, much appreciated.
 

David

Co-Founder
Location
Naples, Florida
As long as you don't drop a weight on your foot and exercise properly, it can only help. Who cares if you don't have much energy and spend 10 minutes the first day at the gym and 10 minutes a day for the next three weeks. IT CAN ONLY HELP and after three weeks you might work your way up to 15 minutes which is a 50% improvement! There are countless studies, infinite amounts of anecdotal evidence, and my mom also says exercise is good for you and moms are never wrong.

Point being, get your butt in the gym good sir :)

P.S. Be sure to do lots of aerobic exercise as well. Just lifting weights can lead to imbalances in my opinion if you don't do plenty of aerobic exercise too.
 
In my opinion, I think it's worth it. I have more energy since I started working out plus I feel great afterwards and each work out feels like an achievement.

I started working out in the summer as a personal goal because exercise was always something I was never good at and thought 'sporty' types of people may as well be aliens.

I only do weights once a week but now I have arm muscles! Not bulky ones but better than the bit of flab that was there before.

Like David said, I'd start slowly. Although if you've worked out before, I heard it was easier to get back into shape again so good luck with it. I say go for it!
 

Cat-a-Tonic

Super Moderator
I agree with the others, exercise can't hurt you unless you waaaaay overdo it. (As an example, my mother is an avid marathon runner who has given herself running-induced asthma, and she's also had a few falls and gotten some injuries from that - she overdoes it and as a consequence she has done some harm to herself by over-exercising. Sorry David, moms can be wrong on rare occassions. ;))

I also agree that you should start slow. Maybe start with walking and then go to jogging and then faster running, something like that. Or with lifting weights, start with light weights and few reps, and then work your way up over time. Don't overdo it right away or you might end up feeling worse.
 
sod it, im gona go for it! thanks for the encouragement.

i walk everyday around 45mins with my dog, so think i'll get my weights out the garage and start light and slow and see how i get on.

HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL...!
 
Evening all,

Hope everyone had a good xmas and are looking forward to new year celebrations.

anyhoo - new year, new start and all that, im looking to get back into weight lifting/going to the gym. My question is - is it worth it? am i realistically likely to gain any muscle mass or come to think of it, have the energy to do it?

do many of you work out? if so, (especially gents) do you see any improvement with 'the guns' etc?

after my j-pouch surgery and before being diagnosed with crohns, i was hitting the gym hard and a good 12 stone. im now just over 11, look about 12yrs old and fed up of people saying im skinny or that ive lost weight.

im currently on 100mg azathioprine and 2g pentasa granules 1, twice a day and take multi-vitamin and esomeprazole for acid pains.

any help or advice, much appreciated.

Yes it's possible to gain muscle while having crohn's. I think Working out is extremely benifical to us. Not to mention, it motivates me to keep eating well. Diet is going to be the main focus when putting on muscle. I have thread on here about diet 101. It has a lot of information that can help you.
 
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Yes it's possible to gain muscle while having crohn's. I think Working out is extremely benifical to us. Not to mention, it motivates me to keep eating well. Diet is going to be the main focus when putting on muscle. I have thread on here about diet 101. It has a lot of information that can help you.
can i have a link to this post please as I too am starting the gym
 
fully worth it... it brings my energy levels up, my immune system up, and my mood way way up (destress and also feeling in control vs slave to disease).

of course, put it in the context of what you're dealing with... I had a resection a few years back, and when they packed my guts back in, my stomach wasn't quite the shape it was... I can't do crunches/situps without having massive cramps (and it's kickstarted blockages/flareups a few tiems), so I avoid them, which is ok since i'll never have a 6pack with my gut-bump anyways.

I focus on arms and chest for weights, with a lot of cardio to keep my energy levels high, and my stamina up to enjoy snowboarding in the winter (and looking good enough that my fiancee wants to jump my bones - heheh).

Really, if you're avoiding stuff that's messing you up, or causing a flareup... what's the downside???
 
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