Exercise and fibro

[Highlander50]

I have been in a rheumatology unit exercising every day for 2 weeks. On discharge I carried on with the exercising but have found that exercising only makes the muscle pain worse, as if the muscles get trapped. I know what exercising a normal body (without fibro) feels like but the pain has heightened so kuch so that I was in such pain that I had to stop exercising. Does fibro and exercising not work? Has anyone else felt like this?

[LisaSnow FMA UK Volunteer]

Sorry to hear about your experience. Exercise can feel daunting especially.when you are in pain. But once I stick.woth low impact exercise (walking) regularly (daily) I feel dramatically better. I wonder if your exercise focused too much on building muscles instead of strengthening and toning, and that's why you hurt more? Please report how you feel with.your physical therapist because it is their job to modify your protocol to make sure you get what you need.

[Cat00]

I do a lot of exercise, with a period of at least half an hour of intense exercise most days. The pain clinic said I needed to get my heart rate high for that amount of time to feel the benefits. I don't think fibromyalgia necessarily prohibits exercise of any kind to be honest you just have to manage it differently and it does help enormously if you are a responder to exercise, which I am.

I do cardio and weights 5 days a week and kung fu in the evenings, I would do more if I had the time. As long as I go regularly I'm fine, to the degree that I hardly notice my fibro. But if I stop it takes me a couple of weeks or more to get back to where I was. I was ill 3 weeks ago so I missed 5 days of exercise and it's taken me until now to get back.

You have to build up your strength slowly, you don't need to go hard you just need to be consistent. There is a guy on here that runs marathons.

I get pain with exercise but I get pain from fibromyalgia, so avoiding pain is pointless. At least exercise related pain is better for you.

[Alsithee4 in reply to Cat00]

Hi, just wanted to ask do you have a family and do you work?I'm really struggling to complete 2 exercise sessions a week, nevermind everyday 😫

[Cat00 in reply to Alsithee4]

Yes I have a 6 year old and a 9 year old. I'm an artist so my work load varies, very busy now leading up to exhibition season. But I have 4 other chronic pain conditions, the worst of which is chronic migraine which I have over 50% of the time. We are also building an extention to our house, we can't afford to pay someone to do it so we're doing it ourselves. So this morning I went to them gym at 11, left at 1.30, fed the kids and then spent the rest of the day digging a metre deep trench in the garden. I basically don't sit down very often. I did the same Saturday, I've got to make pack lunches for the kids for school tomorrow and I'm struggling to get up!It is very time consuming, my friend joined the same gym and started doing classes with me. She quit after a while and said it took up too much time, but she doesn't have chronic pain that is alleviated by exercise so she doesn't have reasons to keep at it. I only do it because I usually walk in there feeling all types of terrible and I come out feeling so good its addictive.

I'm a really bad insomniac and I sleep so much less when I don't exercise and all my pain conditions get worse. I started by going to the gym twice a week and built it up from there, it's just very high up on my priorities.

If you can only make two sessions a week, then just make sure you prioritise those two sessions, every week. It will get easier as your body adjusts and it becomes part of your routine, you'll get more space in your head too. I find just not being in my house with all the housework surrounding me alleviates a lot of stress. It'll still be there when I get back, but then it's always there 🤷

[Alsithee4 in reply to Cat00]

Blimey, you're amazing 👏 I'll keep my head focused and keep chipping away at the exercise.

Well done fof juggling everything, look after yourself xx

[Cat00 in reply to Alsithee4]

Just remember two sessions a week is 104 more sessions a year than you were doing before and your metabolism will notice even if you don't initially. Once you have done exercise like resistance training your metabolism will continue to be elevated for up to 48 hours. This means even hours after exercise your body will still be burning more calories than normal. So compared to nothing, two sessions could equal 4 days of benefit.

[Gigiruth]

Hi HighlanderYes I get something like this

Feels like cramp.in the muscles

I find I have to build up slowly and adjust exercise to compensate for other factors like stress/ colds etc.

