Inactivity - The cost?

[ankietyjoe]

Since Christmas I have been blighted with ill health (pneumonia that lasted 10 weeks or so followed by a GP led hospital stay due to prolonged tachycardia) and massive legal and financial stress (court battle over the sale of my flat due to an error in the lease).

During that time I have become more and more inactive. Although I have nothing medically wrong with me, I am suspecting that my central nervous system is shot right now. I've found myself spending more and more time either in bed or on the sofa. Anxiety and panic is mostly under control, but depression is coming in massive waves. Whilst I can control anxiety during the day, I am currently experiencing dream insomnia every night where I'm woken 4-5 times. They don't have to be disturbing dreams to wake me, but if they are it's usually accompanied by 10 minutes of 140bpm pounding heart.

Physical symptoms are becoming gradually worse, but I suspect this is due to me simply not moving. At best I am now active 30-60 minutes per day, and this is no more strenuous than walking to or from my car, washing myself or making some food. That's pretty much it.

The few times I have tried to exercise, my body seems to react in an unpleasant way causing me to shake (as though I've run a marathon), become dizzy or simply feel anxiety.

I'm slowly coming to the conclusion that this is a self perpetuating circle of misery, and that the less I do, the harder it will be to get over 'the hump' back to some sort of normality.

The less I do, the more I feel these things :-

Muscle weakness.
Trembling when I move or activate a muscle.
Low mood.
Insomnia.
Complete apathy.
Very, very stiff and sore back.
Cracking joints.
Dizziness.
Very tearful.
Pain, literally everywhere.
Restless leg syndrome during waking hours.
Overall aura of a charged nervous system bordering on anxiety.

I'm wondering if anybody else has got themselves into a situation where they just don't move about any more and experienced similar sensations?

Finding the mental strength to push myself into exercise is mentally taxing, but I'm convinced it's the key to most of the issues I'm having right now.

[Amandala]

I think I'm in the same boat. I hid from my anxiety for too long, staying in bed, went on work leave, and just did nothing. This started in January. As I am trying to climb out of this hole, everything requires much effort. I have a lot of the symptoms you describe. I go for a walk and get winded, I just did the dishes and my heart is racing. I kind of want to blame myself for this, the last times I've been hit with major anxiety, we changed my meds and I carried on. This time I just let everything fall apart. I guess we just have to take it slow and realize we are out of shape and move a little more each day. I like you, get very depressed when I realize I'm just sitting there or in bed waiting for my magic pill to kick in. It starts with us, let's keep moving together

[Fishmanpa]

I can tell from first hand experience having basically been on my butt for over a year due to cancer, it comes down to pushing through it.

Since the weather broke, no matter what or how I feel (and many times I feel like poo!), my fiance' and I go for a walk after dinner. Even if it's around the block...

Here's another tip....I don't know about you but sex is great cardio, and if you have a willing partner.... Nudge,nudge, know what I mean? Say no more, say no more....

Positive thoughts

[ankietyjoe]

I think I'm in the same boat. I hid from my anxiety for too long, staying in bed, went on work leave, and just did nothing. This started in January. As I am trying to climb out of this hole, everything requires much effort. I have a lot of the symptoms you describe. I go for a walk and get winded, I just did the dishes and my heart is racing. I kind of want to blame myself for this, the last times I've been hit with major anxiety, we changed my meds and I carried on. This time I just let everything fall apart. I guess we just have to take it slow and realize we are out of shape and move a little more each day. I like you, get very depressed when I realize I'm just sitting there or in bed waiting for my magic pill to kick in. It starts with us, let's keep moving together

I know what you mean.

I just wish this overall sensation of charged nerves would leave me alone. I'm not having a panic attack, my heart rate is relatively low, yet I constantly feel waves of physical anxiety. It's a pain.

But for sure, we need to keep pushing

I can tell from first hand experience having basically been on my butt for over a year due to cancer, it comes down to pushing through it.

Since the weather broke, no matter what or how I feel (and many times I feel like poo!), my fiance' and I go for a walk after dinner. Even if it's around the block...

Here's another tip....I don't know about you but sex is great cardio, and if you have a willing partner.... Nudge,nudge, know what I mean? Say no more, say no more....

Positive thoughts

I have so much respect for how you handle both your illness and your recovery. I don't know that I would have coped the same way.

I have a sneaking suspicion that sex is mentally off the menu for me because I became obsessed with my heart rate for a little while after the GP's 'shit I need to send you to A&E' response that fateful day.

Something to fix for sure

[bernie1977]

I'm wondering if you may have some type of post viral fatigue. I can relate to what you say as I two bouts of pneumonia within a year, one viral and the other necrotizing. This left me both physically and mentally drained. The consultant I was under diagnosed me with post viral fatigue.

I would have a look online for basic start up exercise to do, there's lots of stuff like that on YouTube

[Rennie1989]

If you have been inactive then exercise will feel tougher than usual. A heart rate over 100bpm during exercise is normal so please do not let that deter you away. And exercising will create anxiety-like symptoms, sweating, shaking, tremours, short of breath, they are all normal. If you can induce them during exercise then you can control them afterwards.