Exercise

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Tiredandretired

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Joined
Jul 6, 2021
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2
Reason
DX FIBRO
Diagnosis
07/1990
Country
US
State
NH
I have had heart surgery, and I have lost 75 pounds in the last year and a half. I feel worse. Pain is causing me to stay home rather than participating in community activities. I dislike exercising. Would it help? How do I get motivated to exercise.
 
I do believe exercise would help, perhaps even a lot. It has both physical and mental wellbeing benefits that are difficult to discount.

I'm similar in the fact I don't like exercise for exercise sake. But I do like some activities and try to get my exercise in a way that doesn't feel like exercise. A brisk walk has never been a big draw for me, but I'll happily walk a golf course and play 9 holes. I don't like jogging, never did, but a lazy bicycle ride has always been low impact and enjoyable.

Sometimes I'll park farther from the store entrance and walk the extra distance. Or, if my appointment is on the 3rd or 4th floor, I'll take the stairs.

I think it's fantastic you've been able to shed some extra weight. Heart problems are serious, but a slow pace to strengthen your heart likely pays dividends. Consult your doctor of course.

While I haven't lately, joining almost any local group or activity in my community is almost certainly an enjoyable way to meet new people and get moving in a day, even if it's just to get to and from where I'm meeting to do whatever is of interest. You mentioned not having the will due to pain, so perhaps this suggestion is moot for now.

Perhaps ask yourself what you used to enjoy doing and maybe you can find the effort to get back to it. Or perhaps there's a hobby you might enjoy, there's endless hobbies. Many hobbies often lead to a round about way to exercise.

Exercise doesn't necessarily have to be cumbersome, dull and boring. If you're like me, exercise for exercise sake simply isn't fulfilling. If it's not fulfilling it's near impossible to become a regular routine.

For me, the secret is finding something you enjoy.

I hope you can get creative and find what works for you.
 
My understanding is that exercise is very well documented in helping fibro. It's definitely helped me a lot with pain, energy and mobility - just walking or swimming daily. I know it's not fun, but perhaps try it just as an experiment to see if it helps your pain levels? Then you can decide what activities might or might not be worth the trade!
 
Exercise is actually very important when you have FM, but it's important for everyone.

I think people often don't realize that it doesn't have to be called exercise. As Dooi says, there are things you can do that will do the job but that you can enjoy. And I think that finding something you enjoy is paramount because if you don't, you are unlikely to continue with it on a regular basis because very few people have that much self discipline, to do something physically demanding that they don't enjoy unless they have to
. (I don't! I have to do exercise I enjoy).

You couldn't get me on a bicycle. but I love to walk and hike. You can't get me to do aerobics and I don't know how to swim, but I love to dance. Find something you like, and then do that on a regular basis.

If there's really no form of exercise you like then you will have to find what you dislike the least and use some self discipline to keep doing it long enough to reap the benefits from it. Often once a person realizes how much better they feel physically and mentally they will keep going and then the activity becomes rewarding in itself in time.
 
There seems to be an ongoing debate as to whether exercise is helpful to Fibro sufferers or not.

I got into doing a 10 to 15 min 'workout' most mornings ie nothing too strenuous, just stretches etc & at my own pace & that seemed to help improve my energy levels & enable me to stay active longer during the day.
Then for some reason recently it started having the opposite effect, as I noticed that I seemed to have more energy on the days I didn't do it,
so I stopped.

In the summer & when the weather is good am outside as much as possible either doing some gardening, which usually entails walking backwards & forwards a lot, as well as bending to do weeding etc. so is a form of exercising in itself & when not gardening I do local walks instead.

The only thing I have found that really does improve my energy & keeps me more active during the day, as well as able to stay up a nit longer at night, is H.R.T.

I hear great things about Yoga but alas, there are no classes near me & I don't drive.
I could try online & I keep saying I will but it's not the same as having someone teach you in person.

Having said all that, I have an acquaintance who despite being diagnosed with Fibro, exercises, holds down a job & leads a very active life, which she swears she's able to do by 'pushing through the pain & fatigue',
Personally, I suspect she was mis-diagnosed!

Fact is, as is often said, Fibro Sufferers are all individually different & it's trial & error, as what works for one will not work for another
but the main thing is to keep as active as you possibly can in whatever way you can do that & preferably, make it enjoyable.
 
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I admire you for trying to find some motivation.

I just wanted to add that exercise did NOT help me, but it made me worse. I was following my doctor's advice and deeply regret it. What I did find helpful was simple stretching, as well as energy work, like qi gong or tai chi. I hate exercise - even stretching - but the amazing feeling that comes with energy work made the stretching worth it!
 
Thanks Rhyl,

Isn't it amazing - not to mention difficult - how we each need to find the right (and sometimes narrow) path for ourselves.

Following on from what you said, I should probably be more accurate. Trying to exercise the way I used to before fibro - so going to the gym, pushing myself hard, high intensity etc. - was a total disaster! That left me in a lot of pain with no energy at all, taking a long time to recover. Starting very light and slow and building up to something sedate but scheduled was what helped. Gentle is definitely the key!

Energy work sounds like a great idea.
 
I'll put it this way: I think the key to tolerating physical stuff is not what you do, it's how long you do it, pacing carefully: Finding the invisibly moving sweet spots of each activity is our alpha and omega, so all the more as regards exercise. In my case my magic numbers are 20 seconds and 3 minutes. If I want to try something new but am feeling bad, I do it once first, only once, praps 2, praps 20 seconds. And if that's too much I do it less. I do it when I'm bored, or sitting and standing somewhere (or even lying in bed), even more so if that's hurting. I have lists of things to do, like back yoga, stretches etc. Gentle is not always good enough: Tai Chi (clinic) and Yin Yoga (advice from one of my ex-pain docs) are much too slow for me, so when I do these it's in 20 second stints, not in 3 minute or 20 minute stints like people suggest. (Tai Chi I do lying down, not standing). I need gentle movements. My favourite and most helpful exercise is "twist stretching": feet one in front of each other outwards and vice versa, then inwards, and stretching my head, shoulders, back backwards, best with arms up and outwards as far as they'll go. But how long do I do that? 20 seconds, more would hurt! Albeit sometimes 2x, sometimes 20x per day (or night if for instance I have lower back unrest or other pains; lying down if I don't feel the need to get up anyway). And if it doesn't hurt I twist a lot, if it does, I twist gently... Many of the exercises that PTs did with me or docs suggested ripped me apart for hours and even made me cry, altho I am actually pretty fit and healthy again, despite fibro. If anyone comes at me with too clever clever suggestions now, they have to watch out, cuz I'll jump in their face. "Been there, done that" is the quick answer. But I always try everything apart from meds a 2nd and third time in my own way.
Other forms of exercises which can help are
  • all the different kinds of relaxation, like progressive muscle relaxation or autogenic training, Yoga Nidra.
  • Breathing exercises (Pranayama if it's yoga type, Wim Hof's breath-holding exercise is brilliant for me).
  • Exercises in water, "aqua jogging" / "aqua fit" etc.
 
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