I have an interesting combination of challenges, I have Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) and Exercise/heat induced migranes. As a result I have done pretty much all of my weight loss with diet alone. I would like to exercise but just don't have the energy and also the only exercise I have found that does not induce a migraine is water aerobics (I think it is because the water keeps my body temp down).
Does anyone have any suggestions of effective low impact excercise that hopefully won't spark a migraine? There isn't much I can do about the CFS but if I can tackle one challenge maybe that will help the other.
If you have any advice about the CFS that would be great too, it is very similar to Fibromyalgia (some people think they may be the same thing), it is really hard to get in any activity when you are exhausted from work and your body/joints ache like crazy
I have fibromyalgia and arthritis. My rheumatologist recommended water aerobics and/or swimming right after I was diagnosed the summer of 2004. It took a while before I bought a membership at the Y, but when I did and started taking the classes, I haven't turned back. There have been days when I could barely move because of pain or exhaustion over the past 1 1/2 years, but I managed to get to the pool, and I felt good while I was there. I also go into the whirlpool when I'm finished, but I don't know how that would affect your migraines. Even with the water classes, I am totally exhausted, so I can believe that fibro and CFS are related. Good luck!!
I've started getting into belly dancing. Very low impact. I have migraine problems too, so yeah...it's near impossible to get on the floor and do situps or pilates Although I don't know if dancing would work with the joint pain. It's worth a shot! This girl has some pretty good short instructional videos: http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=cassiopeia222
Congratulations on all of the weight you've lost!!! It's all the more impressive when put into perspective with your condition!
I have fibro and CFS. I hurt far more when I don't exercise. The only time I don't lift or do strenuos cardio is when I'm having a major flare which always involves my back and hips. Them I walk on the treadmill or use a recumbent bike. Yes, it still hurts, but it would hurt just as much lying on the couch.
14 years ago I came to terms with the idea that I HAD to exercise or I'd always be in pain.
Hi! I empathize. Eleven years of nonstop head pain and definitely fibro/CFS diagnoses (and so many others!) I also used to have more of a problem heat/exercise-induced severely low blood pressure, and so I thought most exercise was out of the question too. It's taken me a long time to realize that Mel's right -- you've gotta move, even if it hurts, because you'll hurt even if you don't. I've also found that the heat/exercise aggravation seems to reduce if I'm in better shape, which is a little paradoxical; after all, how do you get to being able to move more, if at the beginning, doing more just causes issues?
Water does seem to be very gentle. Can I also suggest taking walks? Starting small and increasing duration and pace over time has been a tried-and-true "path" back into more activity for me each time I'm on the way back up from a prolonged relapse/flare.
Hi, sorry to hear about your ilness but congrats on the fantastic weightloss!!! I'm also a sufferer of migraines and used to get abdominal migraines as a child. Now i love exercise and never connected migraines with exercise until about 3yrs ago and since then found it a struggle to find something that doesn't trigger one off BUT i think i've found the perfect plan lol
I have a ceiling fan fitted in my bedroom and do my exercise with that on full power be it walking on the spot or having a do on my air walker. On VERY hot days i find if i close my curtains and just exercise in my underwear helps. Swimming and water aerobics do keep my temperature down however i find if i do anything more strenuous like swimming for longer than 30mins or really put my heart into the water aerobics that when i get out to get dried another migraine gets triggered. ALSO i've found that if you make sure you've got plenty of water whilst you're exercising that keeps them at bay!!!! Hope this helps you xx
I can address migraines ... at least my experience with them.
The good news is that I seem to have out grown the worst of them (it's the menopausal thing, I think).
Hydration is very important.
I have to avoid blood sugar dips. The last bad headache I had followed fasting for lab work.
The more basic my diet is the better. Reduced processing and nothing to weird or unusual. It's worth trying to eliminate some common trigger foods.
I keep my feet warm.
I have to protect my head. Hat, sunglasses ... I try not to walk in strong cold wind.
I do get my heart rate up but not max'ed out.
I had to find something that would keep them under control during the day. I spent waaayy too much of my 20's and 30's zonked out sleeping them off and then feeling hung over. Anti-inflamatories are good meds for me, ibuprofen and toradol.
Speak with your doc. Research is making wonderful strides in pain control lately. We don't have to be zombis to be comfortable any more.
Hello... I haven't been diagnosed with Cronic Fatigue Syndrome, but I believe that is what is my problem....doctor said it would take 6 months to see the right doctor and then suggested it was all in my head. (As in "you are burning the candle at both ends" that after I had just spent the last week either sleeping in bed, or collasping on the lazy-boy and sleeping around the clock in the chair!!...thx for the help doc.)
Anyway my biggest battle is trying to maintain exercise levels. I do very well until I hit a spell of fatigue, then I not only NOT have the energy to exercise, but when I come out of it, I am so weak I have to start exercise at about 10 to 15 minutes a day and try to work up.
Is there anything one can do to lessen the frequency of episodes? (I always think it is because I start pushing myself to do more, and then just when I start to feel really great about where I am with the exercising I get hit with another episode.) The last I read in a book, CFS can last anywhere from a few months to a few years. So far I have had this stuff for a year and a half. Is it true that you can eventually get over it? Is there anything nutritionally you can do to help defeat this?
Hi moxie. It's hard to answer, because not only is the nutrition question so individualized, but personally, it's varied a lot a different times for me. I can tell you without a doubt that it makes a HUGE difference in my symptom level -- but it can require a lot of tinkering.
Really emphasizing whole foods and eliminating as much processed/artificial stuff and sugar as possible hopefully goes without saying -- I promise it makes a world of difference. Lean proteins, lots and lots of brightly colored fruits and vegetables can really help your symptoms. Depending on the severity of your symptoms, lots of prep time may not be an option - but there are many quick and simple things one can do. I've had metabolic typing done in the past, which is a form of nutritional counseling that requires you to fill out a comprehensive profile. There's a small cost to it and it needs to be done with a counselor, but last year it was quite beneficial in coming up with some customized nutritional recommendations. Although, as my health circumstances have changed, I've changed my nutrition again. Gaining awareness of how different foods affect you takes time, but helps.
I would really urge you to try to find someone with some knowledge of CFS and a nutritional background -- supplementation with just a few things like fish oil can also make a huge difference, but done with some guidance. There is also always the question of addressing any underlying food allergies - don't overestimate the importance of checking out that option. I don't know about outgrowing CFS in a few years -- I'm 21 and have had it for 13 years, coming and going in a very cyclical nature. Of course, I think some of the latest research has decided that the umbrella diagnosis of CFS may refer to up to 8 identifiably different but similar issues, so anything is possible. Either way, you can definitely adopt different strategies to manage your symptoms, it just requires trial and error. Feel free to PM me - sorry to be so longwinded.
My girlfriend gets migranes... and therefore considers exercise her worst enemy. She's ridiculously anti-health, and I'm the complete opposite.
ANYWAY: low-impact exercise like pilates doesn't do much harm to migrane sufferers. Exercising for 30 minutes or less in a well air-conditioned place isn't too bad either, and going for walks at night is also a safe bet.
I know how your feel. I get really bad migranes which takes the fun out of your day. I found that my migranes and tiredness were actually a food allergy. Cause i usually drank a milk protien shake before i worked out, come to find out im allergic to dairy. So you can see if something is triggering your migranes, it does help.
Chronic Fatigue and Migraines
I have migraine problems too, so yeah...it's near impossible to get on the floor and do situps or pilates Although I don't know if dancing would work with the joint pain. It's worth a shot! This girl has some pretty good short instructional videos: 
