HIV and AIDS Support
Healthy Lifestyle Tips
Loss of strength and lean body mass are frequent complications in people with AIDS. Drug therapy with anabolic steroids is sometimes used to counteract these losses. Preliminary trials suggest that progressive resistance training (i.e., weight training) may be used as an alternative or adjunct to steroids in this disease. In a preliminary trial, people with HIV who did progressive resistance training three times per week for eight weeks had significant increases in their lean body mass.110 Exercise of any type three to four times per week or more has been associated with slower progression to AIDS at one year and with a slower progression to death from AIDS at one year in men.111