How do you keep motivated through pain?
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I have Fibro and Sjogren's and find that if I don't exercise walk at least 30 minutes a day I just don't feel well. I use the Leslie Sansone walking DVDs (very inexpensive at Amazon). Some are harder than others but just doing it even if I'm in pain somehow makes it better. It may be the mind body connection but it really does help to alleviate some stiffness and pan.0
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I have absolutely no motivation today. I have joined the FlyLady group and this one to get my life in order. I am 59 years old with fibro and arthritis. I have had a knee replacement and need one in the other leg. Some days, like today, I can hardly move, but I know I have to. Those of you who rely on Jesus for your strength, please pray for me today. I need it desperately! God bless!0
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I'd thought about this for a day...
How do I keep motivated through my pain...
My pain, by the way, is spinal; degenerative disc disease. A herniated disc here, a bulging disc there, all in a crooked spine leading to a broken collar bone healing wrong when I was 15...
So - 15 years ago... Makes it, well, half my life.
Aside from the pain Dr that I see monthly - there are certain mantras and self help concepts I keep with me.
I think, often, of Tyler Durden wisdom, "It's only after disaster that you can be resurrected, it's only after you've lost everything that you're free to do anything, everything is falling apart."
I think, often, of the natural state of the universe - the concept of entropy drives me...
"On a long enough time line the survival rate for everyone - is zero."
The entire universe - including me and all of my possessions, loved ones, homes and books - are heading towards a useless heat death. Entropy - why the cigarette smoke never goes back into the cigarette. Why the stars are all drifting away from each other. Why the elastin breaks down and our skin no longer bounces back easily.
"Even the Mona Lisa is falling apart."
The thing is - I have another disease... It isn't rare, however - most people don't like discussing it... It's called "Inevitable Death Syndrome..."
At some point, some time, some way, some day - I will die. I will no longer exist.
I have my pain now - but it's my choice if I want to suffer through it.
Tyler is one thing...
But who has really helped is Byron Katie...
Check out www.thework.com if you get a chance and watch some of her ideas.
Outside of that - I just remember that I will die. And furthermore - I will be in pain in bed or in my running shoes.0 -
What is a dance mat? Sounds intriguing!0
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What is t-tapp? Would like to hear more?!0
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Stay motivated... even on my worst days? Well, for this gal who has learned to live sucessfully with pain, I can only say that i give myself a GREAT BIG PAT ON THE BACK if I can stay to my food plan on my worst days. I don't beat myself up for not exercising and I am careful to give myself lots of positive self talk for doing what I can do. Like today, my pain is way up. So, I congratulate myself for washing up, getting dressed and making my bed. That is a GIGANTIC accomplishment because it took a tremendous amount of effort just to do that. Next, I made myself a nutritious lunch. I hurt too much to walk in the kitchen for breakfast so i was careful to make a good lunch and clean up my mess. AGAIN... I give myself kudos for taking the time to make a MFP nutritious lunch.
If I can walk to the mailbox I count that as a WIN and ONLY if it doesn't hurt me to do it. If I can't walk there without great difficulty, then I don't do it. Admitting something is too much for me is as important as admitting when it isn't. I am careful not to do anything that will exasserbate the pain. I'm not sure what that is for sure until I attempt it which is my guide to back off that activity.
My biggest challenege when I have a flare (like right now), is to follow my food plan and keep my thinking positive. If I can love myself enough to allow myself NOT :flowerforyou: to exercise because it can flare me up worse :sad: then I can feel good about me because I'm taking good care of me :smooched: .
If I can accept that just for today, my pain is limiting me more than usual :ohwell: , then I won't FEEL SORRY for myself :grumble: and then turn to food to feel better :drinker: . I will simply accept that this is how it is - just for today - and I can follow my food plan and turn to other sources (wheter its MFP forums, spriitual resources, call a friend, journal, watch a good movie with a heat pad, drink green tea to detoxify or whatever)... THEN.... I can have a fantastic day emotionally and a good weigh in at the end of the week. Even tho I'm in pain.... like right now.
Living with pain is hard enough. Packing on the pounds while feeling sorry for myself just made it worse. Acceptance of my pain has been the key.... one day or one moment at a time. Hugs to you all living with with pain!
