I’m exploring movement possibilities. My body was designed to move and when I don’t move it, it hurts. But… when I move it too much, at. all. I’m gifted with a flare.
People keep telling me I need to exercise if I ever want to feel better. My gut reactions are always negative because pain is a strict master. Still, I can’t help but feel there is some truth in what they say.
Anyone have any luck working out? (Even if it’s just walking or stretching.) What have you tried?
Hi there Kronicchick! Seenie from ModSupport butting in here. 
I don’t have Fibro, but I do have Psoriatic Arthritis, which has a lot in common with Fibro, in the pain department anyway. I’ve learned that movement is my best pain prevention and relief strategy. But like you, too much is just as bad (or worse!) than none at all. With me, anyway, the line between “enough” and "too much"is blurry, and it shifts: I’ve had to become really good at listening to my body, and I don’t always hit the “sweet spot”.
My exercise of choice is done in the water. The time and money that I spent on a physiotherapist who specialized in hydrotherapy was well worth it. She prescribed a customized exercise program which I do (with my own variations) about three times a week. She also cautioned me about doing it more often than that, for fear of provoking a flare.
The beauty of water exercise is that you can get full range of motion, and develop strength without straining your joints. As well as that, the pressure of the water is like a massage, and it encourages good circulation. I also find it very relaxing and soothing. When I’ve been swimming, I sleep really well that night, which is a huge bonus. It’s all good.
It’ll be interesting to hear other people’s experiences and suggestions!
Seenie
Hi Kronicchick
I’m exactly the same! As soon as I stop moving, eg sit down or lie down, the pain gets worse but if I over do it at the gym or stand for hours and hours the pain gets worse. Grrr
It’s early days for me, but what I’ve found it that stretching exercises like pilates or yoga help loads. I also went swimming everyday for 2 weeks during a really bad flare which also helped me loads. I’m now able to do some light exercise in the gym and get on with the chores in the house. I try and keep up with it all, but do it little by little, because as soon as I stop, the pain is worse.
Hope my experience helps.
I swear by exercise…it helps so much. Sometimes I really don’t feel like it, I try to do it in the morning after my coffee because the later I try, the harder it gets. I walk, bike, do weights, sometimes swim, do some step, and I have a treadmill. I try to do weights 2-3 times a week. I stretch a LOT - lots on youtube. Yin yoga is awesome - you hold poses longer but it is mostly done on the ground…sort of passive yoga, all about the stretch.
When I get sick and don’t exercise or we have company or whatever, I am definitely in worse pain. If I overdo exercise, I am in worse pain - it’s all about that balance. I have always been pretty active but the kicker I find is that I feel like I lose my fitness faster with fibro - I have to maintain a level of fitness or it gets even harder. I use a calendar to track my exercise - trying to do something most days. Worst case scenario, I walk a bit on the treadmill and stretch. Winter is coming so I expect more days like that.
Exercise, stretching, healthy diet, and sleep - absolute musts for me.
Hi it is very very helpful to me I exercise before Phibro and now I still exercise four times a week it is something that I struggle with I know it will help me but it is very hard afterwords I’m like knocked out for the rest of the day
Hi I exercised before five broke and I still exercise four times a week but it is very difficult. I only exercise for 36 minutes, but when I am done I am wiped out for the whole day yesterday after exercising I wanted to crawl up the stairs and go to bed I hurt so much all over so I know that helps overall very very hard it takes a toll I do try to eat better too but it’s almost like your life starts to revolve around protecting yourself from fiber symptoms do you guys feel that way
I use to love working out unfortunately now I can only do the minimal it’s hard especially because I would like to loose weight and the only thing I have found that helps is low amount stretching and yoga
I’m still in the yoga phase. I stretch a lot. Sometimes twice a day. If I don’t stretch/do yoga before work, I will regret it for the rest of the day. Some days it can be difficult to get motivated to stretch, but I still try to do a bit.
I want to work my way up to walking again, but I feel like a need more consistent pain management before I dive into that.
Thank you, everyone! Your posts were very helpful. I guess I just have to re-adjust my thinking… again… Hah! I hate this.
I think we ALL hate it. Getting your mind around exercise (when you hurt so much that it’s difficult to contemplate, let alone do it) is damned hard. Start low and slow and then feel really proud that, despite it I all, you did some. We all know what an accomplishment it is to even think about doing it. You go girl!
Seenie
I keep trying to live my old life… It’s what my brain is used to. Sigh!
