Fibromyalgia Exercise

The thought of exercise can make  fibromyalgia patients shutter.  Many sufferers of Fibromyalgia find exercise and physical activity too painful, especially on their muscles and joints.  However, exercise has proven to be beneficial and essential as a natural treatment for fibromyalgia.  Exercise helps to strengthen your muscles, preventing injuries,  eventually decreasing pain symptoms.  If you have FIBROMYALGIA, consider an exercise program, and be regular and persistent with the program you pursue.  Although it may be difficult  to begin, you will soon reap the rewards.


Why Effect Does Exercise Have On the Body?
Exercise prompts the body to release specific chemicals called endorphins that actually block pain signals from reaching the brain. These chemicals also help alleviate anxiety, depression and fibromyalgia stress.

“Endorphins are the body’s natural, pain-relieving chemicals that can be more powerful than morphine,” says Edward Laskowski, M.D., a Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Specialist and Co-director of the Sports Medicine Center at Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota.  “It used to be thought that if you were in pain, then you’d better rest,” says Dr. Laskowski. “But the exact opposite is found to be true in our research. When people rested, they became deconditioned. That deconditioning can lead to further problems that may perpetuate the pain.”

What are the Two Major Reasons for Exercise?
The  two reasons to exercise are to increase cardiovascular (aerobic) fitness and to increase flexibility.  Cardiovascular exercise improves blood circulation, strengthening the heart.  Stretching – mobilizing tight, sore muscles – relieves pain, strengthens connective tissue, and increases blood flow.
Cardiovascular Aerobic Activities -  Aerobic exercise such as cycling  improves the function of the heart, lungs, and muscles; and the net effect decreases the heart rate, blood pressure, cholesterol level, building a stronger heart.  The most important thing for those seeking relief from fibromyalgia is to begin an exercise program and keep going.  Start slowly with low impact walking, leisurely swims, and light resistance exercises.  Do not do too much; it is very important for continuous exercise to become a permanent part of a healthy lifestyle.
Stretching, Relaxing, and Flexibility – These exercises include simple range-of-motion and stretching movements.  Such exercises help reduce joint stiffness, allowing the body to move more comfortably, preventing muscles from shortening and tightening.  Stretching such as Yoga improves flexibility, ensuring that joints can move through a full range of motion
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How Can I Monitor My Fibromyalgia Exercise Routine?
Recognizing all the benefits of exercise as a fibromyalgia treatment may be great, but it is difficult to remain motivated with chronic pain.  Many patients find that their energy levels and moods improve after they become more physically fit.  Here are some other suggestions for staying on track:
  • Set Goals – Make the goals specific, measurable, and realistic. It’s easy to get frustrated and give up on goals that are too ambitious.
  • Start Slow – The most common mistake is to start at too high an intensity, the resulting pain and stiffness are discouraging.  Instead, set up a moderate schedule of regular exercise with gradual increases, and stick to that schedule.
  • Add Variety – Build the exercise program around enjoyable activities, but vary them to prevent boredom.  Alternate the activities.  Consider joining a health club for Tai Chi or yoga center  to broaden the access to different varieties of physical activity.
  • Be Flexible – It’s fine to adapt an exercise routine to accommodate work and home schedules.  If the body’s resistance is low, and a cold or the flu sets in, take a day or two off from exercise.  Fibromyalgia pain can increase when fatigue and stress increase.
  • Be Social – Exercise with a friend or make new friends who like to exercise by joining a group or taking a class.
  • Balance – Keep you body energy levels balanced.  Take a natural supplement to improve energy levels,  or try Energy Boost, it will give you energy and stabilize your metabolism.
What Are Some Fibromyalgia Exercise Safety Tips?
Be sure to stretch in the morning and warm-up before and after any physical activity.  Be careful not to overdo it. Overdoing exercise or even rigorous daily tasks will actually make muscles contract, the opposite of what is desired.  Begin at a very low level of exercise such as 5 minutes a day.  Increase the length and frequency of exercise until you exercise for at least 45 minutes a day.
At first a little dull pain and soreness may be experienced following a workout.  Some muscle soreness is normal when starting to exercise, but sharp pain may be a sign that the muscles have been overworked.  Keep exercising consistently and the pain following a workout will decrease as will your fibromyalgia symptoms.

The following subpages include a variety of Fibromyalgia exercise forms.  Find out more about: Walking, Swimming, Cycling, Tai Chi, Yoga, Cow-Cat, Breathing, Posture, Stretching, Meditation.

You may also want you to look into the various Fibromyalgia Self Care pages: Humour, Movies, Laughter, Relaxation Response, NLP, How to Relax, Authentic Self, Overcome Fear, Stop Fear, Fear Quotes, Stress Busters.

We offer several natural fibromyalgia treatment programs with healthy tips on diet and exercise to relieve Fibromyalgia symptoms.  Take charge of your physical well-being and you will be on the road to a  fast recovery.  Start today!