Janice in FL0 -
I do what I can most of the time I make myself do something because the pain most of the time is worse when I don't move. But you know your body. MVP and losing 108 lbs is what keeps me going I feel so much better since losing the weight. I no longer fall for no reason. I no longer fall asleep in mid sentence or during activity. I am not in constant pain, I still have pain but it is not constant remembering what life was like when I started this is what keeps me going0
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Hi Group
I have been on MFP for a while now, but am new to this group. I suffer from Diabetic Peripheral Neuropathy in my hands and feet, in addition to some back pain. For me some days are better than others, cold rainy days are the worse for me. In the past year I have gone from completely bedridden to active on most days (up and about for most of the day with 30min or more of exercise).
It is hard to walk on feet that often feel like they are tingly asleep or just feel like stumps, but I have learned to move in spite of it. I do still lose my balance from time to time so no running or jumping for me. Even doing dishes or typing is a workout for my hands. But if what I am doing is sustained, gets my heart rate up and I'm breathing hard then I consider it exercise.
My pain doctor has me on Gabapentin every day and Oxycodone to take when the pain is bad. My doctor said if I want to be active again I had better move it or lose it, so I have been doing my best to comply. There are 10+ pain days where I can't, but most days I do manage to do something.
Be Well
Panda_19990 -
How to keep motivated through pain? That is a tough question. I am on my feet 8 + hours per day, bending and lifting and twisting, thanks to my work. By the time my work day is done, I don't have the energy to do much. I have trouble being consistant with my diet or exercise. I work the graveyard shift, and have trouble with my sleep as well as with the pain. Motivating myself to get to work everyday takes alot out of me, but with the new year, I thought it is now or never. I know that I am the one who has to get up and do it, but I need to find help with the motivation.0
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I am new here. I was born with Spina bifida which is a neurotube defect. It limits my mobility drasticly. I also have fibromyalgia and several other conditions. Yes I am a medical mess. The thing for me is that I don't let any of it define me. EVER. Being disabled is all I have ever known so I choose to only look at it as a part of who I am and not allow it to be who I am. Attitude is the main thing. You may not always be able to control what happens with your body, but you do get choose how you feel about it. When I am in pain, I rate it .....is the kind of pain that says rest or is it the kind of pain that says do something.
I try to move as much as possible so the pain does not get worse. I also have a new exercise program that lets me get a workout while sitting in a chair. It's fun and it has low impact and high impact so I can choose based on how I feel on any given day. I do try to work through the pain but sometimes it is alright to take a break. Admitting you are not up to it is not failure. There is always going to be a day when you really feel good and can kick some butt. I also keep a journal which helps me sort things out and helps me plan. I find if I have a plan I feel more motivated and have something to look forward to. Hope this helps.0 -
I'm new here and 21 years old. I have IC, IBS, Gastritis, a severe Carbohydrate Intolerance, possible Fibro, etc. I was bedridden back in 2011 after having an InterStim implanted in my lower back. I've always been a big athlete, so I was too stubborn to just live my life laying in bed all day. My family bought a new Collie puppy who soon became my "Get Better Buddy." I would take her for walks every single day, even though I wasn't supposed to do anything of that sort. I was told I would never be able to touch my toes again, I did. Doctors also told me I'd never play volleyball again (the love of my life!)--I did. They even went as far as telling me that I wouldn't be able to workout strneuously and since the Spring of 2011, I have completed Insanity 4 times, p90x once and can run 5 miles straight! I'm now comitting this entire year to my health and getting off of at least half of my medications with an amazing diet and exercise regimen.
I believe that you have to set realistic goals to keep you motivated. If you can't get out of bed, try doing small stretches laying down. Take a walk to the mail box, then walk around the block another day. Anything like that is a huge achievement! Personally, I've always had the voices in the back of my head telling me I couldn't do this or I couldn't do that and that itself motivates me to prove everyone wrong. If you want to truly lead a healthy and happy lifestyle, sometimes you have to put up twice as much effort to help yourself than you would expect a doctor to help you.0 -
I find your question interesting. How do you stay motivated to work through the pain. The first thing I ask myself is this: What benefits will I GAIN from exercising through this pain? 2nd: Will I hurt myself if I exercise? (I have osteoarthritis) 3rd: when I am done with my exercise, will I feel good with all those endorphines coursing through my body? Seriously, these are my 3 mantras! I have endured 13 surgeries in my lifetime for a variety of issues, so I know what pain is. I live with it every day. I do find however, that MOTION IS LOTION for my entire body AND SPIRIT!
