Lifestyle Changes: What's Helped You?

This thread has been helpful. As a recently diagnosed individual who used to exercise intensely at least a few times per week, I am trying to find my way back into a routine. Part of what led me to my diagnosis was that I no longer tolerated my workouts and was getting much more fatigued that going to work (high stress, long hours, physically and mentally demanding job) was becoming hard. Exercise used to be my therapy -- relief from pain and outlet from stress, but had become aggravating and tiring. I spent most of the summer on the couch after work before figuring out why. I am just starting to try to do some gentle exercise/yoga more regularly again and feel very deconditioned. I don't really know how to find the right balance.

I find I’m in the middle. While my jaw drops open at reading about people walking 5ks, I also am not the person in bed for 3 days. I never had a backup plan for conceding to AS so I just went to work; a physically and mentally stressful job with long hours standing on concrete. Now I’m retired and I can’t imagine how I did what I did. What’s helped me is learning to say no. I’ve lost most of my friends, upset family. But when my body says you’re on the couch with the heating pad and pain meds, that’s what I do. I’m 65 and the osteo is joining the AS. I’ll still try; am looking into water aerobics that has just come to my small town. Because I want to be here for the good times, not just the bad times. To sum it up, my drive to get things done and the contradicting learning when to stay home both help me.

I have had manageable arthritis for decades, but the 2nd bout of COVID gave me a heart condition and AS, screaming arthritis, and some days, I can't make it out of bed. I will push after seeing the above results. Thanks.

This is exactly my situation. COVID messed with me incredibly. I went from doing water aerobics three times a week too being confined to the house for almost 3 years. It has taken 2 years to be able to walk a quarter of a mile again without pain. I was crippled by right hip issues and walking with a cane for over a year. I got back into an arthritis pool (warm water) for 8 months and graduated to twice a week at a gym pool water aerobics class.
I am now working with resistance bands and lightweights at home targeting specific areas of my body.
Better little by little.
I have learned that rest instead of going to class when I really feel fatigued is actually more beneficial to me at times than the class. That's been a very difficult thing to accept and implement.