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Can full body exercise like single a leveled up elliptical machine session level our bodies back down to an MG Base level?

A MGteam Member asked a question 💭
Flemington, NJ

I was having great results with Physical Therapy 2X a week until 3 weeks ago, when I overdid it on an elliptical machine and triggered a near crisis event. Ever since, my regular PT has become a heavy lift again. Seems, like that elliptical thing maybe reset my clock?

July 5
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Be the first to react
A MGteam Member

Thank You all…That’s exactly right, I was feeling stronger than I have in years and my brain wrote a check that my body couldn’t cash…I’m back in flare territory now after a week of triple digit temps on top of the PT fail - so gonna have to dial things down this week and maybe be a little smarter when I’m ok to head back to PT…

July 5
MGteam

What happened sounds really frustrating, especially when PT was going so well. To answer the core question: yes, overdoing it with high-intensity exercise can significantly set back muscle function in MG. It's not exactly a "reset," but pushing muscles to exhaustion can worsen weakness in a way that takes time to recover Show Full Answer

What happened sounds really frustrating, especially when PT was going so well. To answer the core question: yes, overdoing it with high-intensity exercise can significantly set back muscle function in MG. It's not exactly a "reset," but pushing muscles to exhaustion can worsen weakness in a way that takes time to recover from.

With MG, muscles that are repeatedly stressed beyond their limit don't just bounce back quickly. A near-crisis event is a serious physical stressor, and it makes sense that PT feels harder now. Here are some things worth discussing with your neurologist and PT team as you recover:

- Intensity matters — High-intensity exercise is not recommended with MG. The elliptical at a higher level likely crossed that threshold
- Watch for warning signs — Drooping eyelids or difficulty holding your head up during exercise are signals to stop immediately
- Timing your PT — If taking pyridostigmine, scheduling sessions 1.5–2 hours after a dose may help
- Morning sessions — Muscle weakness tends to worsen later in the day, so earlier sessions may feel more manageable
- Communicate openly — Let your PT know what happened so they can adjust your program accordingly

The good news is that the progress you made before isn't gone forever. Rebuilding slowly with low-intensity movement is the path back. Be patient with yourself — this is a setback, not a permanent reset.

July 5
A MGteam Member

Its great that you are doing some form of excersize Bob, you soon learn when you overdo it!
Listen to your body. Even though I do reformer pilates twice a week and walk a few kms daily, sometimes I need to have a break and take a day off, but at least you are doing something, exercise is great for your mental health😃

July 5 (edited)
A MGteam Member

Bob, I think that situation is indicative of the need I have... to rest before you need it. I would probably cut back on exercising to the point that one workout does not leave you feeling worse the next day and then slowly work back up to the level you were at before. Never underestimate the unexpected swings of MG symptoms. You were probably feeling pretty strong that day on the elliptical; it is hard to pull back when you feel like you are seeing improvement. But stopping before you were ready to stop would probably have you working at a higher level now rather than having to back up. You will figure this out. Maybe for you it would have worked to take a break, do something else, and then go back to the elliptical. Frustrating that it is all trial and error; I bet your therapist is learning too. Unfortunately her next MG patient may have entirely different issues.
✌️ You've got this!

July 5
A MGteam Member

That’s how my MG first started. I had femur surgery aug 25. Did pt at home then went to outpatient pt. After maybe 2 weeks of out patient pt I collapsed. Then all these symptoms started - weakness, droopy eyelid, double vision, slurry speech, problem swallowing rushed to ER thinking it was a stroke thank goodness it wasn’t but diagnosed with MG.,

July 5

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