I didn't like it because it made me feel much worse. i never got any benefit from it, and, in fact, it messed up my knees again, after I'd just got a cortisone shot that calmed them down. (I was in a car accident and messed up my knees back in January.) The pain didn't go away. i was fortunate to get cortisone shots again a few months later, and they've calmed the worst of the pain down again.
Same thing when I did exercises to try and strengthen my core, as directed by PT on several different visits to several different PT centers. I ended up with pain in my hip as well as my back, pain that's never left me.
Up until last week, I was still working part time, delivering meals to the elderly. I'd been doing a lot of walking and going up stairs. It added up to A LOT of exercise. My son took over most of the exercise part this summer, when he came to help out. So yeah, I did do exercise outside of PT. It exhausted the heck out of me but I think it kept my joints from getting all stiff. I can see the difference now that I'm no longer working.
So it's hard to win, Teesa, between doing to much and hurting badly and being exhausted vs. not doing much at all and being stiff. I'm going to try tai chi this weekend, as my rheumy recommended it. It's light stretching and supposedly is very good for people with fibro. Sounds like just the thing!
Vicodin does the same thing to me, Teesa. I hope you feel okay with it henceforth.