EXE RCISING

with a

Muscle Disease

I don’t exercise. If God had wanted me
to bend over, he would have put dia-
monds on the floor. Joan Rivers

Physical fitness is not only one of the most important keys to a healthy body, it is the basis of dynamic and creative intellectual activity. John Fitzgerald Kennedy

If it weren’t for the fact that the TV set
and the refrigerator are so far apart,
some of us wouldn’t get any exercise at
all. Joey Adams
Lack of activity destroys the good condi-
tion of every human being, while move-
ment and methodical physical exercise
save it and preserve it. Plato
I really don’t think I need buns of steel.
I’d be happy with buns of cinnamon.
Ellen DeGeneres

Exercise: Love it. Hate it. Gotta do it. On the following pages, Quest looks at the many sides of exercise for people with muscle diseases:

• What does the research tell us?

• Which types of exercises are OK and which aren’t, and how can you tell the difference?

• What are other people doing — or not doing — and what are the results?

• And of course, the ultimate question: Is it worth it?

On the next page you’ll see a box of warnings — please be sure to start there. Much of the conventional wisdom about exercising isn’t true for people with muscle diseases, and doing it wrong may cause irreversible muscle damage.

As you read through the exercise articles in the magazine (see the table of contents, next page), one thing is clear: Each body is unique, and its owner knows it best. Please filter all this information through your own wisdom and experience, and please share it with your physicians, therapists and trainers.

And if you want to share your exercise experiences with others, please visit Quest online ( www.mda org/questmagazineonline) and post a message on the Feedback page. Because one thing is definitely true about exercise: It’s more fun when it’s shared!