Yes, you could go by time or distance. I know I can ride my stationary bike 1.5 miles but at 2 miles Im wrecked the next day. You just have to do trial and error and see what is best for you and then very slowly increase by minutes or distance after you have figured out what works for you. You may even want to increase time by only 30 seconds at first. But I would find my time/distance limit and stick with that for like two weeks or month before increasing it.

I agree with Jenalone. It is a trial and error thing. I find that sometimes even when I do exactly the same thing, I end up more sore than the previous time. I think as long as we are active, that's the main thing.
Hugs!

I once read that fibro folks shouldn't increase exercise time by increments of more than 2 to 3 minutes a week to avoid backlash.

I think time is a good guideline to use. I'm like you I feel fine during the activity and then pay later.

The only thing is, we still need to be flexible because our ability varies sort of mysteriously from day to day. Some days 20 minutes might be fine, and another day we just need to lay low.

I like to take walks on the beach near where I live. It's a 5 minute drive away. But some days by the time I drive there and start crossing the sand towards the water I feel so weary (from nothing) that I've learned to listen to that and just sit instead of walking. It's sort of a dragging an anvil behind you feeling. Just have to flexible and accept what my body is telling me then.

Have talked to my doc about exercise so many times, cause I want so much to get stronger and I know my fibro is better when I am. He just keeps telling me to keep trying in baby steps and that there isn't any way to predict from one day to the next what will be possible. I can only figure out what isn't possible it seems.

No warnings here. I unexpectedly ended up working a different volunteer job than the one I signed up for the other day, and I felt fine at the time.

It was a lot of pulling files, stooping, and reaching overhead. By evening I knew I shouldn't have done it, but at the time, no warning.

Had the same experience when I had a really nice day and went too far on my bike. Actually felt good at the time. Later, misery.

Sometimes I choose to do things that are worth doing, knowing I'll pay. Other times, like the above, I'm blindsided.

Well, it is comforting to know that this is the way it is and that I am not being singularly blind at not reding my body's cues. But, I still hope to somehow trick it into letting me do a little more. Has anyone tried doing a little bit of exercise in the morning, taking a 15 minute rest at lunch time, and then doing another little bit of exercise in the afternoon?

I cant do walking anymore ,even grocery shopping in a large store is beyond me .I try to do some yoga stretches and i have a pilates machine that i love!!

Exercise is a 4 letter word here. Just trying to do the ordinary is sometimes too much.

I walked on the treadmill for about 30 minutes before and was rewarded with a terrible fibro flare! So I did some research in this group and even asked a few questions and everyone suggested that I tone down the walking a lot. So now I'm working on walking at a normal pace on the treadmill for 3 minutes and then after a few days I work it up to 5 minutes and so on. It's hard to have to have such short exercise times but at least it's something. It is really a trial and error thing and it varies from person to person. Best of luck!

Like Stephanie I am trying to increase slowly and like mdaj ? (sorry, my short term memory is gone!) yoga seems to be a good choice. Now I am wondering if I could do 2 workouts (LOL about the term). One in the morning and another in the afternoon. By workout I mean just a few minutes of tai chi, or a few minutes of yoga, or walking. I am also tying treading in a heated pool. Hard to convince myself that it is a workout, but I was achy the next day so I guess it is.

INTERESTNG. My ache went away that morning. I don't know if it was from physical therapy I went to (maybe moving a bit, the TENS unit, or the ice pack) washed the ache away. Or maybe it was seeing my son. I was SO delighted to have lunch with him after the PT.

LOL. he would love to hear that he has to have lunch with his mom every day so that I can get in shape!