Handbasket.

[mrissa]

It doesn't take that many days of me having vertigo for things to go to hell in a handbasket. Some of the stuff that's piled up is stuff that I would have dealt with promptly under steadier circumstances -- the dog has gotten her favorite corner of the library couch dirty, for example, and by now I would have scrubbed the upholstery. Other stuff -- the car's brakes making ominous noises -- can in no way be linked to me being dizzy all week. And yet there they are, and they need handling, just as they would any other time. And there's only so much markgritter and timprov can do at a time.

And I have the fidgets like nobody's business. My preferred forms of exercise are biking (we have a stationary recumbent bike, so I can do this when it's snowing outside) and yoga and Pilates and walking the dog. None of which is precisely a bright idea when one is dizzy -- sure, you can sort out one or two bits of yoga that don't involve bending some dangerous direction, but for the most part, all the kinds of exercise I like to do are not so good in terms of risk of falling on one's head. Swimming would be an exception, except that we'd have to get me somewhere to go swimming, have me negotiate a locker room without falling on my head, and hope that I didn't lose consciousness in the water, so while it's roughly horizontal, I think we'll still call that a no. I managed the bike for 20 minutes this morning before I had to go lie on the couch and wait for the room to stop spinning again. Suggestions for dizzy-people exercise are quite, quite welcome -- I'm hoping this will go away today or tomorrow, but I was hoping that Tuesday, and, as I said, fidgets.

On e-mail last night, I said that I wanted to put up a sign reading, "Do not taunt Happy Fun Mris. No, really. Do not. Seriously bad idea." Nobody has been taunting Happy Fun Mris, but I would prefer that they not start, as I am not so much in the mood to take it well. People are constantly telling me that I'm a nicer person than they are, or a more patient one. I hope they're not counting on that to be a universal truth, frankly. Because I am done being patient right about now.

Comments

[jebbypal]

If you get a theraband (or those things they sell w/ pilates kits at some of the bookstores), you could lay on your bed and use the theraband to do pully exercises with your arms and legs.

[pameladean]

I had a lot of dizziness when I was getting used to my medications, and found that minor strength training, mostly arm exercises with weights, or leg ones while, as has been suggeested above, lying securely on one's back, were still possible, as well as most stretches except those that involve moving the torso and head a lot.

P.

[stillnotbored.livejournal.com]

I hope the medicine kicks in really soon so that you feel better.

Exercise: Maybe some of the yoga positions that are done on your back and stomach?

[orbitalmechanic.livejournal.com]

This would not help me because I hate abs work, but you can do a whole lineup of abs/backbend/spinal twist yoga on back and stomach. Actually there are a handful of standing poses you can also do on your back, some of them long moving sequences. You probably know that but I mention it because I like a flow to my yoga, and this might fit in this category and feel like motion, rather than one or two bits cobbled together.

[cammykitty.livejournal.com]

Get well! I know what you mean. When I'm sick, the plants start dying, Dillon's fur gets all matted, the cat whines more than usual... Sounds like that's where you are. Pretty miserable.

[mkille.livejournal.com]

There are many "pretend you are" exercises that can be done lying on a bed: lie on your back and pedal your legs in the air, lie on your stomach and do a modified crawl stroke with your arms, etc...conveniently, these exercises also are good for when one is fidgety but must stay in bed while accompanying a small child to sleep.

I hope you feel better soon.

[dichroic.livejournal.com]

Unfortunately my best suggestion would be a rowing machine (at least no worse than a bike, and lower to the ground) but this is only practical in your current situation if you have one in your house. (Unless you know someone to borrow one from.)

My only other suggestions are the less jumpy sorts of calisthenics, such as the Iron Chair (back against a wal in a sitting position for as long as you can), leg lifts, the many varieties of crunches, swimmies (lay on your stomach, arch up, move arms and legs as if swimming, arm circles. Also there are some things you can do with small dumbbells; lunges might be tricky just now, but you can do things like bicep curls, kickbaks, skullcrushers, shoulder raises, vertical rows. Let me know if you need decriptions. You can't do as much for your legs while sitting or lying down, unfortunately; maybe you could manage just a few lunges and squats whenever you feel relatively stable?

[sculpin.livejournal.com]

When I'm dizzy like that, I like to do yoga asanas with my legs up the wall. I start with Viparita Karani (http://www.yogajournal.com/poses/690_1.cfm) (which is technically a mudra, not an asana, or so I have read). Then I spread out into an up-the-wall Upavistha Konasana. Then I bring the soles of my feet together into an up-the-wall Baddha Konasana; I may press lightly on the thighs to get a little more stretch. I repeat those two asanas a few times. (I do Iyengar yoga, so I'm used to holding them longer than people in some other styles. I like to hold at least thirty seconds to really feel the nuances of the pose.) Then I come back to Viparita Karani for a moment and rest, scanning my body and observing where I'm tight or loose, sore or not as sore as usual.

