Study Says VO2 Max Better Health Marker Than BMI lose weight after her first pregnancy and enjoy the outdoors more often, and like many runners, she started ramping up with races and regular training. Then, in the summer of 2018, the 36-year-old Westbury, New York, resident began having joint pain and extreme fatigue, even when she wasn’t running. An angry-looking rash on her left bicep that she’d chalked up to an insect bite didn’t fade after two months and when she started seeing hair loss, her heart sank.

“I work in the healthcare field, and I could connect the dots on what all those symptoms meant, but of course I was hoping it wasn’t lupus,” she told Runner’s World. “But it was so clear that I began crying even before my rheumatologist confirmed that diagnosis.”

Reid started on medication, and despite fatigue, she was determined to continue her training—especially since her first marathon was planned for just a few months later. Because lupus and sunshine don’t mix well, she slathered on sunscreen for the Honolulu Marathon in December 2018 and Why Its Important to Avoid Running Through Injury.

Join Runner's World+ for unlimited access to the best training tips for runners

“That’s when I realized that I was not my diagnosis—that [lupus] could be managed even with training and races,” she said. Although she did have to readjust soon afterward due to another pregnancy and a severe flare that spiked her joint inflammation, Reid is back to regular running—she credits to being part of a medication clinical trial recommended by Aranow—and looks forward to the 2023 Nutrition - Weight Loss. Not only will that give her time to train, but she’s hopeful that COVID-19 will be more controlled—a major consideration for someone with an autoimmune issue.

“I’m impatient to get back to a marathon, but I also have to respect my condition and stay in tune with my body,” she said.

What Is Lupus?

Similar to conditions like rheumatoid arthritis, Similar to conditions like rheumatoid arthritis, Guillain-Barre syndrome, and multiple sclerosis, systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is an autoimmune disease that causes the body’s immune system Other Hearst Subscriptions.

Some autoimmune conditions affect one type of tissue—for example, rheumatoid arthritis targets the lining of the joints—but lupus prompts challenges throughout the body, including the nerves, blood cells, joints, and lungs, according to Cynthia Aranow, M.D., Reid’s rheumatologist and professor at the Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research in Manhasset, New York.

“The immune system is highly effective at mounting an attack, which is great when you want to fight off the bad guys invading your body,” she told Runner’s World. “Nutrition - Weight Loss.”

Diagnosis and Treatment

Because lupus can affect any part of the body, diagnosis is sometimes tricky, especially since symptoms might “move around” and even seem to resolve, only to come back weeks or months later. The Health & Injuries How Body Image Can Affect Your Run:

  • Severe fatigue
  • How to Treat Shin Splints
  • Fever
  • Hair loss
  • Lupus Foundation of America
  • Ankle swelling
  • Mouth sores
  • How to Treat Shin Splints
  • Chest pain
  • This Ultrarunner Wont Let Lupus Stop Her

Someone with lupus usually doesn’t have all of these, said Aranow, and instead may have a combination—some might have just a few, while someone else could be impacted by many of them. Like other autoimmune diseases, lupus often involves periods of exacerbated symptoms—known as flares—when more symptoms might be present.

Unfortunately, there are no clear answers about what causes lupus, Aranow added, but it’s believed that genetics plays a role, as well as race and age. The condition is more common in women and in African Americans, Hispanics, and Asian Americans, and is diagnosed most between the ages of 15 and 45.

We may earn commission from links on this page, but we only recommend products we back drug-induced lupus caused by reaction to certain prescription medications. In that type of lupus, however, symptoms tend to disappear within six months of discontinuing the drugs, while SLE is considered incurable.

That doesn’t mean it can’t be successfully managed, though. In addition to avoiding potential triggers like sunshine, Nutrition - Weight Loss such as those used to combat malaria—that’s because antimalarial drugs work by reducing proteins in the blood that attack healthy tissues. Lupus symptoms are also addressed with steroids to reduce inflammation and pain and immunosuppressives that stop the immune system from attacking tissues.

Lupus and Running

Every autoimmune condition, including lupus, benefits from lifestyle improvements in addition to medications, according to Aranow. Using sunblock is huge, since lupus is frequently triggered by UV light, but healthy eating and physical activity can also play a part in better management. That’s true not just physically, but also mentally, Reid said.

“Medication is important, but you need a holistic approach that helps you sleep well, maintain your energy throughout the day, and manage symptoms while keeping your emotional balance,” she said. “For me, running does all that, as well as cross-training that builds muscle mass. I find that when I have regular activity, I feel better and I do better.”

The Lupus Foundation of America notes that physical activity can ease symptoms since it reduces inflammation, boosts energy, and can manage weight gain caused by lupus meds like steroids. The organization’s recommendation is for low-impact options like biking, swimming, and yoga since lupus can affect joints, but it doesn’t rule out high-impact activities like running—the suggestion with that is to have a conversation with your doctor about joint health Medication is important, but you need a holistic approach that helps you.

Training Flexibility Through Flare Ups

Most runners benefit from a training plan, particularly if there’s an event like a race in the near future. But for people with lupus, as well as other autoimmune conditions, a structured training plan could become counterproductive in the midst of a flare.

“If you push through the pain, you’ll be sorry,” Reid said. “In a flare, you need to rest, otherwise you’ll be spiking your pain and inflammation.”

Even in remission, training plans are much more likely to be on a day-by-day basis, added Aranow. People with lupus need to tune in to their bodies, and that might mean walking or stretching instead of running that day, she said. Often, less is more, because too much stress can raise inflammation levels, which means that building up mileage or whittling down race times may need to be even more gradual than someone without lupus would undertake.

Although lupus is a chronic illness without a cure, effective management through a blend of approaches like medication and exercise can help lengthen remission times, Aranow said. And that can result in what Reid has always wanted most: a normal life.

“If I’m careful, I can still do everything I did before,” Reid said. “All anyone with a disease like this wants is to be able to get back to what they love, and for me, I appreciate being able to run.”

Headshot of Elizabeth Millard

Study Says VO2 Max Better Health Marker Than BMI.