Fibromyalgia and Exercise

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tpruitt95
tpruitt95 Posts: 7
in Fitness and Exercise
I have been diagnosed with FM a little over a year ago. I was already on the heavy side then. Now I'm 20 lbs heavier because of lack of movement. It just hurts to move / exercise 3 days afterwards. Now I have too! I have tried to lose weight in the past with discouragement and quit after 2 weeks. I used wii fit plus for exercise. I lost nothing. I did change my eating habits but after exercising and not losing weight I just got so down and slid back into my old habits...now it is time to do something! I have absolutely NOTHING to wear...my old clothes do not fit like they use to and I refuse to go buy new ones...I'm thinking about joining a gym but I'm afraid of hurting my muscles. I can't do as much as other people can. Do any of you have FM and have lost weight? Can exercising and loosing weight still exist with this horrible muscle and joint problem?

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  • emmaleigh47
    emmaleigh47 Posts: 1,670 Member
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    I have fibromyalgia, even though I dont like to admit it, as well as asthma.
    You can see below what I have been able to do... its not about beating your body into submission, but its about easing your body into exercise.

    Start out with slow walking -- then increase the distance or the speed.
    I do P90X ... but instead of doing the whole video I started out with half... and worked my way up.

    And make sure you are eating enough too ...
    Wii Fit is a great place to start as well... although I prefer to work to move my own body weight!
  • CoachMaritova
    CoachMaritova Posts: 409 Member
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    I have heard that exercise helps FM, and that working out in the water can help.... just hearsay, but might be worth a try ;) Good luck on your journey!!
  • campb2ti
    campb2ti Posts: 104 Member
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    would working out in a pool be easier and less painful? that would be a good place to start with exercise without throwing your body in to a flare up!
  • kjb0976
    kjb0976 Posts: 68
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    Have you tried water aerobics or Yoga? My Mom has FM and I can see her pain when she hurts all over. Start slow when exercising and go for the low impact cardio exercises. Stationary biking might work well too. I would suggest trying various exercises and seeing what works best for you! Good luck!!
  • GaveUp
    GaveUp Posts: 308
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    My sister has FM and swims at the YMCA... they have a class for that.
  • angeljamin
    angeljamin Posts: 234 Member
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    Maybe you can do PIlates? It is very easy on the body. It isn't a huge calorie burner, but if you choose an easy going instructor it will help to slowly build muscle and better posture. I really like Tandy Gutierrez on Exercise on Demand.

    I have ANA 1:160 speckled, not sure why.
  • tpruitt95
    tpruitt95 Posts: 7
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    Thanks guys for the ideas in exercising. I don't have a pool and not a YMCA :( My church, however, does provide a walking track, fitness gym, and arobic classes. Starting off slowly is the key I think. I may be starting off too much like I'm in my 20's again! LOL

    Oh and I too have asthma!!!
  • TrainingWithTonya
    TrainingWithTonya Posts: 1,741 Member
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    I'm sorry I don't have time to fully respond to this right now because I'm on my way out the door to head to the gym for a training session. But I wanted to mark this post so I can respond later because I have actually taken a continuing education course in fibromyalgia and exercise and I've taken Clinical Exercise Physiology in college that covered it too. I have some specific recommendations in my books, but it will take more time to look them up and type them out then I have right now, but I will be back between now and tomorrow to list the recommendations.
  • fuzzbugjr
    fuzzbugjr Posts: 27 Member
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    Hi. I have Rheumatoid Arthritis and can't exercise like other people either. I also use a cane so I don't fall. About 4 months ago I tried the Leslie Sanson DVDs. I can't keep up with her. So, I use some of the moves and do them without the dvd at my own pace in my house. When I started I could only do 2 or 3 minutes. Now, I am up to 12 to 15 minutes at a time. I think the key is to start slowly and try to be consistent. I walk 2 to 4 times a day. Is it easy? Not for me! But, I am trying.
  • AshDHart
    AshDHart Posts: 818 Member
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    I have fibromyalgia and I'm on oxygen from a recent bout with pneumonia. I find that yoga is one of the best things I can do for my fibro. It has lessened the flare-ups. Being heavy some of the poses are hard to do but I find that with some modifications I can do more. Great book for that is Mega Yoga by Megan Garcia. Also, there is a site for yoga for larger woman. http://www.curvyyoga.com/

    I find that taking it slow and gentle is the key. Walking is good just don't push so hard you can't walk the next day. I started out walking just 5 min. Then I moved up a few minutes as I felt I could. Now I can walk 20 or more. I just walk slow. The Walk at Home DVD's by Leslie Sansone are great.

    Swimming is fantastic but like you I don't have easy access to a pool right now.

    I like to dance and as long as I don't do anything crazy I can do that. I like belly dancing and have a few DVD's I just go slower. I might do half the moves they do. And I modify any that are too intense.

    You can lose weight! I have lost 32lbs so far.
  • auntiebabs
    auntiebabs Posts: 1,754 Member
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    I've got some health issues to, so far I've done everything by diet. My next step is fitting in more activity...

    But I started by:

    1) tracking for a couple of weeks before I worried about losing.
    (although seeing what I was eating I couldn't help but rein back a bit)

    2) seeing where I could make small changes on things that weren't that important to me.
    (Don't even think of taking chocolate out of my diet!!!)
    --Reducing quantities where I won't notice it so much
    --Swapping out things instead of eliminating them.

