Anyone else with Fibromyalgia or something similar?

izzysmum · May 2011

I have just joined today and hoping to finally get some weight off of me, I want 2011 to be the last year that I am overweight!

I have fibromyalgia which has limited my mobility and because of this, exercise is pretty difficult and at the moment is limited to swimming. I can only stand up for 2-3 minutes before I need to sit down, so standing exercise is not possible. I found a workout on the fitness channel called chairobics which is good but made me feel more like 78 rather than 28!!

I know because of my health I am going to be limited in what I can do but I wondered if anyone else on the site suffers from fibro or any other similar health issues and what you do for exercise. I really would appreciate any help/advice anyone could give me.

Christiane81 · May 2011

Swimming is an excellent way to enjoy pain free exercise. I would strongly recommend chiropractic and massage in conjuction with your workouts. Both help with the reduction of pain and inflammation so hopefully you can get a little more exercise in. Good luck!

Michelle923 · May 2011

Hi, My husband has Fibromyalgia so I see first hand how difficult keeping active is with this disease. What little advice I can give you is to ease into anything slowly. With my husband, he tends to overdo things when he is having a good day and then pays for it for days with pain. His doctor had suggested to us working up to a 20 minute walk per day and some light weight lifing to help maintain muscle tone. Honestly, he's never done it. He also suffers from migraines, which never leave him....they just vary in intensity from day to day. Between the body and head pain, he just doesn't exercise. I'm so proud of you for for taking control!

teachparents · May 2011

I was diagnosed 3 years ago with fibromyalgia..i am active on days i can be, walk on days i am in too much pain.... my body might be telling me what i can and cannot do,but i'm telling my body we have to do SOMETHING.... listen to your body and work with it not against it.... do what you can.....

anvy0530 · May 2011

I consider myself to be a fibro success story. In 2007, I was basically handicapped by my illness (I even had the disability placard for my car and everything). I was on a ton of medications and everything was absolutely terrible! I started seeing a holistic MD and an acupuncturist and it changed my life! I switched to a plant-based, organic diet and had acupuncture once a week. The acupuncture helped way more than I ever thought possible (I had kind of dismissed the idea as hocus-pocus in the beginning but since my insurance covered it, I was willing to try it).

Now, it's 4 years later and I am off all the drugs I was on, I exercise every single day and I only have occasional flare-ups. The key to my success has been to take everything slowly. I started out by swimming a couple of days a week and then I started walking my dogs (like, for 10 minutes at first- nothing major). After a while, I walked longer. Eventually, I started running. After that, I began doing Insanity and P90X workout DVD's along with the running. I built up to this over years and by listening to my body. My body likes exercise. I have way more pains on a day when I skip a workout than on my workout days and I can pretty much guarantee a flare-up if I skip exercise for 3 days in a row. So I don't.

Feel free to friend me if you like! Good luck to you!!

phinners · May 2011

I've had it for the best part of 20 years, and live life in chronic pain. I do work so it's not as bad as some folk. I still workout as much as I can and am seeing some weightloss. And I think this makes a huge different to the joint and muscle pain.

izzysmum · May 2011

Thank you everyone for replying, its good to know that others are finding ways to exercise despite having fibro. I would love to be able to walk, even if it were just for 10 minutes or even 5, but I cannot walk far at all - to the bathroom and back is about my limit, maybe a little further on a good day!! The problem is that lately I just feel like all I am having is bad days, walking up or down our stairs is getting so difficult as my knees and hips hurt so bad.

I really do hope that exercise and losing weight helps, if I could build up to being able to walk that would be great because I hate having to use a wheelchair to go out. At 28 I should be up and out doing lots and feel like 78 lately! I have an amazing 3 year old Daughter and we take her to those indoor play places, I would love to be the one running around with her rather than my Hubby. I cant work and my Husband doesnt either as he looks after me and our Daughter - I would love to be well enough to look after my own Daughter so my Hubby could go back to work or I would love to be able to work again. If any of this is possible through weight loss, exercise etc I am up for trying it because I would love to have some part of my life back!!

anvy - I would love to hear more about what helped you, I did try accupuncture and it was so relaxing but for the next 2 days I could not move and the pain was worse than ever. That was enough to make me not want to try it again! That said, it is worth trying again if that has any chance of helping me!

