A website for people with HIV at The Courtyard Clinic
St. George's Healthcare Trust, Blackshaw Road, Tooting, London, SW17 0QT. Tel: 020 8725 3353
CENTRAL YMCA CLUB
On 16 March 2011, Sam and Thien from Central YMCA Club attended one of our Patients Forums. They introduced us to some of the light exercises that are taught on one of their programme's to promote better health and staying fit. Sam, Thien and Victoria run a 12 week programme, from the Tottenham Court Road YMCA gym. With prices ranging from as little as £20 per month (off peak), an affordable and encouraging exercise class is now available to those who attend the Courtyard Clinic for HIV treatment.
Physical Fitness and Exercise
Let's start with a question - have you or do you experience any of the following:
- Lack of appetite due to anxiety or as a side effect of medication
- Regular upper respiratory tract infections
- Fatigue whilst performing daily activities, perhaps caused by medication, stress or de-conditioning due to illness
- Not able to get a satisfying sleep
- Muscular wasting and a decrease in strength
- Increase in fat due to lipodystrophy
- Stress or anxiety
- Negative feelings about yourself or your body
lf you have answered yes to any of the above, please consider the fact that exercise has been shown to benefit individuals in ALL of these areas!
Benefits of Exercise
- Can strengthen the heart
- Can increase lung capacity
- Helps to lower the level of total cholesterol and (LDL) the bad cholesterol
- Can help raise the level of good cholesterol (HDL)
- Can help lower blood pressure (looking after the heart has to be an important long-term goal)
- Can help alleviate side effects such as peripheral neuropathy and lipodystrophy
- Can improve physical and mental well-being
- Can help maintain or build muscle mass (By increasing the size of your muscles, you may be able to slow the progression of your HIV)
- Can increase energy levels
- Helps control blood sugars
- Strengthens bones (less risk of osteoporosis)
- Can help to lower stress and anxiety
- Strengthens immune system (the stronger the immune system the easier it is to fight infection)
- Improve appetite
Starting an exercise programme
- Please seek medical advice before embarking on an exercise programme
- In order to attend an exercise referral programme you will need a referral form from your Doctor/Consultant
- Please provide them with details of your current health status, listing any conditions that you may have or have had (for example side effects from any medications or any previous injuries) as this can affect the type of exercise you can do
- Set aside some time to exercise. According to the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM), a minimum of 30 minutes a day, 5 times a week is necessary to receive the health benefits of moderate exercise. This is not as much as it sounds, given that this can include doing housework, gardening, walking the dog, etc. It also does not have to be taken in one 30-minute session you can break it up into 10-minute chunks if that is more manageable for you
- Try transforming your daily routine to incorporate exercise - lf you take the bus or train try and get off at one or two stops earlier and walk
- Think about your personal aims and goals in relation to exercising. What do you want to accomplish?
Types of Training
Cardiovascular Training
lf you find yourself breathless at relatively low levels of activity, a cardiovascular workout would be beneficial to your heart and lungs. This type of training uses oxygen to burn fat in your body. It also raises the heart rate and helps to strengthen your heart. A cardiovascular exercise is an activity that is rhythmic and continuous over a prolonged period of time (ideally around 20 minutes), such as a brisk walk, cycle, jog, swim etc. For improvements in cardiovascular fitness, a minimum of three 2O-minute sessions each week is recommended
(ACSM). However, if you are new to cardiovascular training start off slowly. Slow may mean exercising one or more times per week maybe only for 5 to 10 minutes.
Resistance Training
This type of training is important for people with HIV because it can help offset the loss of muscle. This form of exercise involves exertion of force by moving (pushing or pulling) objects of weight. Resistance training encourages the body to adapt by imposing an increased demand on your muscles. Your body's response to this new demand is an increase in strength and muscle size. This can be achieved by simply contracting a targeted
muscle for five seconds or by using weights, bodyweight or everyday items such as paint or soup cans to contract the muscle fully. In order to achieve continued gains you will need to increase the resistance or weight you use over time, since your body will become accustomed to the initial starting weight and needs to be constantly challenged. Remember though, if you are working on a specific muscle or a set of muscles one day, you should not
work those same muscles the next day. Always take a day of rest between resistance training sessions so that the body has time to rest. In order to improve overall fitness levels we recommend doing a mixture of both cardiovascular and resistance training. However, please remember that if you are unwell, you should not do any strenuous exercise.
Flexibility Training
This is a major component of physical fitness that is often overlooked. Overworked and tight muscles are uncomfortable and can eventually cause postural problems, which is why you should stretch thoroughly after every exercise session. This will help maintain your muscles in healthy balance. Stretching before you do a workout is also important, since it prepares your muscles for the work they are about to do, and you should do this after having gently warmed the body (with a brisk walk, for example).
Cautions
After an exercise session, you should feel a little tired. A little while later, however, you should have some energy.
Water
Always ensure that you drink it before, during, and after you exercise. When you feel thirsty you have already lost important fluids and electrolytes and may be dehydrated.
Eat well
Exercising tears down muscle in order to build it up stronger. You need nutrition to provide the raw materials to rebuild your muscles.
Sleep
Try to get a good nights' sleep so that your body has time to rest and rebuild. Always make sure that you listen to your body - It will tell you to slow down or speed up. lf you are sick or have a cold, take a break. Your body will thank you.
Let us make one thing clear - exercise does not have to be a painful experience or an annoying chore; in fact a good workout should be exhilarating and enjoyable. It is about choosing something you enjoy and maintaining an exercise programme as part of your daily lifestyle.
Samantha Fraser, Victoria Brown and Thien Tran
0207 343 1720 and 0207 343 1721
Positive Health Team - Central YMCA