Greetings ABQJane, I have been taking it slow lately but when I had those 2 months of breathing really good I would use a stationary bike in my bedroom. Now mind you we all are susceptible to fainting or all together passing out. And if anyone knows what I am talking about it hits. At least for me it does. So I would lower the seat and surround the entire bike with pads, blankets and pillows. And laugh if you want, but after i would get minutes in, i would place my hands together as to pray and then dive into the big pile of softness. Haha and then a fruend reminded me about those bikes that are almost on the ground themselves. We must be safe first. God bless ABQ.Jane

Women should take special care and attention when working out in any way that the stress and increased movement in OUR major muscle groups IN THE LEGS are not stressed beyond endurance! Pulls and tears may be a special danger/focus, and need to be avoided for continued 'improvement'. Getting 'winded' or SOB, esp for those in the compromised groups, needs to have it's own special attention for us. I make it a rule for myself to never continue a work out past the point of being able to sing a moderately paced song/beat while working out. Even a simple recitation you may have incidentally memorized can be a good indicator of lung function if you are not a singer. I used to focus on The Lord's Prayer, The Jabberwocky, and The Raven which were all things I had memorized in my youth for fun, and were beneficial for putting my focus in sustained breathing and lung control. Heck when I had to memorize the Preamble to the Constitution in school I would do that whenever I could, and it can really be ANYTHING as long as you are focused. Ancient Romans made it a practice for their Legionnaires to only 'work out' to the point of developing a surface sweat, not the 'swimming in sweat' depicted in some Hollywood movies.. Yet they were considered some of the most fit specimens of human strength and endurance produced by a culture without any modern equipment. You do not have to end up dripping to give yourself a health benefit!
Keep it low and slow. Get better over time in inches, not miles. Focusing on the inches will get you TO the miles. Stick to goals you can set, and keep. It will keep you engaged in success after success, and not quitting after sadness and overexertion, and self inflicted injury needing recovery. See if your health groups offer fitness classes if you want and need coaching or direction. Keep aware that as PH/PAH will always be a thing, it does not have to be the thing that stops you today.

Hi Julie. I'm currently participating in a clinical drug trial and I have been asked not to enter physical therapy during the study. The reason is that they measure my distance in 6MWT related to my response to treatment by the drug being studied. I am just interested in improving my physical strength when I need to walk up stairs. Thanks

Hi Jane, I don't do elliptical due to SI joint fusion last year, but I do step ups as part of my workout program, weights and treadmill. If you like it start slow, I know many that really like it, they got me back on step-ups in pulmonary rehab. Start slow see how you feel, test it out, short periods no more than 5-10 min at most until you know how you feel on it, just 2-3 min can tell you a lot!! Hope it works for you!!❤️🙏

Hi Jane. I like the elliptical instead of a treadmill. I like the recumbent one even better. I'm not using either right now.