It’s a well-known and well-documented fact that a healthy lifestyle must include exercise. If you’re a fibromyalgia sufferer, you may think that leaves you out. Exercise can become part of your daily routine, just like anyone else; the only difference is in how you may need to approach it.
If you don’t exercise, and have fibromyalgia, you’re not alone. Most folks with fibromyalgia have days that just crawling from the bed is too painful to endure. Daily tasks can sap your energy. It’s been said fibromyalgia can feel like a chronic case of the flu; painful muscle aches, extreme fatigue and a general feeling of malaise. Even thinking about exercise is exhausting.
Maybe it’s not you who suffers with fibromyalgia; maybe it’s someone you love and care about who has to deal with muscle spasms and stiff, constantly aching muscles all over their body.
Either way, you probably already know that fibromyalgia is a syndrome that even doctors are uncertain as to the cause. In addition to exhaustion and pain, fibromyalgia victims often have insomnia, difficulty concentrating and bouts of depression.
Many fibromyalgia sufferers think that exercise will put even more stress on already painful muscles and joints. They’re so drained of energy they can’t imagine getting through any form of exercise, so they don’t even attempt it. The truth is, if you have fibromyalgia, exercise can help.
Anyone who hasn’t been exercising is advised to start slowly, and this is good advice for fibromyalgia sufferers. Don’t do more than you’re able to do. If you can only walk for three minutes, start with three minutes. Try to do this three or four times a week, gradually increasing by only a minute or two every few days. The most important thing is to be consistent.
As you begin to feel better, and studies have shown that exercise will help you feel better, you can try other forms of exercise that are specifically recommended for fibromyalgia patients. Some of these exercises include walking, biking, swimming, or water aerobics. These workouts help to improve your stamina and strength.
If you continue to exercise with consistency, your strength and endurance will increase. Gradually you’ll be able to increase the level of intensity that you exert. Without extending the length of time, you can begin to walk a little faster or swim a bit harder. You’ll probably start looking better even before you feel better, and seeing that improved reflection in the mirror is great incentive to keep going.
There’s an alternative if you don’t feel strong enough to start exercising that will help you, not just get through another day, but actually feel better so that you can begin to increase your physical activity level. The Program is a product of my own development, designed to deal with the underlying cause of Fibromyalgia and help relieve many of the symptoms you suffer with on a daily basis.
It’s easily performed, regardless of your current strength level. The Fibromyalgia Program consists of a few simple to do exercises that only take a few minutes each day and will have you feeling refreshed and renewed in a very short period of time.