Weighted vest

[MaryL]

Anyone tried a weighted vest to slowly build, or at least not lose, muscle?

I’ve lost weight recently & concerned about losing muscle. I can’t do even 5 minutes of strengthening w/out triggering post-exertional malaise for days. My myofacial release PT wondered if wearing a weighted vest might help.

From what I’ve read, you wear weights during normal activity. As your muscles work harder, they requiring more oxygen, improving your VO max. I’m leery—it sounds like what most of us already experience everyday. But weight loss is hard & I hate to lose muscle I have.

 

[SarahTee]

May I ask, are you doing your strengthening exercises while supine or seated?

 

[SarahTee]

Cort has just written an article that may be of interest:

A German Anaerobic Exercise Program for ME/CFS and Long COVID + Oxygen Extraction - Is it the Key Problem for Many? - Health Rising

An anaerobic exercise program for long COVID and ME/CFS is compared to other exercise programs. Plus - could problems with oxygen extraction play a key role in these diseases?

www.healthrising.org

 

[emjo]

Hi Mary. First of all, congratulations on the weight loss. That's a great achievement and makes me think that you can achieve your goals.

I hear you about maintaining muscle. It is a goal of mine too. I do have a weighted vest and so far haven't used it much but am thinking of trying it again, as you say, around the house.

My quasi recovery process started about 2 years ago with developing a supplement regime to calm down the brain inflammation, support energy production and also increase elements such as amino acids (in which we are lacking and which are necessary for maintaining muscle), GABA, etc. trying to restore as good a balance in my metabolism as possible. Without that I would not be able to do the exercises I do. I used to crash big time - could take a week or a month to recover. I get tired now but very rarely crash and even then it is milder.

I am now able to do a general work out a few times a week to strengthen/tone muscles. I don't aim at many repeats because they tire me. I don't work any muscle group very hard. That means 3-6 repeats of any exercise. Some exercises, like squats I only do one or two.

I find that starting any exercise, even wearing a weighted vest, at a very low level, is what works best for me i.e. don't put many weights in your vest. Try it and see how you feel. Even wear it without weights to begin with. Be very gentle with yourself.

I can't emphasize enough that without the supplements I would not be able to exercise. I lived in days of FM pain, brain fog and exhaustion. Watering my plants was an effort of will. Not any more.