I have Fibro, PsA, lower lumbar spinal pain and hip pain. I used to be a gym rat, bike and walk like crazy. Now it hurts and tires me out so much. I tried a gym again, loved the wt training, tho the pain walking from machine to machine was bad. But I was dealing with it. But soon my tendinitis in my elbows and being so tired, even getting ready, and driving to the gym, made me stop. I try to use my energy for cleaning, house and animal chores everyday, working on my 200 year old fixer up as I can. I hate being in water, it hurts my skin and I find water aerobics kinda boring, no natural endorphins.
Hi,
I think it is awesome that so many members are giving different modes of movement/exercise a try to help with pain and symptoms. I myself use a pedaler. That a just the pedal part of a bike and is very portable so I can use it in front of any kind of furniture and it is like riding a recumbent bike- easy on the joints. I do about 30 minutes a day at least five times a week. Even when my pain is flaring, I use the pedaler, it distracts me and seems to get the blood flowing and lowers my pain level. It also helps me emotionally to know I am doing something proactive for me in trying to manage the pain. On days when my symptoms are too pronounced I give myself permission to do less of a work out or maybe none at all. Something important to remember is we need to treat ourselves gently. We deserve it. I wish you all the best in whatever workout/movement program you try. I always find it inspiring to hear what others are trying.
I have exercise intolerance, it often hit me like a heart attack when I over exerting my self. For along time I’ve thought stretching or breathing exercise can’t be count as the real exercise but I couldn’t be more wrong. I like doing qigong and tai chi whenever I could cause it doesn’t cause my body or belly to react , it doesn’t cause my hyperventilation/panic/ fare up fibro. Do to my sensory prossesing disorder that my fibro gave birth to . For me Yoga was too hard to avoid injuries. I have hypermobility joints in my fingers , hands, wrists, and ankles so stretching correctly and gently is a must. But without doing anything at all was more painful for me. I have severe chronic fatigue so sometime I even stretching on my bed just so I can get out of bed without accidentally hurt my back. Light belly dance ( even though it hardly ever looks like one lol ) is also kinda oddly help my indigestion and moving it along which kept my belly from hurting too much from bloating.
So, fellow members, Molly94 here again. Good news or bad, I was diagnosed with FM in '94 and have not been free of pain since a car accident in 1977. But I have managed to develop an exercise program that allows me to lead a moderately active [haven’t worked outside the home for 10 years, but I do my own housework, cooking, laundry, errands, and I travel with my husband] life. I notice, reading your thoughtful posts, that all of us develop highly individualized exercise routines. For me it’s Tai Chi [hello Tipnatee!], very light weight lifting every other day [3 and 1 1/2 lb weights], and walking. For years I beat myself up because I couldn’t ride a bike, garden, swim more than 10 laps in a pool, etc. Also I’m blessed to be able to obtain relief from NSAID’s, tho I know most FM sufferers do not. I’m currently on diclofenac sodium for arthritis and it seems sufficiently effective for the FM pain. I also have CFS from decades of really bad sleep. So- keep doing what works for you is my suggestion, but also- any movement, however limited, is better than no movement- and we’re ALL REALLY brave to keep trying!!!
My hubby and I have a new [older, rescue] dog and she doesn’t sleep thru the night so neither do we- my hubby complains about sleeping a few hours at a time- welcome to my life of 40 years I don’t say! I bet like me, your best day is your healthy friends/family’s worst day…
I will be honest and say that I’ve tried swimming (by that i mean moving my arms in water) and i went back home to a flare I’ll never forget.
Ever since I do minimum, but I stretch because I have neck and shoulders stiffness. It works great! stretching and walking around the house/office helps a lot
I also have exercise intolerance, walking the dogs for a few minutes is all I can handle. I read Dr. Ginerva Lipton’s book “The Fibro Manual” and she has a fibro friendly exercise routine in chapter 11. It is a brilliant book all round, it has a complete fibro protocol for you and for your doctor.
Patricia
I have never experienced anything more than pain from working out, regardless of how long I try to persist and push through it. I tell my doctors this and they just keep saying "Keep working out, if you want to feel better,"
I also have a heart disease, so working out is basically pointless and partly dangerous for me, they doctors also tell me “running your heart rate up a little won’t hurt you, you’re young.” Yea, if a high heart rate didn’t hurt me I wouldn’t have had heart surgery at 8 years old and still be having heart issues at 18.
This is my theory. If you exercise on day 1 and your muscles hurt on day 2, exercise on day 3. If your muscles still hurt on day 3, then you need the change what you are doing as you are doing too much. Start slow. If you can walk a block or two, do that for a few days and increase it by one block. Don’t do 5. You will hurt. Water exercising is great, Tai Chi, stretching all are a good start. I personally exercise 3-4 days per week every other day for 35-45 min. If you keep at it, your body will adapt but it will take time.
MRSpeele,
I have read Dr. Lipton’s book. I loved it! Her explanation of a hyperactive stress response is absolutely a great way to explain it.