What exercise should I be doing?

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locaoca
locaoca Posts: 41 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I know a lot about dieting but exercise is completely different. Four years ago, I was able to workout for 1 1/2 hours a day (1 hour treadmill and 30 minutes bike), so I am very frustrated. I have several medical problems (fibromylagia, low potassium, chronic fatigue, hypothyroidism, and a tens unit permanently in my back) that make it difficult for me to exercise, not impossible just difficult. I have a treadmill and a bike at home. I was going to a gym for water gymnastics until I saw poo one day, last time I went. The water gymnastics seemed to be the easiest (i.e., not as much pain or swelling). I can do treadmill for only about 10-15 minutes before my muscles start to seize. If I do more than 20 minutes, I can't move the next day. I realize that exercise is supposed to hurt in the beginning especially but I have a hard time getting past the first week. Any suggestions as to what I can do? Or something to do to help it not hurt as much?

Replies

  • locaoca
    locaoca Posts: 41 Member
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  • Loftearmen
    Loftearmen Posts: 380
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    You are going to be offended by what I am about to say so if that's too much for you to handle then stop reading now.

    I see patients like you every day for nerve conduction studies and EMG's. The one thing that you all have in common is a victim's mentality. What I mean by that is that you blame all of your problems on your diagnosis rather than on yourself (i.e. These diseases "happened to me"). Fibromyalgia is not a disease, it is a list of symptoms with no specific etiology, hypothyroidism is easily treated with thyroid hormones and if you took better care of yourself you wouldn't be tired all of the time so you could scratch chronic fatigue off the list as well. You can get your health back if you pony up and do it.

    I have NEVER seen a patient who was in descent physical condition who claimed to have fibromyalgia in my 6 years as a neurophysiologist. 100% of the patients I have met who had that diagnosis were overweight, inactive for a majority of their lives and had very little muscle tissue. If you change those things then health will follow.
  • BikerGirlElaine
    BikerGirlElaine Posts: 1,631 Member
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    I have a fibromyalgia diagnosis. Today I feel almost 100% almost all of the time, and I haven't taken any meds for years. I don't think I've had a flare in over a year. I don't know all of your circumstances but I can tell you what I did to get where I am today.

    At first I walked. I started with walking 3 minutes out and 3 minutes back. I worked up to walking 20 minutes out and 20 minutes back (40 total).

    I also tried to stretch. At first it hurt. And honestly, sometimes stretching still does! But I stretched anyway.

    I found warm water pools to be very helpful. The kind that they have for arthritis patients. If you can find one of those, give it a try and see how it does for you. I still to this day don't do well with regular temperature pools, they seem to drain my energy for some reason.

    I hired a personal trainer. One who had a background in rehab work. We went slow, we worked on all kinds of things. Balance, very low resistance weight training, just all kinds of things to see what my body actually could do and what it couldn't do. I needed two days of recovery instead of one, but then I would go back at it again.

    Now, 8 1/2 years later, I can lift weights almost like I used to. I just finished squatting, benching, doing barbell rows and assisted chinups.

    Diet was important for me too. Ultimately, I gave up eating MSG and anything that has added sweeteners, and that helped immensely.

    I think the thing is to listen to your body but to also keep pushing, keep trying, keep discovering what *does* work instead of focusing on what doesn't work.
  • locaoca
    locaoca Posts: 41 Member
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    You are going to be offended by what I am about to say so if that's too much for you to handle then stop reading now.

    I see patients like you every day for nerve conduction studies and EMG's. The one thing that you all have in common is a victim's mentality. What I mean by that is that you blame all of your problems on your diagnosis rather than on yourself (i.e. These diseases "happened to me"). Fibromyalgia is not a disease, it is a list of symptoms with no specific etiology, hypothyroidism is easily treated with thyroid hormones and if you took better care of yourself you wouldn't be tired all of the time so you could scratch chronic fatigue off the list as well. You can get your health back if you pony up and do it.

