To
view an extensive
list of HIV and
exercise related
issues, please check out this information from The Body: Exercising
with HIV/AIDS
Disclaimer: The information
provided by this service is
intended to serve as recommendations
for people who desire to learn
more about health, fitness,
and taking care of their bodies.
Before beginning any exercise
program, always consult your
doctor to make sure you are
able to begin exercising. Certain
disabilities or conditions may
contraindicate some activities,
so be sure to clear yourself
with your doctor.
Hi,
My name is Jennifer, I live
in Staten Island New York. I
looked through your website
and was very touched. I watched
you speaking and my eyes welled
up from your passion.
As
a young kid, I began to view exercise
merely as a means to lose weight.
As a young adult I educated myself
about how exercise helps in many
more ways than just a means of weight
control. I mostly enjoyed weightlifting
and its endless benefits. In 1983,
I contracted HIV. In November of
1984,I got my "official" diagnosis.
If you recall, this was a time long
before HIV cocktails. My hope for
survival turned immediately inward
to mind, body and spirit. As one
of my close friends once told me,
"a virus needs a good host to survive."
I used my knowledge of exercise
and nutrition as swiftly as I could
to build a stronger body to “host
my virus, so that if I ever got
sick or "deathly ill," I would have
plenty of ‘reserve’ to fall back
on. After years of hard work and
determination, I now have roughly
30 pounds of lean body mass and
some fat weight in ‘reserve;’ for
just such times. Lean body mass
is extremely important in my survival
with HIV/AIDS. Not only will it
help me in times of sickness, but
also it adds quality to my day that,
I would not have otherwise. I was
once told by one of my professors
that “Exercise will not guarantee
a longer life, but will guarantee
a higher quality of life.” For me,
it has provided just that. It
has also truly extended my life
in many ways. My doctor pointed
out to me that, “Had it not been
for my relentless commitment to
exercise, I would have died.” Exercise
has helped me survive 20 years with
HIV/AIDS, HIV-related cardiomyopathy,
thyroid disease, and many other
side effects from the medications.
I have gone from, being in a wheelchair
due to nerve pain so severe from
the medicines, to now doing aerobic
exercise and strength training on
a regular and consistent basis.
Exercise helps me to constantly
feel just one step ahead of this
disease. Many times the pain of
getting myself to exercise is tougher
to bear than the pain of the exercise
itself. Yet I still bring myself
do it, knowing that the benefit
is greater for me, more often than
not. Sometimes when I exercise,
I will feel extreme fatigue or feel
nauseous, but I let it pass (if
I’m able) and continue, keeping
in the back of my mind the much-needed
benefits of exercise and lean body
mass. Then, there are also times
I just can't get out of the house,
let alone exercise for weeks or
months on end. It is at those very
moments that my ‘reserve’ has helped
me most; to battle back and restore
my body back to a renewed sense
of well being. I encourage any and
all of you to exercise to the best
of your ability DAILY! It is the
quality of life we all seek that
is only possible through a healthy
body. AIDS has stripped and robbed
me of many of my options and pleasures
in life. Exercise is NOT one of
them, thank God!
To the best of my ability, I continue
to keep this 42-year-old body the
‘perfect host.’
This article
was published in APLA's Positive Living newsletter.
Revised: 2003
"Building and Maintaining Lean Body
Mass”
“Fit and Fighting HIV/AIDS!”
How does building and keeping lean
muscle help maintain my health:
Health
Benefits of Resistance Exercise:
Increases
muscle mass, size, and strength.
Increases tendon and ligament
tensile strength (ability to
withstand strains).
Increases bone strength and
bone mineral density.
Increases capacity to absorb
shock (ex. when running on hard
pavement).
Improves muscle balance (thereby
reducing the risk of overuse
injuries).
Delays some degenerative processes
of aging.
Improves body composition.
Improves blood lipids (e.g.
lowers "bad" and raises "good"
cholesterol).
Improves glucose metabolism
(thereby helping to prevent
and treat diabetes).
Increases metabolic rate.
Reduces resting blood pressure
(sign of good physical fitness).
Reduces gastrointestinal transit
time, thereby allowing firmer
stool (a benefit in cases
of persistent diarrhea).
Eases arthritis pain (by contributing
to the health of joints).
