Living Well
Physical Wellness Program
Welcome to the Victory Over Vasculitis (VOV) Physical Wellness Program. Our aim is to provide a comprehensive path toward living a healthier lifestyle, help you take back your health, and not let vasculitis rob you of your independence and freedom. It is important to recognize that you have a new normal as someone living with vasculitis. The disease and medications have taken a major toll on your body. Deciding to take this journey is step one in a lifelong process to better manage your vasculitis.
Benefits of Physical Activity
What if there was a pill that could increase your mood, reduce inflammation, decrease all causes of mortality, and improve your quality of life? You would all take it, right? There are things you can do without taking a pill that can help you manage your symptoms of vasculitis. As a vasculitis patient, there is a lot that is out of your control, but physical activity can help you control a few things and improve your quality of life.
Why be active?
Reduce Inflammation: As little as a single bout of 20 minutes of light physical activity can reduce inflammation markers by 5%.
Manage Stress: Living with a rare disease can cause anxiety and depression. While medications can be helpful, multiple studies have shown physical activity to be equally as effective at reducing markers of anxiety, stress, and panic disorders.
Maintain Strength & Bone Density: Sedentary lifestyles and corticosteroids reduce bone density, decrease strength and muscle mass. Physical activity, particularly weight bearing, increase muscle mass and bone density. The greater the load, the higher the benefit.
Increase Sleep Quality: When you exercise you stimulate your body’s recuperative process during sleep. This helps your body get into the deeper, more restful, and regenerative stages of sleep.
Benefits of Physical Activity
- Improved Thinking
- Reduced Anxiety
- Better Sleep
- Lower Blood Pressure
- Improved Cholesterol Levels
- Reduced Risk of Falls
- More Effective Immune Response
light physical activity Examples
- Walking Slowly
- Cooking
- Croquet
- Dancing
- Gardening
- Washing Dishes
Our Bodies are Designed for Movement
When we choose movement that is both appropriate to our fitness level and respects where we are in our vasculitis journey, our bodies thank us.
Getting Started
As you prepare to begin a workout program it is crucial to adhere to the following workout tips:
Make sure you are cleared to exercise:
Before beginning any exercise program, it is important that your physicians have cleared you to exercise. Talk to them and let their guidance drive your personal fitness goals. They can help you determine your baseline and lay out guidelines for you to follow on your fitness journey.
Determine your goal:
It is important to know what you want to accomplish with the VOV Exercise Program. Is your goal related to overall health, weight loss, increasing mobility, endurance, or muscular strength? The best goals are Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, and Timely (SMART).
Our level 1 strength and flexibility exercises can be done while seated.
Using your own bodyweight is enough to help you gain muscle mass and strength.
These exercises are designed to be done anywhere. No gym required.
Recent research shows that adding just 10 minutes of exercise a day can have significant health benefits.
PMR Exercise Guide
Our friends at PMR/GCA UK have developed a guide for maintaining movement, activity and exercise when you have polymyalgia rheumatica (PMR), but the exercises and tips in this guide are great for people with any type of vasculitis.
Resource Suggestions
We created these videos, exercise guides, and more for you. We want to know what you would find useful.Tell us what other information and resources you would find helpful as you focus on physical wellness & movement while living with vasculitis.
Your Victory
Living with vasculitis is a journey, and your strength and energy will wax and wane, but every day holds victories. Tell us about your victories-from holding that new grandbaby to running a 5K-we want to celebrate the moments that bring you joy.
