The book :Calisthenics - Convict Conditioning

[Tronor]

minor title edit for clarity
I need to get into shape, and have been researching different ways, past the usual weight training and Cardio, which apparently will only cause further problems later in life, and have come to the conclusion that old school Calisthenics should be much better for my joints, especially long term.
Now, what I'd like to know is if anyone has read this book, and if there is any refutable evidence to back up the claims that doing these bodyweight exercises will be better for me and my joints. I have read that because it is less strenuous and slower results it makes it easier for the joints to adapt to the training, and as it is higher reps with less weight, it is like a good cardio workout, so will help weight loss. Also there is a section in the second book about joint training, and I'd like to know if anyone has any evidence of this working/helping them.
So far, it seems to be not too bad, I know I'm very out of shape, so I'm hoping that just doing something will be better than nothing, but we shall see.

[Rosie]

Hi Tronor

I have had a look at a few reviews of this book, and they all describe it as 'extreme' or 'hard core' calisthenics. Given that you have HMS, and that you describe yourself as very out of shape, it may well be too much for your body to cope with at the moment. However, calistesthenics does not have to be as extreme, and it may be that some of the beginner type exercises could be a good starting point.
One of the problems with exercising when you have HMS/EDS-H is that our bodies often do not behave the way they are meant to. It is common for incorrect muscles to be used for movements, for joints to hyper-extend, and for us not to find it hard to to the exercises right due to poor proprioception. We often need advice and guidance from a physio or exercise tutor who understnds HMS to ensure that we use the right muscles, do not extend our joints into the hypermobile range and to do the exercises correctly.

Rosie