When I was feeling good before my diagnosis I worked out a lot and had a lot of physical activity in my life. But as a result of sz I lost all interest and put on a lot of weight. I’m feeling better and walking and working out is becoming a part of my life again. It actually feels good to do something physical. Has anybody had this problem of getting back into a good work out program or at least finding some physical activity as an outlet for energy and a way to stay in shape.
I love to go swimming, haven’t gone in a while though.
When I was first starting to climb out of the darkness of my head… just walking through a nice park… some time to stretch… look at the birds and not my 4 walls really helped me.
When I was having a hard time sleeping… a run during the day… or again… just shoot some hoops at a park… that would tire me out and help me sleep…
I’ve always been a swimmer… it took a while to get back up to real swimming… I used to just play in the water.
But now that I am swimming again… I need it. It helps clear the mind… it helps calm me down… it cheers me up… I swim about three times a week.
I went swimming for the first time the other day and wow did I feel refreshed! Go for it. I would encourage you to go swim your heart out!
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I remember the first time I was in the mental rehab hospital and jumped in a pool after being in my head for so long. It felt amazing! Just the coolness on my skin and the physical relief of experiencing the water. Congrats to you for getting back into swimming and running. Way to go!
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I will 
Its just that first I burned my arm and was unable to go for two weeks, in the meanwhile the pool closed for maintnance and I started to go to driving school. And now classes are starting, I know just a bunch of excuses. As soon as I get a good schedule going I’ll return. I miss it actually, I’ve been really lazy.
Ya some times I have a hard time getting motivated or making the time for work outs or swimming or a walk but it feels so good to do it and especially the feeling I have when I’m done. So I try to remember that when I feel like I don’t want to do something physical.
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One of the hospitals I was in was located near a city pool… a few of us were allowed to go with our doc to the pool and just have an hour of swimming or enjoying.
Being in the water always felt great. It was so quiet and I felt so much better after wards.
I’m glad you get to enjoy swimming too.
Thanks J! Something about the water is very peaceful intrinsically. Maybe it has something to do with the fact that as evolution happened we did originally come from the water. If you believe in evolution that is.
I workout a little excessively for someone on my meds. Most people on my meds simply can’t workout like I do. Walking is the go to for most medicated persons with schizophrenia.
Here I am doing advanced workouts which I could ramble about. I’m actually in this shape; they test my blood for doping. I laughed when the tests come back clean and also show that I have relatively low testosterone.
Working out helps me sleep and also makes me feel more sane and less agitated. I workout to the point to where it’s definitely excessive. It’s masochism on my part.
These days I do advanced calisthenics and running and boxing, also a little dumbbell work for my shoulders because they’re too hard to develop with calisthenics alone.
I used to be a powerlifter. That means I lifted multiple times by own weight. I was suspected of doping and that’s why they test my blood. I lifted over 500lbs for six repetitions while weighing 170lbs. I showed my shrink a video of it and he immediately ordered a blood test.
Then I went on to bodybuilding. That got me laid which was sort of the point.
Then I got too big, so big that my clothes didn’t fit and I couldn’t run well, that and I needed to eat about twice what normal people my age eat.
So then I cut weight back to “overweight”- 5’7 and 180lbs. I was 5’7 and 195lbs at my peak. That’s obese according to a BMI. But they don’t think of athletes with the BMI. So then they measure your hip to waist ratio. Mine came out as off the chart in shape. 0.79; 32in waist and 41in hips including my glutes.
So yeah I used to be a fighter that’s why I still workout like I do. I’m a shadow of what I used to be. Off meds I was in incredible shape. On meds, still excessive but not what I used to be. I’ve been on meds for over two years.
I’ve said it before, my exercise is part of my therapy. I wear myself out on purpose because I’m naturally in fight mode the moment I wake up, and then I take a handful of downers as prescribed and then my vital signs go from “heart is about to explode” to “high systolic blood pressure and high heart rate but not dying today”.
It’s also because I naturally am inclined to extremes. That’s a long complicated story with a number of factors influencing it.
It creates a problem. I look like I am a type A. Well I am a type A but I’m not like the other type A men, they don’t have my psychopathology. They mostly just workout because they have a craving for the endorphins which working out releases. It’s a drug. Some workout because they want to be the best they can be. Some workout because they have issues, mainly high levels of aggression. Some have all of the above.
Then some are warriors and working out is part of their job.
I have a workout planned for today- leg day. I will be too sore to think about working out come tomorrow morning.
I have to say that I don’t approve of the dog eat dog alpha male crap that goes on. That’s part of why I stay in shape- I don’t trust other people to be the most dangerous person in the room. Thats the bottom line of the alpha male crap. I hold that status as most dangerous because I am actually feminist and despise alpha male crap. I basically infiltrated that little world because someone else would be the badass mofo and I don’t trust most men.
If you want it done right, you have to do it yourself.
I was bullied when I was a kid and I just beat up the chief bully one day and then I took his place. I then made sure that the other outcasts were not to be picked on. They were my friends. I was the most benevolent badass.
Now I’m stuck with it.
There’s something they say in my town- they say someone is “for real”.
The verdict is that I am “for real”.
Being real sucks. But someone has to do it.
I’m just really good at managing pain.
I originally wanted to be a Navy SEAL. That was what started my workout obsession and also what made me go get trained in hand to hand combat. Now that’s been done and it’s permanent.
I didn’t plan on becoming a crazy weapon. But I think I’m not actually that crazy. True crazy doesn’t pursue an honors degree in psychology and take medicine for being crazy. True crazy won’t admit to being crazy.
There was a time when I didn’t admit to it or even accept that I was, despite being told by everyone around me that I was. That’s called denial.
Well congrats to you if you are reading this, you know you are schizophrenic and therefore you’re not truly crazy. Schizophrenia support forum? Yeah just getting here means you know you’re crazy, and since you know you are crazy, you are now mentally ill but not insane.
Prior to being treated with prescription drugs, I was a cut 190ish lbs. I felt light, but solid. Medication added 30+ lbs to me, but again, I have managed to cut a lot of weight out thanks to good dieting & some balanced walks.
In early Spring through early Fall I can do outdoor walks. When the weather gets too cold, though, I can only do indoor walks in my residence for about an hour or so. It is said that for every 1 mile you walk, you burn about 100 calories.
My goal is to walk several times a week indoors in cold seasons & at least once per week outdoors in warm seasons. Since unmedicated I feel I can do these tasks. While medicated, however, I was unable to muster up any motivation to exercise. I was bed ridden & lethargic.
40 min walk every morning is a great start to my day
Great post Mort! Ya at my peak I was 6 foot 195 and 4 percent body fat. Now I’m at about 295 so I have a lot of work to do to get down to about 230. I ride a stationary bike, lift and walk. I just got into some bad habits and eat too much. Wish me luck!
It’s amazing to me how a simple walk for an hour or so can life the spirits. Great job Collie!