Move It! Exercise! What?

During the time my fibromyalgia symptoms were so horrible, I read articles about the importance of exercise in coping with my illness and I didn't know whether to laugh or cry.  It was quite comical to think I could do any kind of exercise when most days just getting out of bed and taking a shower left me absolutely exhausted.  Tears formed in the corners of my eyes just thinking about trying to move muscles and joints that were screaming with pain when I was simply sitting still.

But you know what?  All those voices encouraging me to get up and get moving were right. It helped me feel better while I was sick.  And it established a pattern that I could continue to follow as my symptoms improved.

I had been working on the other aspects of my recovery plan for several months before I added exercise.  I got rid of chemicals in my home environment, stopped eating processed food, and started eating whole foods rich in antioxidants and anti-inflammatory properties. My pain level was already improving from these changes before I started trying to be more physically active. 

To find an exercise routine I could live with I had to:

Be Realistic

I'm not very athletic. But before I got sick, I could walk three miles a day, hike up a steep mountain, swim laps for thirty minutes at a time, chase grandchildren around the park, and shop all day long.  I had to come to terms with the fact that these might not be attainable goals for me now that I felt so bad all the time. But just because I couldn't do the things I used to do before I got sick, didn't mean I had to settle for doing nothing at all.

Start Slow

One doctor said that he asks his patients to start their exercise program by walking only one minute a day at the beginning. That encouraged me so much.  I thought that even in my debilitated state I could manage to walk for one minute.  I worked up to walking five minutes at a time, then ten, and then fifteen.  I was strolling, not race walking, but I was up and going.  It was a start.

Be Grateful

I believe that attitude is everything when you are dealing with a chronic debilitating illness. (And even when you're not.)  I focused on expressing gratitude for what I could do instead of complaining about my limitations.  Some days the gratitude thing was easy.  Other days I spent a considerable amount of time whining and feeling sorry for myself before I was able to start counting my blessings.

The three types of exercise that seem to help me the most are:

Stretching

I know some folks with fibromyalgia that have gotten good relief with yoga or similar programs but I am too uncoordinated to get the hang of bending my body into all those odd positions.  I do a little bit of Tai Chi which has been helpful.  Simple stretches work best for me.  I do a series of arm stretches and then get on the floor and do a series of leg stretches. Since I was being realistic, I started out by doing only two reps of each stretch and gradually worked up to twenty reps.

Swimming

Swimming is a great way to exercise your muscles and joints without putting weight bearing pressure and stress on them.  I started out swimming to one end of the pool. I rested for a while and then swam back to the other end.  That was all I could manage at first,  Gradually I worked up to swimming laps for five minutes before I had to rest.  Now I stay in the pool for thirty to forty-five minutes at a time several times a week.  I swim laps part of the time and do leg lifts and stretches holding on to the side of the pool part of the time.

Getting Outside 

Having a chronic illness that quite frequently made it seem impossible for me to leave the house, lead to feelings of isolation and depression.  It has lifted my spirits to get outside and walk a little even if it is only for a few minutes at a time.  My husband and I love to go camping. When I was sick I didn't have the stamina to hike like we did before I became ill. But there are other ways to enjoy the beauty of nature. The boardwalk I am strolling on in the photograph at the beginning of this post is only about three hundred yards long. It was a great place to get out and enjoy nature without exerting a lot of energy,  I was able to walk through that lovely area when my fibromyalgia symptoms were still quite severe.


I have been symptom free for seven months now.  (Except for one flare up due to chemical exposure that you can read about in my last post).  I have more energy and stamina now but I am still working on returning to the activity level I had before getting sick.  I continue to look for ways to stretch and move my way toward better health.