What advice can I give to someone who has Ankylosing Spondylitis like me or any other joint disorder for that matter???

I’m 33 and have suffered from this condition since the age of 11. I first found out about Ankylosing Spondylitis when I caught salmonella food poisoning and was hospitalised for several months. The infection was that severe it tried to shut down and flare up all my joints. This resulted in splints for my knees, splints for my elbows and a wheelchair for my family to push me around in as I didn’t have the strength to walk. Having my own children now makes me realise what my family had to go through at that time.

At the age of 11, I was extremely active and a very keen footballer so being stuck in a bed almost broke me mentally. But lots of support from family and friends helped me a lot.

Between the ages of 11 and today I’ve always been active playing at a high standard of football and being very active in the gym using weights, running, rowing, high impact training, you name it I’ve done it. I’ve treated the illness like it’s not really there, but let me tell you when Arthur………Itis (as my younger 30 year old brother calls me) kicks in he kicks in and there’s nothing I can do to stop it.

I have to go through the same process for a couple of months … being stiff in a morning, struggling to put my socks on, limited exercise, fatigue, falling asleep early!! Don’t get me wrong I will work through all this and it will not beat me. Same again the support from my wife and family helps when Arthur pays a visit.

Throughout this time I’ve gone through numerous major flare ups which I now know how to treat myself. Eye infections called iritis , plantar fasciitis, lower back stiffness, migraines the list goes on and these are just a few of the symptoms that I have to deal with on a day to day basis.

I could keep going on and on about this condition but I think you understand my suffering by now. Being a personal trainer and biomechanics coach has only help me more and I dread to think what life would be like if I didn’t work in health and fitness.

I’m able to work on my posture and put plans in place to keep me strong. I’ve got this condition forever and it’s not going to go away so I deal with it when I have a flare up and get on with  my normal daily routine. To look at me on the outside no-one could ever imagine that all this is happening inside me!

If you suffer from something similar and just need to confidence to push through the pain barrier and use a gym then please contact me, even if it’s just for advice.

I feel I’ve been through the lot and I keep bouncing back, but I know there’s many of people out there struggling with the simplest of daily routines. The gym has been probably the best drug out there for me, it’s just doing the right type of exercise.

Remember the saying if you don’t use it, you lose it!!!! So it’s only gets worse if you do nothing about it.