The benefits of exercise

I was diagnosed with RA about a year ago.  I was an avid runner and triathlete through my 20s and early 30s.   Now at 40 I've been away from any serious training for a few years and I've added a few extra pounds.  The first six months with my RA diagnosis hit me pretty hard physically and emotionally, even though I was now treating the symptoms that had been bothering me for a few years.  I'm taking 15mg of methatrexate per week and a folic acid supplement.   My doctor also recommended exercise and strength training to help rebuild muscle mass that was lost over the past year.  Hitting the gym was a very different experience with RA.  My joints a very swollen and I was pessimistic about any running but I tried a treadmill and was able to build up to a mile at a 15 minute pace over a couple weeks.  With RA my joins are constantly swollen and stiff, but I found that exercise has dramatically reduced these effects and the discomfort is minimal.  I'm now running 3-5 miles at a 10:00 minute pace per mile.  Running combined with some basic strength training 3-4 times per week has completely changed my outlook on life wit RA.  I wanted to share the important role that exercise has played so far.  It may feel like the last thing you are capable of doing but work with you doctor and find some type of exercise that gets your body moving! It will work wonders.