over doing it?

[rob1020]

Hi I am new here and not sure if I am posting this in the right place or not, but here is my story.
I am a 56 year old man that is retired because of multiple disabilities. I have had both hips replaced, a knee and an ankle rebuilt, bicep tendons torn in both arms, high blood pressure, multiple pulmonary embolisms a filter in my chest to catch blood clots I have had a stroke and four back operations. I need another back operation because I have a disk pinching the root nerves, but the surgeons are concerned about my health and are giving me little chance of living through this procedure to fuse almost my entire back. I have been sedentary for a long time. Two months ago I decided to start exercising to build up my stomach muscles and other muscles to help my back. I was at 225 lbs., I am now at 195. I have also lowered my cholesterol and my blood pressure. (My family doctor knows that I am exercising.)
What my problem is is that a week ago I bought a mountain bike and I have been riding it every day for about one to two hours and instead of getting better my legs are getting more and more tired and the rest of my body is starting to ache.
Am I over doing it and if so how long should I be resting before riding again. I do not want to spend the rest of my life in a lazy boy or have an operation that may kill me. I have lost weight and I feel a lot better other than the weak legs. Should I be resting for a day or to between biking?
Even though I have all of these medical issues I have fantastic upper body strength, that has helped me through a lot of my recovery from operations. I am afraid to lay around for to long, and I cannot do much walking because I am hunched over from previous fusions, but the bike does not seem to aggravate the back.
I am not looking for medical advise and I am aware of the dangers of over doing it.
I would appreciate any help with my situation
Thank you

[Athene]

Hi! First of all - I can't believe that you just decided to "start exercising" with that list of health issues, and that you don't use them as an excuse to remain sedentary. You are a badass

Secondly, I think doing core exercises and mountain biking are great ways to exercise that are functionally helpful and will make you stronger and fitter generally. In training you really need to listen to your body, so I would say if you are aching all over, take it easy. Ramp up activity slowly with the mountain bike. You can try a cold bath afterwards as well, to help with inflammation. What kind of weekly schedule are you training on right now?

[rob1020]

I have been on the bike twice a day for about 45 minutes to an hour. I get on an elipticle for about 5 minutes and a stationary bike for about the same. I do about 100 push ups and 50 sit ups a day. I have been doing this daily since I started. I am seeing the doctor less and less but like most people over the age of fifty I take seven medications daily, along with pain meds. Two years ago I was unable to get out of bed for an entire year (I have a great wife) and then I thought that I would never get out of the lazy boy,but I did. When you are retired it is very easy to get so sedentary that it is almost impossible to make yourself get up out of a chair or off of the couch to do something. I hurt a lot every minute of the day, but the pain from exercising is a good pain and one I thought I would never have again. I think you are right and I should listen to my body and give it a short break but I am afraid that I will lose what I have built up so far. I think that I need to maybe work on different muscle groups one day and bike the next, what do you think? It is hard to find a regiment for someone my age with disabilities. It seems like all of the ones I see are baby steps where there is no pain at all involved. I am from the old no pain no gain school and all of the physical therapy that I have gone through seems to be designed for people in there nineties, and if it bothers you do not do it.
Anyway thank you for your help and I will try listening to my body.

[Boss Man]

Firstly, massive respect to you . I've known people say they stopped training for a week or more, with a stiff elbow or a slight cough and no intended, but you are almost like some battered warship that's survived a hundred battles and somehow still sails and fires the occasional round. Battle scarred, but unsinkable .

You have every right to feel a massive amount of pride man, because to be who you have been and to be who you are now, is incredibly humbling, but it's definitely increased your own human value a heck of a lot and you're definitely going to be an inspiration in the future, to people who may care to notice.

If you're concerned about your approach to training try this sort of methodology.

Day 1. Weights.

Day 2. Cardio.

Day 3. Weights

Day 4. Day off.

Day 5. Cardio.

Day 6. Weights.

Day 7. Day off.

You'd be training every body part during each weights workout, but if you use mostly compound stuff like Bench press, Deadlifts, Squats etc, with a bit of direct stuff chucked in for Arms, shoulders and Abs, you'll be fine I think and this way you're not exerting yourself, for five straight days, then having two days of nothing, you're keeping the off days split and I feel, encouraging a more efficient rest and recovery mentality.

I feel a huge sense of pride for you. You've obviously come such a massive distance in such a short space of time and the quip about your wife, shows a man who can find or rediscover, some of the humerous side of life, when it would be understandable, if you displayed a slightly introverted and mistrusting view on the world, as opposed to finding some of the inner extrovert in yourself, you may have at one point thought was lost.

I really wish you well, because I could never envy what you've been through, I mean who could, but I admire it and respect it hugely .

You're a big man for having the courage to come on here and say what you did and that's another pride bursting moment for you as well and hopefully you can achieve what you set out to do and if there is anything we as a community can do to make things a little easier, don't hesitate to ask .

[rob1020]

Really appreciate the ideas and the pat on the back is always helpful. To tell you the truth, I may have given up a long time ago but my wife and I are raising two grandsons (10&12) and they help me fight to stay active.
Thanks again and I will let you know how the battle is going each week.