3 ms·

People always chime in with this and it's weird. It's just scaring people and making them think exercise is more dangerous than being sedentary (it isn't). Have

People always chime in with this and it's weird. It's just scaring people and making them think exercise is more dangerous than being sedentary (it isn't). Have some common sense and don't jump into something that hurts and you'll be fine. Watch some videos of how to do established exercises, start with far less weight than you think you can handle and slowly work up to a higher amount over the course of weeks (so you know you're not bending in weird ways), and be consistent with it. You can hurt yourself doing anything. Nobody says to consult a doctor before doing anything else, but there's lots of fear mongering around exercise. Going from sitting at a desk all day to doing some weightless squats, curling tiny weights, and bench pressing a bar isn't going to ruin your body. It's only risky if you're physically disabled and already know it. I even see people saying you should see a doctor before you start walking or jogging. No. Start slow, and if it majorly hurts your bones and joints, then talk to a doctor because you may have something wrong. If you just feel a burn in your muscles after a while and an ache in your muscles the next day, you're fine. You're getting stronger.

j45 3y ago
Agree. just like you wouldn’t over do it walking the first time.
dragonwriter 3y ago
You seem to be knee-jerking and ignoring context. The recommendation was not "see a doctor before starting an exercise routine if you are sedentary". It was "If you are going to try to use an intense exercise pattern as a treatment for an RSI, consult a doctor first". > Start slow, and if it majorly hurts your bones and joints, then talk to a doctor because you may have something wrong. If you have an RSI, you already have something wrong; that's your starting point. And a lot of common RSIs affecting the risk and elbow can have a lot of impact on ability to safely do lots of common exercises (especially with free weights) at weights way (like, literally, an order of magnitude or more) below what would even be useful from a strength perspective. And, yeah, the right focused exercises can help, and if you've got a decent doctor, they (or, more likely, the physical therapist they refer you to), will actually provide you both appropriate exercises for your particular RSI and also appropriate guidelines on how to avoid exacerbating it with other exercise.
justneedaname 3y ago
It's only risky if you're physically disabled and already know it Are you not physically disabled in some way though if you have RSI?
heavyset_go 3y ago
Don't let hubris get in the way of getting an informed medical opinion when it comes to not making your existing injuries worse with exercise. I'm speaking from experience as someone who once thought like you do, at least when it came to my own health. Take injuries seriously.
jrm4 3y ago
Right, I think a good takeaway is: In extreme cases of anything, you are likely to want to get doctor input -- but presently "seeing the doctor" is in no way a guarantee of anything? More like, do your homework on whatever it that's wrong with you. Often, a doctor's input is very helpful, but that too comes with limitations and caveats.
phyzome 3y ago
The two times I had RSI it actually turned out to be a postural issue. I never would have figured that out without going to physical therapists, who were able to figure it out in 15 minutes. They gave me specific instructions on how to hold my body and some exercises to do, and things cleared up in a few weeks. RSI and similar mean there's something specific that needs fixing. PTs can dramatically speed up that process; trying to solve it on your own can result in more damage simply because you're not fixing the problem. I'd agree that exercise is all well and good. But you should also make sure you're fixing the right problem.
- dog321 3y ago
  Could you elaborate on what the postural defecits were and changes made? Always interesting to hear folks pathologies and cures.
  - phyzome 3y ago
    It has been a while, so I don't remember the exact details. In both cases, the symptoms were pain and paraesthesia in my hands and lower arm, although the locations might have been somewhat different. In one, the issue was that I was holding my head and neck forward, sort of cantilevered out. This caused muscle inflammation in the back of my neck, irritating a nearby nerve. In the other, it had to do with holding my shoulders forward, causing a nerve impingement on my chest. In both cases, it was part of an overall hunched-forward posture, so... you know, "don't do that". :-) I don't remember the specific exercises, but I think they had something to do with strengthening opposing muscles.

j45 3y ago

Agree. just like you wouldn’t over do it walking the first time.

dragonwriter 3y ago

You seem to be knee-jerking and ignoring context. The recommendation was not "see a doctor before starting an exercise routine if you are sedentary". It was "If you are going to try to use an intense exercise pattern as a treatment for an RSI, consult a doctor first". > Start slow, and if it majorly hurts your bones and joints, then talk to a doctor because you may have something wrong. If you have an RSI, you already have something wrong; that's your starting point. And a lot of common RSIs affecting the risk and elbow can have a lot of impact on ability to safely do lots of common exercises (especially with free weights) at weights way (like, literally, an order of magnitude or more) below what would even be useful from a strength perspective. And, yeah, the right focused exercises can help, and if you've got a decent doctor, they (or, more likely, the physical therapist they refer you to), will actually provide you both appropriate exercises for your particular RSI and also appropriate guidelines on how to avoid exacerbating it with other exercise.

justneedaname 3y ago

It's only risky if you're physically disabled and already know it Are you not physically disabled in some way though if you have RSI?

heavyset_go 3y ago

Don't let hubris get in the way of getting an informed medical opinion when it comes to not making your existing injuries worse with exercise. I'm speaking from experience as someone who once thought like you do, at least when it came to my own health. Take injuries seriously.

jrm4 3y ago

Right, I think a good takeaway is: In extreme cases of anything, you are likely to want to get doctor input -- but presently "seeing the doctor" is in no way a guarantee of anything? More like, do your homework on whatever it that's wrong with you. Often, a doctor's input is very helpful, but that too comes with limitations and caveats.

phyzome 3y ago

The two times I had RSI it actually turned out to be a postural issue. I never would have figured that out without going to physical therapists, who were able to figure it out in 15 minutes. They gave me specific instructions on how to hold my body and some exercises to do, and things cleared up in a few weeks. RSI and similar mean there's something specific that needs fixing. PTs can dramatically speed up that process; trying to solve it on your own can result in more damage simply because you're not fixing the problem. I'd agree that exercise is all well and good. But you should also make sure you're fixing the right problem.

dog321 3y ago
Could you elaborate on what the postural defecits were and changes made? Always interesting to hear folks pathologies and cures.
- phyzome 3y ago
  It has been a while, so I don't remember the exact details. In both cases, the symptoms were pain and paraesthesia in my hands and lower arm, although the locations might have been somewhat different. In one, the issue was that I was holding my head and neck forward, sort of cantilevered out. This caused muscle inflammation in the back of my neck, irritating a nearby nerve. In the other, it had to do with holding my shoulders forward, causing a nerve impingement on my chest. In both cases, it was part of an overall hunched-forward posture, so... you know, "don't do that". :-) I don't remember the specific exercises, but I think they had something to do with strengthening opposing muscles.