Lets hope losing weight helps, fingers crossed!

jennylynn84 · May 2011

Fibromite. My case is fairly mild, so I'm not necessarily a great guide. I do enjoy swimming quite a bit. I do the breaststroke. Its a slower stroke, but works your muscles a little more and burns more calories. My rheumy loves to hear when I've been hitting the pool. I tried to do pilates or yoga, but I just can't get into workout videos and it never seems like these are at a convenient time at my gym.

I also do the elliptical. I canNOT run, as in addition to fibro, I have a REALLY bad knee. I've dislocated it a few times and it shifts and hurts and is all kinds of wonky. So the impact from running is rough and I just don't do it. If you're looking to do any cardio equipment I recommend bike or elliptical. The recumbant bike has a back on the seat too so you can get a little more support if a lot of your pain is should and neck based (like mine).

I just try to be sure to take my meds if I'm feeling in a lot of pain and I try to work out if its not BAD. Bad flares are one thing, but I try to go to the gym or do something even when I'm hurting. The endorphin rush and the activity can actually help - again, not if its a bad flare, but for everyday pain it can help.

My doctor, I'll admit, does not LOVE that I lift weights. She doesn't think strength training is a bad idea per se, its just that you really have to know your limits and take it slow.

Your rheumy might have more ideas as well. Mine always has suggestions for what I can do that would help me stay in shape AND reduce my pain.

izzysmum · May 2011

Jenny, thank you for the reply - I will listen to any advice and I think no matter how severe or mild someone suffers with fibro, it makes you understand it in a way that other people dont.

You mention the recumbant bike, my Hubby actually suggested that and we are looking into getting one as he thinks that may be easier to use, I am keeping fingers crossed that it helps. I have been recording loads of workouts from the fitness channel, my Sky+ is half filled with them! I know I am not going to be able to do loads but anything is better than nothing. I do find that so far, swimming has been the most helpful and the only thing that I can do and not really suffer for the next day.

I have found that going swimming, I do get that endorphin rush in the way that I do feel happier and more positive and it does give you the motivation to do more but as soon as I have a flare, all that goes out of the window! But I am going to get back into exercise as I feel like I just had a really horrible few weeks but things are starting to calm down now. I do struggle to not go and do everything on a good day, I have suffered because of that a few times, I think that while things I good I will get lots done and then end up stuck in bed unable to move!

I wish I could discuss things with a Rheumatologist, mine basically diagnosed me and then discharged me back to the GP! On the plus side though, my GP is great and I do feel like I am so lucky with the GP that I have. I have been having other health issues recently which doesnt help, but hopefully they are going to get sorted out soon enough.

Thank you Jenny for the post and advice, I really do appreciate it and will definately be getting back to swimming and will try the recumbant bike and see how I go.

katrina1122 · May 2011

I got my fibro dx in 2000, but I've had it my whole life.

Some days I can't make it out of bed, others I have little pain.

The key to overcoming the pain is working through it. Take 5 extra steps than you did the day before. Go downstairs even if it hurts, just don't push it. If you can only do that 1x per week, then fine, just keep doing it. Also, stretch, stretch, stretch. Stretching is like working out for our messed up muscles and fascia.

I'm constantly stretching something, whether I'm at my desk at work stretching my ankles and neck, driving in the car and doing shoulder shrugs, sitting in bed, etc. Some days I do more than others, but when I don't, I regret it.

Water workouts are awesome, i like using the water weights for water aerobics, water walking and holding on to the edge and just kicking. I also use a recumbanet elliptical bike, can't do a regular elliptical it hurts to much. On days when I'm feeling energetic I do parts of the weight circuit using little to no weights as that's plenty for me.

Lastly, massages! I tried accupuncture and it did nothing for me, it works for others. I'm want a fibro weight/exercise support group on here, so I'm sending you a friend request.

Anyone else with Fibromyalgia or something similar?

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