Help reverse symptoms of wasting
(10% weight loss accompanied
by chronic fever
and diarrhea).
Benefits
of Aerobic Exercise:
Increases capacity to perform
aerobic exercises (increases
stamina).
Increases mobilization and
utilization of fat (helps improve
the body's ability to burn fat).
Decreases excess body fat.
Decreases total cholesterol.
Increases HDL ("good") cholesterol.
Reduces insulin secretion
caused by blood glucose (helps
control/prevent diabetes).
Increases lactate threshold;
delays burning sensation during
strenuous exercise.
Reduces blood pressure.
Increases total amount of
blood in the body (which increases
stamina).
Increases resting and maximum
stroke volume (amount of blood
each beat)
Decreases resting heart rate
(a sign of good physical fitness).
Increases capillary density
(which helps improve delivery
of nutrients to muscles).
Increases blood flow to active
muscles (which increases strength
and endurance).
Increases lung diffusion
capacity (ability to absorb
oxygen).
Increases VO2 Max (amount
of air inhaled and exhaled in
deep breathing).
Decreases incidence of some
cancers.
Decreases anxiety, tension,
and depression.
Other
potential benefits of exercise:
Decreased fatigue and lethargy
Improved mental awareness
Increased immune response
Increased appetite
Improved flexibility
Improved emotional well being
(self esteem and confidence)
Gives ‘reserve’ for sickness
Increase in testosterone
levels
Improved sex drive
Improved appearance
Improved sleep habits
Increased functionality
Helps you maintain an independent
lifestyle
Improved balance and coordination
Can assist in efforts to
stop smoking
Importance of Body Cell Mass:
Body cell mass contains all metabolically
active tissues (living cells) of
the body, including muscle cells,
organ cells, and cells of the immune
system. Normal body cell mass is
41%-45% of total body weight in
men and 30%-33% of total body weight
in women. In HIV, body cell mass
may become dangerously depleted.
A decrease in body cell mass is
a sign of wasting syndrome and may
lead to death even when no infections
are present. Success in maintaining
body cell mass can prolong survival
in HIV. Here body composition analysis
reveals something important where
total body weight does not. If body
cell mass decreases while other
body components increase, then total
body weight may not change and wasting
syndrome may go undetected. For
example, if you measure your body
weight and notice no change, you
might think your health is stable;
but you could be losing body cell
mass while gaining water and fat,
a sign of worsening health. Your
body weight is therefore not sufficient
information; you also need to analyze
your body composition. Only with
body composition analysis can wasting
syndrome be detected in cases where
loss of body cell mass is hidden
by gains elsewhere in the body.
Lean Body Mass Complications Associated
% loss of total (Related to lost
lean mass) Mortality (%)
10
Impaired Immunity, 10 Increased
infection
20
Decreased healing, 30 weakness,
infection
30
Too weak to sit, pressure sores,
50 pneumonia, no healing
t
has also truly extended my life
in many ways. My doctor pointed
out to me that, “Had it not been
for my relentless commitment to
exercise, I would have died.” Exercise
has helped me survive 20 years with
HIV/AIDS, HIV-related cardiomyopathy,
thyroid disease, and many other
side effects from the medications.
I have gone from, being in a wheelchair
due to nerve pain so severe from
the medicines, to now doing aerobic
exercise and strength training on
a regular and consistent basis.
Exercise helps me to constantly
feel just one step ahead of this
disease. Many times the pain of
getting myself to exercise is tougher
to bear than the pain of the exercise
itself. Yet I still bring myself
do it, knowing that the benefit
is greater for me, more often than
not. Sometimes when I exercise,
I will feel extreme fatigue or feel
nauseous, but I let it pass (if
I’m able) and continue, keeping
in the back of my mind the much-needed
benefits of exercise and lean body
mass. Then, there are also times
I just can't get out of the house,
let alone exercise for weeks or
months on end. It is at those very
moments that my ‘reserve’ has helped
me most; to battle back and restore
my body back to a renewed sense
of well being. I encourage any and
all of you to exercise to the best
of your ability DAILY! It is the
quality of life we all seek that
is only possible through a healthy
body. AIDS has stripped and robbed
me of many of my options and pleasures
in life. Exercise is NOT one of
them, thank God!
