I would suggest TAI CHI; and MUSCLE FLEXING: I heard a yoga trainer describe this as tensing muscles gently -- squeeze & release. I have been using this techinque for some time becuz of injuries and to help improve circulation overall.
For instance, for my feet I squeeze my toes open and shut; then my feet -- do feet curls open & shut. Repeat 4-8 times. Remember to keep it gentle ...
Then you can do this with your calves -- flex your feet up & down: toes pointed out, then up straight; for thighs -- squeeze them together; arms -- move them in & out, or up & down; for the tummy: hold your stomach in for a 4 count & release; the same for your butt; repeat as many times as you feel comfortable with; and so forth, until you have covered your whole body ...
Last edited by Justwant2Bhealthy; 02-04-2012 at 09:19 PM.
My best advice isn't so much about what type of exercise you do - it's about how to do any exercise.
First and foremost, don't ever think of exercise in terms of "no pain, no gain." If you hurt - STOP. In fact, if you hurt, you've probably done way to much, and you're going to pay for it later.
Don't think of exercise in terms of "work outs" because then you tend to focus on time or exercises, rather than on how your body is feeling.
Don't "do as much as you can," do as much as is comfortable, and slowly increase over time.
You're going to make mistakes, so expect them. Know that you're going to overdo and have rebound flares many times before you learn how much you can do without triggering a flare.
That doesn't mean "start big" it means "start small" and if you have a flare "start smaller" next time.
Work at making progress slowly. If you can only walk on a treadmill for two minutes without hurting, then walk two minutes. When two minutes is comfortable, do not try to do five. Increase gradually.
Pay attention to your workout clothing. If getting dressed is as hard as doing the exercise, you're not going to do the exercise. For example, I started with warm water exercise (amazing, and so wonderful. I would have lived in the water if I could have - though my doc said no more than 2 hours in the pool for me, even if I'm doing nothing but floating - too prolonged a freedom from gravity, can make just getting back to normal gravity painful).
When I started, getting dressed and undressed took too much out of me, so I put my swimsuit on at home (two pieces and a bit loose, so it was easy to get on and off), put a t-shirt dress over it, and I took soft, easy cotton underwear to the pool for afterward. T-shirt bras that hook in the front were a must. Before I found a stretchy front-hook bra, I often couldn't get a bra on after swimming, so I'd put on the t-shirt dress with no bra and put my jacket on over it to conceal the fact that I was braless. This only worked in winter. In summer, I sometimes had to sit in a towel for twenty minutes in the locker room so I could dry and rest well enough to put on a bra. When I found knit front-hook bras, it was a so awesome.
I now can do water exercise at a local YMCA (the water is a few degrees cooler. I wouldn't have been able to do that when I started though).
I can also use gym equipment - a recumbent elyptical, a regular elyptical, and the treadmill. Some I can only use for five minutes. Some days I can walk on the treadmill for almost an hour. It really depends on a lot of factors (which I also had to experiment with to find). I can do a lot more in Spring, Fall, and Summer, than I can in Winter. If it's wet or damp or the weather is about to change, I can't do as much.
The hardest part is recognizing signs that I'm doing too much, if I'm having fun. The biggest risk (now that I've been doing a lot more) is when I'm trying something new. It's better to underestimate my ability than to overestimate. As an example, I really hurt myself this summer during a gym challenge. You had to do 20 minutes of specific exercises, and I because I could do more than 20 minutes on the treadmill and in the water, I thought the eliptical wouldn't be that much different. I usually judge gym equipment by how my knees feel. My knees weren't hurting, so I did do the 20 minutes (even though it had gotten hard enough that I did know I was overdoing it - I just didn't think I was SEVERELY overdoing it because my knees felt ok). OMG, did I end up in miserable shape for more than a week. Some of it was actual muscle injury, but most of it was the pain amplification of the fibro. Before the fibro, I would have been sore, but it wouldn't have incapacitated me. I ended up in bed for five days, and almost unable to walk for the first three (sitting down and getting up were so painful, I didn't even want to drink anything because getting to the bathroom was so difficult, and of course water is what your body does need for muscle repair - so it was a bit of a catch 22).
Hey Livehealthy, I too have fibromyalgia and as crazy as it sounds I started a program called Body for Life which involves weight training. Everyone is different but I was pain free after about 2 months with the exception of soreness from working out which as you know is different from the pain of the Fibro. More than anything though removing sugar, caffeine, all processed foods, alcohol and for me salt had a huge impact on my health and well being. Everyone has to find what is BEST for them because everyone's triggers are different. I know swimming is highly recommended. Good luck and I hope you find what is right for you soon.
Great advice above. I would also suggest looking into very gentle forms of yoga. Yin yoga is a restorative, primarily seated type of yoga that can be really wonderful for fibro, in my experience. With CFS co-morbid with fibro, I'm trying to rebuild strength/stamina right now after a severe 8 month crash (mostly confined to bed/couch). It is frustratingly slow-going, because overdoing it causes such a backlash. But the yoga has really helped me. I'm to the point where I can do a 30-minute yin yoga routine daily and feel much better for it, and I'm inching up towards a 45 minute routine.
Anyway, the best DVD I have found is one by Zyrka Landjwit called Gentle Yoga, which has 6 levels of 'difficulty,' a great video pose guide, and very soothing verbal cuing. Google it and I think you can find a sample, so you can evaluate if it might be appropriate for where you're at. Good luck.
Simple stretching is a must for me, and on days that I can do more than my usual chores I walk. Water classes are great if you can find a warm pool the cold bothers me and I had a problem with the chlorine and water irritating my skin so now I just walk. Garden when its warm too..that is a lot of stretching also. Do what works for you and it may be different everyday!
Can you guys suggest me some useful exercises that are good for fibromyalgia?
Thanks
Livehealthy
Get in the pool and run, I go forward for 15 minutes, I tread for 5 and I run backwards for 15, then I use water weights and work my arms and shoulders
hello, I too have recently been diagnosed with FM (about 2 yrs now) and am told by the specialist I am at the "severe" end of the disorder. I tend to have more "bad" days than "good" but always try to stay active by doing housework to keep me from shutting down completely. And I do some knitting and crocheting to keep my hands from seizing up on me altogether. Walking is NOT an option for me but on the days where I am able to lift my arms over shoulder height, I like to get out and work in the gardens.
I am still discovering my triggers, but caffeine, dairy and sugars are things I tend to avoid as much as possible.
I haver suffered for years. they tell you walking is the best but sometimes it hurts to much. stretching is good but I find water aerobics the best. susan
Anyone suggest exercises that are good for Fibromyalgia
fibro exercises