Then I grab my belt (you may not need one) and put it around the balls of both feet, an end of the strap in each hand; keeping my chest wide, I bring my feet over my head as far as I can in a relatively (but not totally) passive Urdhva Mukha Paschimottanasana (http://www.yogajournal.com/poses/477_1.cfm). Back to Viparita Karani briefly, to rest and check my centerline; then another Urdhva Mukha Paschimottanasana.

Then I do a preparation for Padmasana that you may be familiar with. If your hips are very tight, you'd start with your back on the floor and your left foot against the wall, your thigh and shin forming a right angle. Then you'd rest your right ankle on your left thigh near the knee. (Kind of the way an unmannered frat boy might sit in a chair.) If that's too comfortable, you'd move your ankle down (I aim for the left hip flexor) and move your butt toward the wall. If you play with it, you'll probably find a spot that's just right. Then repeat on the other side. If you're very flexible and already do a good Padmasana or Ardha Padmasana, you could do that against the wall. Obviously, do not push this pose even a tiny bit if you have knee or ankle problems; I'd consider skipping it if my knees hurt and I was feeling frustrated.

Then it's back to Viparita Karani and Savasana.

And that's it: it gets my hamstrings, adductors, hips, and lower legs. For more work, especially in the hamstrings, you can do the Supta Padangusthasana (http://www.yogajournal.com/poses/483_1.cfm) series; try putting your lower foot against the wall instead of just pretending that one is there.

You may also want to stretch out your midback. This is one where passive stretching can be really helpful; here's a gentle, restorative backbend. Start with two rolled blankets or bolsters and place them crosswise. Then sit in front of the setup with your lower back right against the props, and lie back as you would for Savasana, palms facing up. The crosswise blanket or bolster should be right under your sternum. If you like, you can support your head with another blanket or a towel. Be totally comfortable, enough to doze off. Stay there as long as you like; your back muscles will slowly unkink of their own accord.

When I'm really utterly and completely hosed, Supta Baddha Konasana (http://www.yogajournal.com/poses/663_1.cfm) is my restorative pose of choice.

and more...

[sculpin.livejournal.com]

In theory, you could do the Hundreds and other on-your-back Pilates exercises, or maybe even Teaser, but frankly I'd skip it until your balance returns. There's more balance involved there than one might think, as you've probably found out by yourself. Same for Bhujangasana and Salabhasana -- it's not so much that you're going to fall over and smack yourself on the head, but your proprioception is probably way off and you could be doing weird little twists without knowing it. I don't know about you, but that kind of thing bugs me, and it might conceivably exacerbate any back weaknesses or bad habits you might have.

Speaking of proprioception, the last time I was laid low, I traded my normal practice for just learning about my toes. Sounds dumb, doesn't it? Apparently, experienced yogis can spread their feet magnificently and wiggle each toe in turn. So I played some proprioception games with my feet. The time I invested in that has really helped me in yoga since then; my base is stronger.

If you just want something that'll kick your ass without dropping you on your head, you might try a couple of Pilates moves I was introduced to recently. They kick my ass, anyway, right in the glute medius.

First:
Lie on your left side with your hips stacked and your knees bent. If you have a theraband, tie it loosely around your thighs. Now raise your right leg, still keeping that knee bent. It's not a large motion; my knee comes up just above my shoulders. The trick here -- and it is surprisingly tricky -- is that you want to keep the lower leg perfectly parallel to the floor; initiate from the upper thigh and do not let the foot rise above the knee. Lower and repeat. (Easy, huh?) Repeat. Repeat. Somewhere in there it will go from "Easy!" to "Arrgh!" Then do the other side or go right to:

Second:
Lie on your side, hips stacked, knees bent. Untie that Theraband if it's still on. Raise your upper leg to the position of the first exercise or a little lower. Now, keeping your lower back and pelvis neutral, bring your knee to your chest in the same plane as it started in. Then bring the leg back and extend it straight down, as if you were standing. Repeat. The positioning trick here, for me, is to keep my pelvis and lower back from shifting inappropriately; the leg is doing all the moving, but it's really all about what's going on in the pelvis.

For another kind of challenge, try Supta Virasana (http://www.yogajournal.com/poses/790_1.cfm). You may want a spotter with this one on your way down.

And finally, consider the benefits of free-form fidgeting. Seriously. Lie in bed and punch the air if it makes you feel better. Why not?

Re: and more...

[mrissa.livejournal.com]

Thank you so much!!!

Best sculpin ever.

Re: and more...

[sculpin.livejournal.com]

It was my pleasure!

[warinbear.livejournal.com]

Have you investigated the possible sources of the dizzy spells? Inner ear dysfunction springs to mind (IANAD).

[mrissa.livejournal.com]

Yes, I have a diagnosis. I just don't choose to share it with the internet at large because I don't like dealing with people second-guessing doctors on no data, which seems to happen a lot in internetland.

[warinbear.livejournal.com]

Oh, I understand that. I'm glad to hear that you have consulted a professional on the subject; I apologize if I seemed to pry.

[mrissa.livejournal.com]

One of my best friends is a doctor, so you can pretty much assume I've gotten poked to go see one, if anything like this comes up in the future.