Exercise endo

[Kinz10]

Hi everyone hope your all coping as well as can be ❤️. Was wondering if there is anyone here who is able to maintain a exercise regime at the gym and still lift weights ? I have suffered for a long time but always managed to maintain my fitness in fact I found it helped ease the pain,but the last year has been unbearable with my back hips and legs I'm in so much pain all the time resulting in me having to stop. May not sound trivial to some but my jobs really physical and mentally exercise helps me, to not be able to do anything I am struggling. Does anyone have any advice in this area ? Xxx

[SavageGold]

I may not be much use Kinz I'm sorry as we are all so different. I'd say it depends on how you manage your hormones treatment as a start.Before I was switched from the microgynon 30 I was sent to a physio through work because my job was heavy physically and I was off 50% of the time. The physio could see my whole posture was pulled out of whack which to me was due to the endo. I was given 4 hours of stretches to do and my goodness they hurt. I lay crying on the floor unable to get back up. 😢 The physio said 'back pain is not caused by disease'. How wrong she was!!!!

I'm now on Depo proverera. I was weightlifting until I broke my wrist 6 years ago. I switched to cycling which I can do now my endo is controlled. I took up bootcamp and military exercise for some years. I just switched to triathlon now.

My main things I've noticed is little and often training doesn't bring on a bleed. But I've just noticed that the large event themselves I get sudden excruciating pain and almost need to phone 999. Then the bleeding starts. The Dr thinks it cysts being stretched to an inch of their life and bursting, and blood is shooting through my system causing shocking pain on route. I also find that after the 'snap' and it settles, I've got more movement! And I sleep differently in bed. I lie down differently.

My point is I know what you mean about exercise helping. The fact your hurting more now I would try castor oil on the sore areas if its stiffness and tightness. And try diaphragm breathing if you don't already to get the pelvic floor relaxed and get the sit bones moving. And also can you get somebody to do deep tissue massage or even just skin roll your bum, and back? I don't know if one can skin roll legs🤔. There's also CBD oil massage balm (the strongest one) takes away pain in my tailbone and hips. There's also the theragun mini. But use the theragun mini with caution. I used it for a year and it was amazing.

I'm about to see a yoga specialist. She'll say the same thing about my posture but hopefully be more kind in helping me relax.

Im definitely jabbering now lol. I definitely think we are really hard on ourselves. We punish ourselves for revenge because we hate how our own bodies attack us when actually, learning to relax these muscles that are constantly tight in pain and fear of the next round helps in itself.🙂

Wishing you the best

[Kinz10 in reply to SavageGold]

Thankyou for all this information savagegold I will look into all of it ❤️. Like you I have switched most my training up from running to cycling anything so I can try and do something instead of nothing but anything seems to trigger it now 😕 . I'm not on anything to manage the hormones only the bleeding and the pain at the moment they have given me nerve blockers but they literally make me like a zombie so I haven't taken any more I hate taking all these tablets 🥲 if I can find an alternative IL try anything. I have a lap now on next week so I hope I find out more then or at least IL get some rest lol. Thank you 😊

[TogetherWeAreStrong Moderator Endometriosis UK in reply to SavageGold]

SavageGold thank you for sharing your experiences and your comment:

I definitely think we are really hard on ourselves. We punish ourselves for revenge because we hate how our own bodies attack us when actually, learning to relax these muscles that are constantly tight in pain and fear of the next round helps in itself.🙂

Is so true!

[BloomingMarvellous]

Hello , I do a mix of things but have learned that traditional “core work” can be highly problematic for endo sufferers. I had great success putting myself back together using a specific programme but I’d suggest listening to a discussion between the pelvic physio discussion with @leah.brueg . Follow her link to the podcasts to a chat with Dr Angie Muller which I think is about number 52or 57 (?) . Runs for about an hour and I found it truly helpful in re directing and understanding why the exercise I was doing wasn’t useful and actually was causing further issues. @corerecoverypt has a lot of great information too xx

[Kinz10 in reply to BloomingMarvellous]

Amazing ! thank you blooming marvellous this is fab I will be sure to check this out. I have tryed finding things but there never seems to be much information or advice on this particular area xx

[BloomingMarvellous in reply to Kinz10]

It is rather niche !

