Exercise as Metrics

Alex,

Exercising with CIDP can be a real drag, but I think it is very important. I’m starting my fourth year with CIDP. For me, deterioration and progress have been incredibly slow. I just started to see my first real improvement in the last few months. Regular exercise is what has kept my body from completely wasting away. More importantly, regular exercise has served as a set of metrics that helped me measure how I was doing. I have a very specific exercise routine that I have followed since the disease came into my life. By tracking how I was doing on the exercise bike or how many leg lifts I could do (you get the idea) I have been able to report back to my neuro at each visit what my progress (or lack there-of) was. I found it more accurate than using descriptions like “I feel like I’m a little more numb this time”.

Keep in mind what others have said. Listen to your body and don’t overdo it. But do whatever you can to keep some semblance of muscle tone and aerobic capacity. Eventually we all hope our symptoms recede. When they do we want to have as much physical capability as possible.

best,

tim