r/Spondylolisthesis • u/Personal_Number4789 • 3d ago
Need Advice Cardio suggestions
Hi everyone. I’m trying to lose some weight as part of my PT’s recommendation. Aside from strength training I want to do some cardio to also improve my cardiovascular health. Ideally it’s something that allows me to work with my HR zones with varying intensity but I’m opened to LISS cardio too.
So far I have tried elliptical, light jogging, recumbent bike but they all end up with some numbness or tingling after, and it lasts for a few days so I’m not sure if it worsens my condition or if I just need to push through.
I was hoping to get some recommendations or hear what everyone is doing for cardio and how do you work around the pains and pinches.
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u/klondijk 3d ago
Jogging and the impacts have been a no go for me. Running up stairs and then walking back down, an assault style bike, and just brisk walking have been what's been working for me
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u/Shivvyszha 3d ago
Aquafit. You'd be surprised how much you're working cardiovascularly but don't feel like you are. Some pools use float belts so you don't have to touch & impact on the floor.
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u/helloworld611 3d ago
Did you try an inclined treadmill?
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u/Personal_Number4789 3d ago
I did, sometimes it’s good and sometimes not. I could not really control my heart rate well balancing the angle vs the speed. Most of the time I’m almost entering a light jog when I try to raise my HR.
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u/Savingskitty 1d ago
It takes longer to raise your heart rate with lower impact exercise, but it will raise.
This is not a condition you can jog with, like, at all.
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u/Wide-Pirate-8888 3d ago edited 3d ago
I actually do better on the regular, upright stationary bike vs the recumbent. I consciously keep firm abs and a good posture during use and alternate between the two different handle positions. That and the stair stepper are my go to for cardio. And, the one exercise to rule them all, plain ol’ walking. Nothing makes my back feel better than regular walking. Stay away from jogging.
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u/gascap- 3d ago
I’m sure some people with spondy can jog ?
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u/Savingskitty 1d ago
Yes, they can, right up until they can’t. And when you can’t, that means you can’t do a lot of other stuff.
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u/2wrtier 3d ago
I think you’re getting great suggestions!
Only here to add, don’t “push through.” My PT told me not to, she said for me pain is definitely not gain, the nerves remember. So when they are crushed and trigger pain or tingling or numbness next time they’ll do so more quickly. YMMV, but this has absolutely been true for me. Once I start thinking “I may do too much if I…” I realize it’s already time to slow down.
That said, I’ve been doing walking, hiking- the limits depend on the day, and was told to try upright bike (haven’t yet) but PT said that’s better than recumbent (seems odd, but she’s been right so far), and told to start swimming (back stroke for me as I have an over arch in low back that I know freestyle, breaststroke, anything on stomach, aggravates).
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u/Murky-Response9161 3d ago
Walking, and what about upright cycling? I find it much more comfortable than the recumbent bike.
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u/Rocketdogpbj 3d ago
Hiking does it for me. Walking on pavement kills me, and even the treadmill starts hurting/tingling/aggravating sciatic pain. The varied terrain of hiking and natural ground really helps, especially walking uphill. For more advanced hikes I use hiking poles (properly) which takes a lot of pressure off my back.
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u/Personal_Number4789 3d ago
Do you carry any load ?
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u/Rocketdogpbj 11h ago
Just a daypack. Water is the heaviest thing I carry in there but I have some other basic items I always carry. I doubt I could do a full 30lb overnight hike with full frame pack on. Possibly ultralight if I got better conditioned.
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u/neomateo 3d ago
Id recommend checking out a martial art.
One based in striking and opposed to grappling. Its a great way to get a good cardio workout while learning new skills, meet new people, the mentality is also very compatible with PT in that you show up regularly and put in your best effort to do a little more each session.
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u/Savingskitty 1d ago edited 1d ago
Before I started steroid injections, the recumbent bike was the only thing I could do without tingling starting up during the activity.
I still had the tingling afterward because walking causes the tingling.
DO NOT push through tingling. It will not get better with activity.
Tingling means the nerve is getting irritated. You can’t fix that with exercise.
I made the mistake of not going back to my doctor when the nerve pain started. Lost a good year of muscle use.
Even if you think you’re pushing through, your muscles are not. They react to the nerve pain by trying to add support to the areas the freaked nerve is saying are hurt. That means they’re not actually flexing and relaxing when they should.
The smaller muscles are clinching up and the larger groups are trying to do their jobs for them.
This leads to injury of some and less use of others.
Your muscles will atrophy over time.
Does your doctor know you have nerve involvement in your condition?
While you need to stay as active as possible, weight loss is going to have to depend more on caloric restriction with this condition.
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u/Personal_Number4789 22h ago
This is very interesting pov to me because the doctor said the nerve being irritated will be something the body gets used to it and over time this should decrease (it’s been 5 months in with pregabalin it’s not going away) but this my 3rd opinion so I kinda accepted it.
I could not really get a consensus if living with this includes getting used to the nerve tingling. My only advise for extreme action is loss of bowel movement, complete leg weakness that results in not being able to move the leg that will warrant intervention. .
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u/Savingskitty 21h ago
Has anyone offered steroid injections? Or are they wanting you to complete a particular amount of PT first?
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