    3) Look at my diary and started adding foods that had positive healthy effects specifically for the health issue in my family.
    I found most of the things I "should" add were really yummy too! salmon, avocado, oatmeal, mango, red grapes....
    (Sort of think of food as medicine to deal with family history of various health issue oatmeal is good for heart health, mango and red grapes lower cholesterol, tumeric and cinnamon good for arthritis)

    4) every couple of weeks I see where I can make another couple of small changes.
    If you completely revamp your diet, it's way easy to revert to old ways in times of stress. (and who doesn't have stress?)
    If you make a series of small changes, food still offers you some sense of comfort.
    sort of a comfort continuum, and after a while the first small changes will seem comforting in themselves.
    You don't have to be perfect you just have to do better.

    5) also rather than being uberstrict with the target MFP set for me I did the math to find out the calories needed to maintain my goal weight and my current weight and I gave myself a range with 1200 as my rock bottom, lose 1 lb/wk as my target and maintain my goal weight as the top of my range. As long as I keep within in this range I'll lose. I tend to naturally zig zag my calories 2-3 days at very close to my target and then a higher calorie day closer to the top of my range.

    As long as I stayed under maintain my current weight calories I won't gain. So no need to throw in the towel, just pick-up where I left off.

    Once I found ways to lessen the stress, I found it way easier to focus on the process and let the results follow. (It's what worked for me some people need the stress to get them motivated. Me I get scared and overwhelmed and don't see the big goal as achievable. I only worry about it 1 lb at a time.)

    I figure if I've got a good plan that I can actually maintain I can keep this off for a long time to come, without feeling deprived.
    Good Luck
  • erikazj
    erikazj Posts: 2,365 Member
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    I have fibromyalgia, and I just wanted to tell you that it is possible to lose weight and exercise. Exercise with fibromyalgia is a funny thing because although to start with it feels like the worse thing you can be doing, in the long term it can really make you feel a lot better. Start off slow and gentle. Be aware that you may need longer recovery periods than some people. There is no way for example that I can run 5 days a week like some of my friends because I need at least a day off between runs if not two. I've found weight training has also made me feel better and stronger, but again you have to start slow and be aware of your limitations. Pilates and yoga are great, as improving your posture and core helps take some of the strain off your other muscles.

    I've found that I can't manage a large calorie deficit without becoming exhausted, which means that you might have to take longer to lose your weight in the long run, but again I've found improving my diet has made me feel better.

    Good luck, and send me a message if you want to know anything else.

    Erika
  • TrainingWithTonya
    TrainingWithTonya Posts: 1,741 Member
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    Sorry it took me a little bit to get back to this, but here is some information for you on Fibromyalgia (Sometimes abbreviated FM in the notes) from my Clinical Exercise Physiology class.



    Effects of Fibromyalgia on Exercise


    FM decreases the pain threshold and exercise tolerance and increases fatigue.
    Symptoms of FM may limit the type of exercise activities prescribed.
    Specifically, eccentric muscle contractions, sustained overhead activities, and vigorous or high-impact activities are poorly tolerated.
    Non-weight bearing exercise in a pool is recommended by an Arthritis Foundation aquatics program for FM known as FIT (fibromyalgia interval training).

    - In contrast to other rheumatic conditions, an increase in pain with FM does not signify an increase in the inflammatory process. Therefore, strength and cardiovascular training are not absolute contraindications with an exacerbation of FM pain.



    Benefits of Exercise on Fibromyalgia


    Weight management
    Improved Cardiovascular health and fitness
    Improved muscular work capacity
    Improved ability to perform ADL’s
    Improved sleep patterns
    Improved pain management
    Increased energy/Decreased fatigue
    Stress management
    Natural anti-depressant
    Increased self-efficacy/self-esteem
    Development of an internal focus of control



    Exercise Testing for Fibromyalgia

    Fibromyalgiaandexercise.jpg



    Exercise Prescription for Fibromyalgia

    Fibromyalgiaandexercise2.jpg



    ETA: Apparently these pictures are too wide for the boards, but if you right click and save as, you can see the whole picture on your computer.
  • tpruitt95
    tpruitt95 Posts: 7
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    Oh I'm so thankful for all this information! I have no excuses for no exercise. The first time I lost weight I basically did it without exercising. I don't think I'm going to beable to do that this time because of the FM and because I'm older. Thanks again for the information. I'll keep everyone updated on my progress! Tanya
  • peytjalmom
    peytjalmom Posts: 76
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    bump
  • rachpiper720
    rachpiper720 Posts: 204
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    Hey! I have fibro too. I've had symptoms since I was about 12. I'm now 28, but was only diagnosed about 3 years ago. First off, things that I have found for me that decreases pain.

    1-Reduce your carbs - carbs increase inflammation and can really do a number on your FM pain. Try decreasing your carbs to around 50-100/day for a week or two and see how you feel. Then eat carbs and see how you feel. For me it makes a world of difference...like night and day! Eat lots of veggies, eggs, nuts, meat, a little bit of fruit, and a little bit of dairy. It not only will help you with your pain, but it will also help you lose the weight quicker.
    2- Taking magnesium helps me sleep much better.
    3- Exercising helps so much.
    4-Massage is wonderful for relieving pain!

    So back to your question. My best advice is to start out slow...like 10 minutes a day. Even when you are so tired and in pain, get up and just walk for a few minutes and try to go a little further. Then try and add more. Just sitting or lying around WILL NOT help. Keep increasing your time until you feel comfortable with that. Next, move onto some other low-impact things like yoga, swimming, biking, or even try a little bit of jogging.

    The hard thing is to know when your body is actually hurting from working out and when it is hurting from FM pain. I'll tell you it is a very different feeling and the workout pain generally overrides the FM pain for some reason and I don't hurt as much.

    There is a very fine line, though, when you don't do enough and when you do too much. You have to learn to listen to your body and really ask... am I tired and in pain because I did too much or too little. It has taken me 3 years to become comfortable with this. Now I have completed P90x, sprint, do body weight exercises, and my quality of life has improved so much. Feel free to add me as a friend if you need future support!

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