My Exercise Trainer

I have been diagnosed with psoriatic arthritis, which has been very hard on my joints and muscles for years. I made a conscious decision to seek an exercise trainer who is qualified to train my body and acknowledge the psoriatic arthritis.

Recommendations from my rheumatologist

My rheumatologist recommended that I should see a physical therapist. He also recommended that I hire an exercise trainer. I thought he was crazy. I could barely move on some days, but I decided to search for a trainer.

My heart tells me that I will find someone suitable and understands my situation. I need to avoid exercises that would affect my already pained body. I’m not looking to lift a ridiculously amount of weights. I do want to keep healthy and protect my joints. Where do I look? I began my search by going to my local gym. I simply asked if they had trainers who understand what's needed for someone with psoriatic arthritis. I was given a name and I called and set up my initial appointment.

Starting with a personal trainer

When I started my first class I did not know what to expect. The personal trainer was very friendly and was excited to work with me. We sat down for an hour or so, and she discussed my goals, plans, pain areas, concerns, medications, and available times. I told her my goals and my pain spots. She set up a light weekly exercise plan. I felt very good in achieving this because it's been on my to do list for a long time.

Benefits to hiring a personal trainer

She wanted to focus on stiffness and where I sometimes have muscle spasms. Since doing the light exercise plan, there has been a noticeable decrease in my swelling, bloating, and weight (I lost a couple of pounds...even though they seem to keep finding their way back!). I will not lie, there are days when I don't feel like doing this, but I push and push. I know that there is a reward for my hard work.

There are days I refuse to get out of bed. One day I got up and I felt totally exhausted, overworked, and burnt out. My class was at 9am and I did not want to go. The thing is, I couldn’t even go if I wanted to. I looked down at my feet and saw swelling, my legs felt heavy, my back was hurting and I knew this was just the results of my new training. I rested that entire day and started back the next week. Yes, you will have those bad days.

My key takeaways

We need to keep moving when we can. Sometimes we put things off for a long time, but when we decide to do it, we are glad we did. For me this is how I felt. I feel like I have more energy than ever before. I've met nice people and my muscles appreciate the massage and towel treatment. I don't regret making this excellent decision. It has been a radical change. When I look at the painful days I've had with this disease I’m just glad this will make a change in my life. We must make big decisions to keep it moving.

We have always heard exercise is good for us. I am grateful for my personal trainer who is knowledgeable, compassionate and loves what she does. She took the time out to make sure all things where in place. Therefore, I can say that choosing the right exercise trainer means everything. Take time to ask questions and really find out can they be what you’re seeking.