Bone and muscle excercise

Carla, what a terrible shock! I'm sorry you got this news of mets and I'm sorry you are in pain. I have been living with mbc for 6 1/2 years. No bone mets but my body has dealt with various drugs and complications over the years. I have found slow/beginner Iyengar yoga quite helpful. My teachers have always adapted their instructions as needed, and I feel stronger, calmer, and more energetic when I leave class. You can start right where you are. One of my classmates does yoga from her wheelchair. These days many online classes are available. Run it by your doctor to find out what is safe for you right now. Does your cancer center offer physical therapy?

As far as nutrition, I've been told that extra protein is important when your body is repairing damage.

Please join us on other threads, too, if you like. There is one for liver mets, one for bone mets, and there are threads for particular treatments, etc.

My sacrum fractured due to a met and I was on crutches and then a cane for about 6 months. A month prior I had still been in the pool swimming and travelling all over the city to various appointments. I was flat on my back for a good month at least but I remembered my father's recovery from a three-level spinal fusion and the key was to be up and be moving (within reason). I started just flexing my ankles while I was laying there. Then it was moving a bit more from room to room. Then when I finally could get down the stairs and out the door, five minutes in the yard, Then five to ten around the block, etc etc etc. I remember the first time I tried to walk unaided and I looked like a toddler.

For me the key was to keep track of how far I had gone each day, in order to see the progress. A little every day didn't seem like much, but over a month it was like wow! lookat me! Id even put on workout encouragement songs like the athlete I used to be.

Now I walk about an hour a day, sometimes do the spin bike, and I've recently found online beginner barre workouts (for seniors! cause its gentle ) to be really helpful with isometric exercises (small muscle movements) to continue to restrengthen everything and help my posture. I can't lift too much due to the location of mets in spine so these movements help a lot. I do a few core pieces as well, and then some stretching movements to keep limber. I miss the pool - they only just reopened here and no way will I get a slot before June.

Slow and steady wins the race here but you are absolutely right to be concerned about getting that strength back. Oh! I did have about 3 sessions with a physio right before lockdown (the first one), just as I was starting to transition off crutches to cane. I wanted to make sure I was walking ok, and to get some tips on exercises/form. A few sessions could really help you in a similar way.

Carla,

I was also very weak after the cancer had spread but thankfully I've regained a lot of strength. I used walking poles to help me take daily walks outside-I still use them on longer hikes. I found that I had a lot more stability in a pool so I did exercise in the water which gave me more confidence-it kind of reminded my body of what it could do. I just made a yoga video for those of us with MBC-you might want to check it out-this is another way to build strength.

Good luck!