I find bath salts help me.

Some days I can do many more steps than others.

Often I have to do one day high then one less.

Hope you find ways that work.

Gigi

[Laupecyndi]

When I exercise, I cant get out of bed the next day. Just going for a walk seems to be bearable, even then body hurts.

[Onceabiker]

I am a strong believer in exercise. When at the pain clinic for a month it was a core part of the programme wether weights, walking of something like yoga. Once home and 17.5 stone I bought an Ebike and started off only managing 3 to 5 miles but in the end I got up to over 40 miles. When hills are too hard up the power, as you get fitter challenge yourself to not use the motor and ride it like a normal bike.

The endorphins and adrenalin created help very much - people call it Runners Buzz.

I know starting is hard and and the first few weeks are the worst but force yourself through it. Doctors can prescribe free gym membership or if you can motivate yourself just get an exercise bike in your house. A benefit is weight loss and less to carry about with aches and pains.

[Judithdalston]

My exercise is swimming 45 mins 5x a week; I’d recommend it as the water supports your body and in my case can do stretches and movements I could never manage on dry land! I do have postural hypotension too, which means 10 mins standing or walking can be too long. I started going to a local ish pool/ gym in a hotel 14 months ago thinking I would perhaps have to build up from 10 mins a day, but easily managed 40 mins with a mix of swimming styles, jumping/ hopping/stretching etc in shallower end, but now largely swim (small) lengths with a bit of stretching. Not noticed any bad side effects from swimming, only from over doing a spring clean at home.

[Highlander50]

Thanks for all your comments. Think I may stick to walking as I feel better not focusing on arms and knees.Cheers

[Smilesalot]

Hi hun.I have found the same. I exercised til it was too painful. I still do basics but get angry as the pain lasts about 3 days in top of Fibro. I don't know what to do to be honest ???

I now exercise twice a week. And accept the crop.

I'm having a bad day and near tears 😢 so ignore me in off xxx

[Woodwalker]

Hello I wonder if the unit are offering nutritional advice along with your exercise programme. I would suggest trying some electrolytes in addition to any new exercise as cramping can often be a sign of low electrolytes. It may be worth experimenting with some different types.

Good luck and keep motivated

[Elaine200756]

I've just seen your post Highlander. I can't do a lot of exercise but I found a video on YouTube. It's by an NHS Physiotherapist called Kim Salam and it's a stretching exercise routine for those who have fibromyalgia pain and chronic pain. It is stretches for all the muscles of the body.

It is gentle stretches and she gives alternative exercises you can do in a chair. I find it really helpful for part of my pain management. She does other exercise videos for Fibromyalgia, eg., plates.

I swim once a week, however, at the moment I can only manage 20 minutes. But again it's good exercise for Fibromyalgia pain and you can swim at your own pace. Also, it's better to do just 20 minutes rather than none at all.

For me, it's important to do exercise that I enjoy, and like swimming, love. I'm not going to keep it up if I don't like it or enjoy it. I tried the gym but I soon stopped going because I found it boring and especially when it was cold, I wasn't motivated to go to the gym and exercise. For some people though, they enjoy it and get a lot out of it.

You mentioned walking, I like to walk in nice weather but come winter, forget it 🤣

I hope this helps. Take care and God bless, Elaine xx

[Highlander50 in reply to Elaine200756]

Thanks Elaine

[Elaine200756 in reply to Highlander50]

You're welcome 😁

[Elaine200756]

The physio is Kim Sala not Salam! Predictive text strikes again 🤣

[fmlife]

my experience with exercise is same painful, changed to aeropilates with trampoline for cardio however certainly cannot do at moment am worn out just being

perhaps over doing everyday?

try to reduce exercise add rest days , take the gently gently approach

build up a little over period of time. the head say yes the body says no

2 weeks exercising everyday 😯 no one recommends that unless training for Olympic's,

good luck if are🤩

gentle hugs