Workouts for ppl with Fibromyalgia

DebbsB1

Hi I am Debb, and need motivation and any advise I can get. I am a single mom of three kids, and I have fibromyalgia am looking for others that have it and advise on what work outs help you.

LovingLife_Erin

Hi... I don't have fibro, but chronic pain from a spine injury. I stick to low impact stuff, and try to do a lot of water exercise. Swimming, aqua aerobics, or even water walking/running are all great. If you can get to a warm pool, then that might help as well. I do weights when I feel "good" (it is relative, isn't it?) and use other cardio equipment too. Walking is also a great thing because you can do a gentle stroll, or a fast, challenging walk, depending on your level of energy and pain. For me, listening to my body is really important. If I am flaring, or even just more sore, then I don't push myself the way others might, as it will lead to me in bed drugged up on painkillers lol. When I can, I push myself hard and really focus on getting a good workout in. I wear a fitbit, and use it to motivate me to get my steps in no matter what.

Exercise has helped me feel more in control of my body, and I love it. It's nice feeling strong again. My biggest thing is reminding myself of how strong I'm getting, and how far I've come on the days I'm in a lot of pain, or my arm won't work almost at all (nerve damage in it and some days it is useless). Keep focused on the positive and know that you got this! Feel free to friend me too, if you'd like.

azulvioleta6

When my fibro gets bad, I swim.

These days, I don't have many flares. Staying active all of the time seems to help.

I've found that I do need to limit myself to two hours a day--things that involve bending, lifting or sitting on the ground for extended periods (gardening!) especially need to be limited. Tracking your exercising and noticing your body's patterns over time can be extremely helpful.

Lunapiaffe

Just go very very slowly start with walking 10 minutes a day and add a few minutes per week. Its really difficult on bad days and to know where the line is but just stick with it. If you can afford to find a PT who works with fibro that can be helpful and helps with accountability. Swimming is great but the chemicals can bother me and cold water doesn't work. Finding a warm salt water pool isn't always feasible. So I don't swim as much as Id like. I also recommend slow yoga movements or yoga for arthritis class or dvd.

Most importantly don't compare yourself to others. I have friends that just don't get it and try to get me to try cross fit or bootcamps and those don't really work for us in general. Also Im really working to eliminate sugar and improve my eating because that really does help too. The one thing I spend money on and that helps the pain and stress are massages. Also taking three tennis balls in a sock against the wall to work on back neck and shoulder pain daily. Just keep trying different things until you find what works for you. Gentle hugs

Lunapiaffe

oh yes definitely friend me everyone! Its so hard to find friends who get it!

brittjrogg

I too have fibromyalgia, and I started off by walking for a short period of time and then increased in to an extra minute each day. I am now doing The Firm Express which is High Interval Training for 20 minutes. So, if you work up small you can get to where you want to be. And I find that when I work out it actually helps with the pain everywhere.

cazpom37

i have fibro and rheumatoid, quite severe, so all i can manage is a bit of walking and the wii fit step board because the step is low. i can't go far from the house so it helps. i can feel it working but its not too much. start slowly and work your way up.

LokiDokiArtichoki

I have fibromyalgia and arthritis and honestly just working out keeps me from having flare-ups. I do a bunch of stuff: yoga, running/walking (still alternating between the two, but working up to just running), tabata, folfing (which includes a lot of walking/climbing around for lost discs), swimming (I like treading water while I play catch in the pool with my friend, after running on the track at my gym), weight-lifting, playing touch football or basketball, going on bike rides

I think the key is taking your time and not pushing yourself too hard (do push yourself, just make sure nothing Is hurting). Stress is a big trigger, for me, so I've been working my way up, not getting upset if I can't do something, and making sure to treat myself after my workouts. I definitely recommend yoga to start and massages as rewards for hard work.

alicaramik2

Hi Debb, and everyone else! I know what you're going through. I've had fibro for several years now. It can be so incredibly frustrating to try to exercise when simply handling day to day chores can feel overwhelming. If anyone would like to add me as a friend, it would be nice to have someone who gets it.

Right now, the majority of my exercise comes from dancing. I have a couple of playlists of favorite songs and I find that it's a good stress reliever too. I can push myself as hard or gently as I need to depending on the day. I do it at home, so I don't have to think about how silly I look.