Exercises for Muscular Dystrophy

Exercises for Muscular Dystrophy copy

Muscular Dystrophy refers to a group of diseases that can cause the muscles to weaken and waste away.  There are many different types of muscular Dystrophy, but all of them eventually lead to the inability to walk. 

To prevent or slow down the progression of these disorders and help improve your quality of life, it is essential to exercise regularly. Exercises for Muscular Dystrophy are not just about getting more robust but also improving balance and flexibility and relieving stress. Read on to learn more about this topic.

Disability/Condition: Muscular Dystrophy

According to NCHPAD, Muscular Dystrophy (MD) is a classification for a group of over 40 individual neuromuscular diseases. It is estimated that about 200,000 Americans have been diagnosed with MD, a condition characterized by continuing degeneration and atrophy of the muscle cells and fibers. All forms of Muscular Dystrophy include muscle weakness as the primary symptom. Muscular Dystrophy is genetic and is caused by alterations in genes. Prevalence rates of Muscular Dystrophy are imprecise and depend on the diagnostic criteria applied.          

Guidelines on Training Clients with FSH Muscular Dystrophy

Many MD patients cannot partake in physical exercise, but for others, engaging in an exercise routine can help improve muscle tone and increase overall fitness and health. However, you should always consult your doctor before beginning any new exercise regimen and be sure to take caution, slowly easing yourself into a routine to ensure you don’t injure yourself or damage any muscles. 

Here are three different types of exercise that patients with slowly progressing muscular Dystrophy might consider taking up based on livestrong.com’s suggestions:

Aerobic Exercise

Aerobic exercise is any exercise that increases the heart rate. For those with muscular Dystrophy, you should be able to exercise while holding a conversation. You’re doing too much if you can’t talk because you’re too out of breath. The type of aerobic exercise will depend on your condition, but low-impact exercises such as fast walking, dancing, swimming, and cycling are all options. 

Ideally, you should exercise 20 minutes a day between four and six times per week, but you might want to start by doing five or 10 minutes a day and slowly build your fitness levels up. Ensure you warm up gently before exercising and stretch your muscles well to decrease the chance of injury.

Strength Exercises

Strength exercises directly target the muscles using hand-held weights, machines, or your body weight. A person with MD should follow a low-weight, high-repetition workout rather than trying to lift heavy weights because their muscles are already weak. Keep the consequences between five and 10 pounds to start, and gradually increase the weights when you feel comfortable. Strength exercises can be done independently or alongside other types of exercise. 

Stretching

Exercises incorporating stretchings, such as yoga, Pilates, and Tai Chi, are great for improving muscle tone and helping with joint stiffness. If you don’t want to join a class, there are many online stretching tutorials that can help your condition. You can pick the ones you feel most comfortable with and then try to hold each stretch for between 10 and 30 seconds. It is essential to warm up before beginning any stretching routine.

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