I KNOW once I complete my exercise I will feel good in and out and THIS keeps me motivated. Hopefully it might help some of you? 0 -
Have you heard of BDNF? Bio-derived neurotropic factors. Essentially we grow neurons when we adapt in doing exercise. The good news is you can skip a day or two of exercise so if you're not motivated - it's ok. It even happens to those of us who have fully overcome fibromyaglia like myself.
BDNF lets us build the good chemicals we receive when we exercise. We have a 72 hour window where we positively adapt and shift things in terms of memory. If we lapse over 72 hours, then we shift away from that memory and we tend to lose the gains we're making. So if you miss a day or two, no worries.
The key as many have said is to keep moving. Any type of movement can be done as exercise "if" it is done consciously. If we mindlessly clean the kitchen, we remain in our sub-cortical areas of the brain which does learned movement and does not create the new happy neurons we want to evolve.
So let's say we do the dishes. Instead of just doing them as always, each time you put a dish or fork away, move in a different way. This mindful awareness now changes things. You may even catch what your habitual movement pattern is - so change it.
Otherwise I've played the kitchen game with some of my clients. We move the dishes and cups and silverware drawers to a new place. Usually the first few time you do the dishes, you'll most likely go to the same old cupboard or drawer - out of habit. So when you have to seek the new drawer or cabinet - the new game begins and the brain has to pay attention as you shift your body differently. No worries if feel confusing at first - this is a good sign of learning. Once you get the game down pat, it may be time to shift things in the kitchen again and again - if this is the type of exercise and games you can enjoy.
So mainly don't beat yourself up - as long as you keep physically activating every 72 hours - things will evolve. It's up to you how fast and deep you truly want them to... and you can always move with and during pain and pay attention to the quality of how you are moving... and if all else fails... just "imagine" you are doing the dishes and the brain will still make the necessary games.0 -
I have chronic neck pain due to a few car accidents and now hold a reverse curve in my neck. :frown:
But I've found major relief here www.sdbifano.fgxpress.com with the PowerStrips and my friends got relief from their arthritis too. I thought I'd share the love and you won't have to be addicted to pain meds any longer because it's all natural. Helps relieve arthritis, migraines, back pain, any pain you have really. :flowerforyou:
I wish you all the best!0 -
Some days the pain is bad and I can not move. But I do try to put in exercise when I can. I have to take pain meds to really do some type of substantial exercise. It does help me a lot. I would take it 1 hour before exercise to make sure it has kicked in then I am usually ok until later at night when I realize how much I worked out. I know I have to keep moving it helps me out, when I sit too long and not exercise I get very weak and ache even more.0
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Janice, I wish I had read this a long time ago. Very motivational words. I thank you for that!0
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Here is a handy little work out I use on bad days. It is quite gentle and aimed just at those with fibro. On really, really bad days I only do a few minutes.
Sitting for too long makes me stiffen up really bad so I always try to do a little something.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qpZbDJ6NOL0&list=PL3y7XIAh3iJJg8t6BKNOzwIfSCB2ElV0k 0 -
I find that with a headache, I have to lay down, or else my shoulders will cramp even more. Headaches are the hardest to deal with. Today, I was very careful just to do a little housework at a time, so I won't get a flare up. For exercise, what I like to do is put my treadmill on the highest incline, and the slowest speed for a few minutes. I figure that the incline will strengthen my legs, and by going slow, I won't hurt anything. I am getting over a really bad month, so housework is all backed up. I sure miss my youth!
I wish you all the best:)0 -
You have to exercise to how you feel. When you feel good & not much pain try to do more but when your body is hurting it is very difficult to move through the pain & I feel it's better to rest. The housework is not that important & it will wait, just do what is most important like doing dishes & laundry, and then you can cut corners by doing one load of laundry a day instead of several loads in one day. On your bad days use paper plates to eat on & cook in the microwave instead of dirtying pots & pans.0
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I figure I hurt everyday. When I can, I work out, but I also allow myself time to rest. You must rest on bad days to get thru the other days.0
