Fibromyalgia and Fitness

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ephelps8997
ephelps8997 Posts: 4
in Fitness and Exercise
I was diagnosed with fibromyalgia in April and have just recently started trying to lose weight. I initially started trying to walk and do general calisthenics, but that caused my FM to flare up. Is there anybody out there that is dealing with the same problem? If so, please give me any advice you have...what's worked for you, what has made it worse? Anything will help.
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Replies

  • fuhrmeister
    fuhrmeister Posts: 1,796 Member
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    I have a friend that might be able to help. I will send your post her way.
  • ephelps8997
    ephelps8997 Posts: 4
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    Thank you so much!
  • dittiepe
    dittiepe Posts: 557 Member
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    I have RA and FM. Though my FM is more fatigue than pain. I'd suggest water exercises if you are able to use a pool. It's the best thing for these types of illnesses.
  • jasmineconley
    jasmineconley Posts: 438 Member
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    I've had fibro for around 10 years now.... This may sound harsh but it's like this. You can do what you put your mind up to do. If you want to go squats but are having joint or ligament pain then modify them and don't do them as deeply. I hope you get what I just said? I've been doing p90x which is hard and has caused me to have fibro flareups but it's just that a flare up and they go away. Mind over matter is how I get through it.
  • maryham29379
    maryham29379 Posts: 7
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    I was diagnosed recently although they now think that I have had for several years and it has been overlooked...imagine that....anyway, I agree with Jasmine....I out and out hurt some days and feel like I can't move one muscle but I make myself get up and do something. If I don't then I hurt more. I am not saying to go and run a marathon and I by no means can talk because I am just starting back on my diet and exercise but it goes with anything on Fibro. If I sit and rest for too long then the house chores don't get done. I won't get up and go to work in the morning and I will put off going to worship. It has to be a mind over matter thing. I try and stretch when I wake up to get blood flowing to my muscles. I also believe that walking is one of the best exercises ever. it helped me lose almost sixty five pounds before I put twenty five back on six years later....I stopped walking and it came back.

    My doctor told me that a body in motion stays in motion and a body in rest stays in rest...this is standard law of physics as well.

    hope this helps and isn't discouraging in anyway because I wouldn't want to do that.
  • flipsit
    flipsit Posts: 111
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    I have fibromyalgia. Swimming is the least painful exercise for me but very tiring. I try and swim for 45 minutes once or twice a week (although it took a while to build up to that time). If I try and push myself for longer it takes a day or so to recover, so it's important to listen to your body.
    I also do a yogalates dvd at home. I find I can do this on all but the really bad days as it's more about stretching and toning. I do a more aerobic dvd on good days and walk for up to half an hour. However, as I'm losing weight and building muscle, I can exercise harder and for longer.
    I'm having a flare up at the moment but still managed to walk into town to my voluntary job. It took me a bit longer as my feet and body weren't quite in sync but I got there and I think I felt better than if I'd done what I'd normally do, which is to go to bed.

