INSTANT appointment
Fight the fatigue
QI struggle with chronic fatigue, so exercising is really tiring for me. What are some easy ways I can still keep active?
AChronic fatigue guidelines suggest to only do what you can within your capacity.
Pacing is agood strategy to employ. Listen to your body to identify good times and days to move and exercise. However, there are afew things you can do to make sure you’re feeling energised and ready to exercise.
Maintaining good sleep hygiene and a healthy diet are equally important when exercising with chronic fatigue.
Gentle breathing, swimming, walking or even gentle strength training sessions such as using asimple elastic band for shoulder and chest exercises in a chair, is agood place to start, too.
Set realistic goals and gradually increase the sets and reps as you progress.
It is important to maintain your fatigue levels during exercise, so that you can remember to pace yourself and take breaks between exercises, too.
Fracture fears
QRecently, I’ve had a DEXA test and discovered that I have low bone density. I’m scared of exercising too hard in case I fracture any bones. What exercises would you recommend for improving my bone strength?
AA DEXA scan is to test your bone density. There are two types of low bone density that it tests for, too –osteopenia and osteoporosis.
Iwould recommend adding vitamin Dand calcium supplements into your diet, in addition to weight bearing exercises, to improve your condition.
In some patients, bone protection medicines prescribed by aGP for osteoporosis is required.
The Royal Osteoporosis Society encourages people with low bone density to exercise. Safe exercise in a
safe environment is agreat way to improve muscle strength as well as overall bone density.
For example, try doing calf raises – going up on your tip toes when brushing your teeth –or taking the stairs instead of the lift for easy and safe exercise.
For more ways to safely exercise, check out the CSP Stronger My Way website.
Frozen in place
QMy three-year-old daughter has really stiff legs. She struggles to bend them sometimes, but this has only started recently. What could this be?
AThree-year-olds are growing and learning to use their limbs –their motor control is developing at this age, alongside growing pains, too.
If there are no other health issues such as fever, fatigue, sleeping or an eating problem that you are concerned about, Iwould encourage the child to move once the growing pains have