[TogetherWeAreStrong Moderator Endometriosis UK in reply to BloomingMarvellous]

BloomingMarvellous your response and interaction is the reason why I am so grateful for this forum. I was totally unaware of this help.

Thank you 🌈

[meg73]

Hi there! I would definitely recommend seeing a pelvic floor physio who knows about endometriosis. They can help you strengthen your pelvic floor in a way that will not increase inflammation and will provide the support needed to help you still exercise. I've been seeing one since late last year when I felt I had to stop running and I'm back running now with much less pain

[Kinz10 in reply to meg73]

Amazing meg thank you. I have been back and for with pain and no help 😕 they just drowned me with tablets I feel like noone listens x

[TogetherWeAreStrong Moderator Endometriosis UK]

HeyKinz10 thank you for your post and please be assured that your concerns are not trivial.

Over time my physical capabilities have very much changed and there's certain exercises and pastimes I will not be able to do anymore and this is 90% down to Endo.

This started to really get me down as I was unable to maintain any kind of regular regime, whicH made me feel like a failure, SavageGold that is why your response really resonated with me.

I now accept that I cannot maintain a specific routine and that's okay. If I am able to, I like to walk, swimming and yoga are also brilliant. My actual day to day is stretching, leaning on the kitchen worktop, back of sofa etc but again this is pain dependant.

I am very grateful when I am able to do any exercise as it really helps me mentally too. And that is why we are all endo warriors, we stride forward one day at a time, as endo is not who we are, we defiantly look endo in the face and laugh is we will not be kept down by it!

Defiantly

[MrsPaddingtonBear]

Hi

Firstly a big high 5 to you for trying to maintain your fitness. Be proud of yourself! I am waiting for a hysterectomy for severe Endo and cysts. Been on zoladex for 15 months now on prostap and hrt patches. 20 years of hospital visits. The last two years have been hell. I’ve never cried with exhaustion before, I was on the phone to my doctor crying and he said what’s wrong I said I want to empty the dishwasher but I can’t even get up I’m so tired. I was severely anemic! I’ve been doing 20/30 mins cardio daily for over a year now. I rarely miss a day. I do workout videos from YouTube at home, in my time and space, at my pace, and level. It’s hard, sometimes it’s harder than other days, sometimes I have to miss a day due to getting too tired. Doing it for the surgery so a necessary thing. Sometimes the pain means I don’t exercise as well as other days but it’s ok, I’m still moving and trying. I do Improved health workouts, she has different levels and also workouts with weights, seated and standing exercises and stretching included. Might be worth a look? We need to be kinder to ourselves sometimes and it takes a lot to accept we can’t always do thing the way we want. It took a long time for me to realise that and not be my stubborn self. We can do it, just perhaps differently and sometimes slower. Wether it’s made a difference to my pain level I don’t know, I have so many pain area competing with each other. All I know is I’m trying to keep well, I’m going to keep going regardless, I will (eventually) get my surgery and then I will let my consultant retire 😊 Keep positive best of luck.

[Kazh1209 in reply to MrsPaddingtonBear]

I could have literally written this lovely. Ive been on my second cycle of prostap for a year now, hysterectomy two years ago and have just given my operation date for September where they will take my ovaries, excise endo and possibly a bowel resection too Im on so many meds to counteract the effects of prostap which I guess is helping me? Im on tibolone which I have found helps a little but I had a bone scan and my bones are weak, endo...the gift that keeps on giving! your positivity is so refreshing to hear, wanted to say I understand and here if you need a chat x

[Kinz10 in reply to MrsPaddingtonBear]

Thank.you so much for this lovely message ❤️ and so sorry to hear of your agonising journey also it seems unfair but I know we have to keep moving and be as positive as we can. I had all my endro removed two days ago now recovering from surgery and feeling rotton but optimistic for some change xxx