    I have NEVER seen a patient who was in descent physical condition who claimed to have fibromyalgia in my 6 years as a neurophysiologist. 100% of the patients I have met who had that diagnosis were overweight, inactive for a majority of their lives and had very little muscle tissue. If you change those things then health will follow.

    I wasn't offended, wouldn't have asked the question if I thought I would. I have to say what you say is probably true. When my back went (and was diagnosed when fibro) I weighed 135. Then I was on bed rest for a total of 4 months and gained a lot of weight that I have been working on since.

    I know that there are really no excuses but that's what happened. I have always been active in my life (walking, biking, hiking, swimming) until that happened, and since then I have some muscle mass loss. I know I have to suck it up to a point, but what I was looking for was a way to help not make it hurt so much. I realize there's going to be pain, but was looking for it not to put me in bed, so that I can keep going.
  • locaoca
    locaoca Posts: 41 Member
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    I have a fibromyalgia diagnosis. Today I feel almost 100% almost all of the time, and I haven't taken any meds for years. I don't think I've had a flare in over a year. I don't know all of your circumstances but I can tell you what I did to get where I am today.

    At first I walked. I started with walking 3 minutes out and 3 minutes back. I worked up to walking 20 minutes out and 20 minutes back (40 total).

    I also tried to stretch. At first it hurt. And honestly, sometimes stretching still does! But I stretched anyway.

    I found warm water pools to be very helpful. The kind that they have for arthritis patients. If you can find one of those, give it a try and see how it does for you. I still to this day don't do well with regular temperature pools, they seem to drain my energy for some reason.

    I hired a personal trainer. One who had a background in rehab work. We went slow, we worked on all kinds of things. Balance, very low resistance weight training, just all kinds of things to see what my body actually could do and what it couldn't do. I needed two days of recovery instead of one, but then I would go back at it again.

    Now, 8 1/2 years later, I can lift weights almost like I used to. I just finished squatting, benching, doing barbell rows and assisted chinups.

    Diet was important for me too. Ultimately, I gave up eating MSG and anything that has added sweeteners, and that helped immensely.

    I think the thing is to listen to your body but to also keep pushing, keep trying, keep discovering what *does* work instead of focusing on what doesn't work.


    I have not been on meds for fibro for almost two years. I want to live without them. I do watch my diet carefully for my trigger foods.

    I will try that 3 minutes out and back and work my way up. I didn't think it was good to start with less than ten. I went to one personal trainer, but I don't think she knew much about fibro. I have been looking for one that does. It's good to know that it has worked for someone else. And of course, positive attitude.
  • Iron_Duchess
    Iron_Duchess Posts: 429 Member
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    I don't know what part of Davie you are in and if you can afford a gym, but maybe you can check the Fitness center for Memorial hospital west @ Flamingo. The facilities are not huge but it has everything needed to get in shape and since it belongs to the hospital half of the center is for physical therapy. Therapists are always working with their patients and many of the machines are there for people with physical difficulties. You already stated that you know that exercise is important and if all you can do now is 10 to 15 minutes start there, but don't stay at that state feeling sorry for not being able to be or do more. Do 15 minutes one or two sessions and then increase a little the next time, until you can do 20 consistently. Push yourself and you will be amazed at what your body can actually do. Good luck.
  • locaoca
    locaoca Posts: 41 Member
    Options
    I don't know what part of Davie you are in and if you can afford a gym, but maybe you can check the Fitness center for Memorial hospital west @ Flamingo. The facilities are not huge but it has everything needed to get in shape and since it belongs to the hospital half of the center is for physical therapy. Therapists are always working with their patients and many of the machines are there for people with physical difficulties. You already stated that you know that exercise is important and if all you can do now is 10 to 15 minutes start there, but don't stay at that state feeling sorry for not being able to be or do more. Do 15 minutes one or two sessions and then increase a little the next time, until you can do 20 consistently. Push yourself and you will be amazed at what your body can actually do. Good luck.

    I went there and signed up today. Thank you!! I didn't even know it was there.

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