1. Preserve Muscle Mass
If you think about resistance training or training with weights, you might imagine a muscle-bound person at the gym heaving barbells over his head. However, the goal of resistance training for an HIV patient isn't to add muscle; it's to prevent the muscle wasting that is serious concern for many HIV patients. If you've used free weights in the gym before and you're comfortable with that, you can continue that program a few days a week. If you loathe the thought of becoming a "gym rat," get creative with items at home you can move to retain muscle mass, like coffee cans filled with sand or water. Even the weight of moving your body counts as strength training, so check out a yoga tape at your local library.
2. Aerobic Exercise in Moderation
Aerobic exercise includes movements that elevate your heart rate, including walking, running, dancing or swimming. The benefits of cardiovascular training for HIV patients mirror the benefits of this exercise for healthy people, in that it lowers stress, controls blood pressure and contributes to healthy blood sugar levels. HIV patients must take care not to overdo it though, or they can exacerbate muscle wasting and suppress the immune system. Ask your doctor about a regimen that complements your overall state of health and takes into account your CD4 T-cell count. In general, patients new to exercise should start with a gentle form of cardiovascular activity like walking and should stop before they feel short of breath or exhausted.
3. Stay Flexible
You may associate stretching exercises with runners or dancers, but all fitness regimens benefit from a flexibility-training component. For the HIV patient, increased flexibility can reduce soreness and make daily activities easier. Stretching is also a good way to preserve muscle mass on days you don't feel well enough to participate in strength training. Warm up your muscles for at least 10 minutes before you stretch to prevent injuries. Don't bounce as you stretch; hold the stretch for several breaths.
4. Keep Your Balance
Patients with HIV can experience loss of the sense of balance, either due to neurological changes the virus causes or due to the side effects of medications. You might feel resigned to living with the changes, but there are exercises that can improve your sense of balance. Balance training can also help to prevent injuries that can occur during other forms of exercise with HIV, like falls from walking on a treadmill. Yoga and Tai Chi are two low impact exercises that challenge you to maintain your balance while you adopt different positions.
