One of the things that depresses me most about living with MAV is that I can no longer work out like I used to. Before I was hit with this mess I was running several times a week for several miles at a clip. For the last few days I have been forcing myself to work out, even if my head hurts, even if I am dizzy. I have found that I can tolerate the Elliptical. Your head remains relatively still, unlike running on a treadmill. I have been able to build up to about 20 minutes of exercise. And I have found that while I am working out, with my heart rate elevated, I actually feel pretty good. I don’t notice my headache or dizziness. It must be the endorphin release. The high lasts for about a half hour. Then afterwards the symptoms return, sometimes worse than they were. But I am going to force myself to keep it up, maybe some good will come of it. Just wanted to share…
See, I have problems with the elliptical, it’s still too bouncy for me, but I’m glad it works for you! I can’t stand the treadmill, I feel just horrible when I get off of it. I personally prefer the bike; sometimes I’ll swim around a bit (our gym has a warm water pool that feels really good for my sore muscles). I want to try out the rower some more too (even though there’s a lot of movement with it, it’s not bouncy). Strength training doesn’t seem to bother me, as long as I don’t lay down on my back. I really need to start going nearly every morning, I think it would help the MAV in the long run (it’s just so hard to get out of my warm cozy bed!).
I find that strength-type exercises help and, even if I’m feeling dizzy or suchlike, going more slowly gets me past it, so far. Swimming when I start to feel wasted is a harder call.