On a cold day at the end of January, I was working out at the fitness center when I reflected about the role exercise has played in my life and how it has changed since my myeloma diagnosis. I had been walking outdoors a lot with our ‘grandpuppy,’ but the cold weather had driven me indoors for exercising.

The fitness center has been part of my life since before I had the vertebral fractures that led to my myeloma diagnosis in 2009. In fact, my husband and I have had a membership at the center for over 20 years. I had taken lessons with a personal fitness trainer, classes in Pilates, and participated in an annual 10K road race sponsored by the fitness center for several years.

All of that pleasant activity fell away for over a year after my myeloma diagnosis as I struggled to get back on my feet again. I waited for my injuries to heal and my immune system to recover after the stem cell transplant before I dared to venture back to the fitness center.

At first, I just used a stationary bike. I vividly remember how happy I was to greet old friends there who were very encouraging to me and wished me well for my recovery from multiple myeloma.

And it seems that I have recovered fairly well, since I am now able to resume some of the workout I did a few years ago.

So what am I doing now?

I start out with 30 minutes of aerobic exercise, which I feel helps me avoid injury when I work with weights afterwards.

I like to use the elliptical trainer because my entire body is in motion and it is a low-impact workout. Because I am holding on to the arms of the machine, it provides me with stability and balance, which is quite important for a nervous person such as myself! The machine also allows me to measure my heart rate, which I find very convenient.

Since I am aware of my increased risk of infection, I always wipe the handles of the elliptical trainer down with a rag soaked in antiseptic cleaner before I use it (I also wipe it down afterwards as a courtesy to the person after me).

I then move to the weight area, where I use several machines for both the upper and lower body.

I set the weights to close to the lowest settings since I have found that that is enough for me to get some resistance. I am not interested in lifting heavy weights. However, after three years of bone building med­i­ca­tions, my bones are much stronger and I want to build on that by lifting light weights.

For the upper body, I use equipment that works arms, chest, and upper and middle back.

For the lower body, I still use some of the exercises that were recommended to me by physio­ther­apists 12 years ago (abductor / adductor machines and doing leg raises while sitting on an inflated exercise ball). At the time, I attributed my severe knee pain to doing too much jogging, but I now wonder if issues with myeloma bone destruction had already developed in my frame.

My weight routine also includes the use of light hand weights, usually five pounds. I use them in front of a mirrored wall so that I can watch my posture.

After the weights, I finish up my hour-long exercise regimen with some stretches on the floor mats. The stretches emulate moves I remember from past Pilates and yoga sessions as well as the physiotherapy for my sore knees. Doing these stretches, I celebrate the fact that I can move my back again.

The fitness center is part of my life again, and I am very grateful for that because it shows how far I have come since my diagnosis. My plan is to stick to my New Year’s resolution and get to the gym at least once a week.

How has your fitness routine changed since your myeloma diagnosis?

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The quotation for this month is from Mark Twain (1835 – 1910), an American author and humorist, who said: “The secret of getting ahead is getting started.”