    Best wishes. x
  • ephelps8997
    ephelps8997 Posts: 4
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    Thank you. This does help a lot. I'm still trying to understand FM and how it affects my life. I'm excited to know that not exercising makes it worse because that alone is a good motivator. I'm looking forward to putting this to the test and jump starting my weight loss! Thanks again!
  • flipsit
    flipsit Posts: 111
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    Good luck with it. x
  • Artemis80
    Artemis80 Posts: 5 Member
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    For the first few years of my illness, I had no idea what was wrong with me. All I knew was that I was in severe pain every day all over my body, and of course my natural reaction was to stop all of my activity. It got worse and worse until I was finally diagnosed three years ago, and was told that exercise and activity would be a key part of managing my pain. It turns out that just keeping my activity level up has made a world of difference in my ability to function on a daily basis!! I am by no means pain free, but I am able to cope so much better now. That is why my goal is to stay active regularly and keep it up! Just remember that you won't be able to do the same amount of activity every day. You will have good days and bad days. The key is to do something, and tailor it to how you are feeling and what your capabilities are at the time :)
  • sharonlafleur
    sharonlafleur Posts: 15 Member
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    I was diagnosed 7 years ago and fell into somewhat of a depression. I was completely frustrated that my quality of life had diminished so much that I let it diminish even more than I needed it too. I decided about a year ago to turn things around. I couldn't exercise with the weight I had put on mostly because I ended up feeling worse. I started JUST focusing on diet. When I had lost about 50 lbs doing that I was ready to add exercise and it's nowhere near as hard as it was before. I was eating much better food and my body responded with more energy and endurance. Losing the weight helped my motivation too because I wanted to tone up the body i had just got with my weight loss. Before I always hated how i looked in the gym mirrors, now I love it! I am so proud of my progress.
  • sheamichael
    sheamichael Posts: 22
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    Hey I just wanted to share with all of my fellow FM sufferers, I also have a lot of ankle pain especially when I walk or stand for more than 30 minutes, I push myself everyday but 3 things have completely changed my quality of life and taken me off medications completely that is:
    1. Having a positive "Not letting anything get me down" attitude (not overcoming to the pain and suffering)
    2. Vitamin B-12 injections
    3. (new recent discovery are those Shape up type shoes. I don't have the Shape Up brand I have the cheap version, but that make a world of differnce of my pain levels!! Hope anything I have said makes a diiference in someones life :-)
  • flipsit
    flipsit Posts: 111
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    Good to hear about the things that other people find helpful. x
  • sheamichael
    sheamichael Posts: 22
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    Also I met a lady this weekend that said she suffered with fibro for many years, she lost weight and started taking calcium at night and now she has no pains. So a few days ago I started taking calcium and of course I am already trying to lose weight so we will see how it works!!
  • young9
    young9 Posts: 51 Member
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    i too have fibro but i decided i wasn't going to let it rule my life. after trying countless meds that either had way too many side effects or just flat out didn't work i decided i was done with them. i went off everything, started to exercise which of course caused a flare up initially but sticking with it has made me feel so much better. i still have bad days..some days i don't want to do anything but i make the choice to do it for myself and my kids. i can't be a, lay on the couch and watch life pass me by, person. i want to LIVE!
  • tinboy
    tinboy Posts: 121 Member
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    I feel your pain. Have had Fibro for 26 years. Best thing I have found is: pace yourself. You need to use your energy wisely. Stretching is very helpful. Get plenty of rest. More later... :heart:
  • Azdak
    Azdak Posts: 8,281 Member
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    Others who have RM will likely be able to give you more specific ideas. Just in general, I think you have to come to the understanding that you have to take what your body will give you, so to speak. You are going to have ups and downs--but each are temporary conditions. You can't take for granted that either phase is permanent. That can be discouraging and I think sometimes FM is as much an emotional struggle as physical. I think group support and group activities can be very important.
  • Badjinn
    Badjinn Posts: 12 Member
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    I have struggled with it for over 11 years. I gained a ton of weight at first due to the medication, but losing it very very slowly and exercise has help me. I started with aqua sports at my local YMCA, and as I got stronger I found I could do more. I then worked my way up to nortic walking only on the weekends. The nordic poles, amazon $40.00, helped with my posture and give more of a workout than regular walking. Now I am doing the second round of a boot camp program, which involves running, zumba and weights.

    The major advise is to go at my own pace, if it hurt, requested modifications. There were ups and downs, tears, but I supplemented my exercise with physical therapy and when necessary trigger points. But don't give up! Even though the weightloss for me is slow, I find the excersise helps and makes me feel better, especially during the winter months.
  • MadOne2011
    MadOne2011 Posts: 9 Member
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    Hi, I'm a fellow fibro sufferor too and have been diagnosed for 11 years. I have flare ups and find swimming the best exercise, I have even swam 20 lengths through a major flare up, slept brilliantly during the night and was perfectly fine the following day! The exercise did really hurt, I was crying with the last 2 lengths that I did, but it really helped.

    I found this stream through the search facility and it is good to know that you are not alone in managing this sometimes very delibitating condition, feel free to add me as a friend so that we can share support and motivation when fibro flares up!
  • kemccarty
    kemccarty Posts: 33
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    Hi, everyone!

    I just wanted to jump in on this conversation. After three years of bouncing between my primary care physician, chiropractors, OMM physicians, and undergoing a breast reduction, I was finally diagnosed with fibromyalgia three weeks ago. I think the most important thing for me was finally having a medical term to associate with my pain. As a 22-year-old female, I knew I should not be having the same aches as my grandmother.

    With a husband in medical school and several friends in the medical profession, I listened to their advice and am hoping to conquer my chronic pain through healthy eating and exercise versus medicating myself. I joined a gym two weeks ago and feel better than I have in years. I understand how miserable this disease can make you, but I strongly encourage others NOT to become discouraged. Exercise will NOT hurt you. The most painful part of exercise is getting into a routine after a period of being inactive.

    This disease does not have to debilitate you, and I hope that we can disassociate the stigma that is attached with fibromyalgia.
  • ekolson
    ekolson Posts: 19
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    Hi I've read everyones posts and I am not sure if you guys are familiar with Dr. St. Aramand at the Fibromyalgia Treatment Center and site at fibromyalgiatreatment.com, but visit it! It's so helpful (I was lucky enough to actually have an appointment with him in California a few years ago, after I'd had fibro for about 5 or 6) Add me if you want!

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