Staying Active with PH

With summer just around the corner I am so badly itching to be outside again. Summer also brings an itch to be more active. Once the frost thaws and the sun is scorching the black top I know I will want to be riding my bike, taking my dog for longer walks, chilling in an inner tube on the lake, walking around town with friends, and hiking through new parks. PH has severely restricted my activity level over the years though.

I have this passion for the outdoors that helped define who I was. I grew up outside playing in the mud, swimming every day in summer, snowboarding and ice skating in winter and hiking through the beautiful colors in fall. Before I was diagnosed I remember things getting harder. I couldn’t ride my bike as fast as my sister anymore. I was no longer the ghosts in the graveyard champion of the neighborhood. After I was diagnosed, things got really bad. I could hardly toss a ball around with my sister without getting severe palpitations. I was also adjusting to the responsibilities and difficulties associated with having an IV medication. I didn’t want to go outside anymore; all I wanted to do was sleep and lay in bed.

But then something happened; my medications began to help. I was able to start walking around with my friends again. I could ride my bike, just at a slower pace. As I did more and pushed myself to get out of my depressed lump on the couch, my whole attitude changed.

I think trying to stay active is a big part of feeling good. Over the 10 years of having PH there have been a lot of ups and downs with how much activity I can handle. Now some days I am so tired and short of breath that getting out of bed is even hard. I tell myself that I’m going to do something like write in my journal or catch up on some of my favorite T.V. shows on these days. You can totally allow yourself the bad days. On the days you feel better though; sometimes you need a little push to get going.

The most important thing is to know your limits. This is best discovered through experience. It is extremely important to listen to your body because how you are feeling is the real judge to how much activity you can handle. There are days, however, where I hardly have symptoms from PH but I am feeling down on myself or maybe experiencing some nasty side effects from all the meds. I find that if I push myself on these days to get out of bed and make myself a big home cooked breakfast I will be feeling better and more motivated to get out of the house and be more active.

Everyone with PH knows that those precious days where we aren’t very symptomatic should not go to waste! So what else can you do to be active? Perhaps try some light exercise. Maybe take a yoga class. This could also be extremely beneficial to relieve stress. I took a tai chi class for 2 years and I must say it was incredibly stress relieving and it really helped me center my breathing and become even more aware of my body.

You could try doing something a little less physical like baking or cooking. There is always the option of trying some gardening or maybe taking your dog for a slow short walk. You could walk around at the beach only going waist deep into the water instead of swimming, or perhaps play in the sand with your kids or nieces and nephews. Even just getting out of your house and having dinner with your friends would be much better than staying at home depressed. Do what you can, and have fun doing it!

There is also the option of Pulmonary Rehab. This is for people who are still symptomatic even with treatment. This program aims to make you feel less symptomatic for a better quality of life and can help you tone your muscles and strengthen your breathing. If this is something you think you could benefit from definitely consider asking your PH specialist about it.

I think staying active with PH can really boost your spirits and help you feel better. Just take it slow, know your body, and don’t feel bad if you can’t do what you used to. It’s important to accept where you are now and be happy with that, even if it means just relaxing for a day. Does anyone else have ideas for staying active with PH? I hope you all have a fun, active and healthy summer!