
Fibromyalgia Support Group
You're not alone in your pain. Fibromyalgia is a condition that can be difficult to diagnose and manage. If you're trying to cope with pain throughout your body, sleep problems, general fatigue, or other common fibromyalgia symptoms, you're in the right place. The community is here for you to talk about therapies and share your challenges.

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I know we are supposed to exercise, but I have never been one to do it. Hard enough to do it when you are well, unbearable when you hurt or exhausted.
I have 2 well meaning co-workers who love me that suggested that I walk because it worked for someone they know. How can I possibly get the strength to do it or the time to do it when I am struggling just to make it through every day in my full-time job? So far in the last 2 weeks I have missed 2 days of work.
Any way would love to see a poll on who does or does not exercise. Maybe it will give me the strength to do something.
Tc n Hugs Judy
I have 2 well meaning co-workers who love me that suggested that I walk because it worked for someone they know. How can I possibly get the strength to do it or the time to do it when I am struggling just to make it through every day in my full-time job? So far in the last 2 weeks I have missed 2 days of work.
Any way would love to see a poll on who does or does not exercise. Maybe it will give me the strength to do something.
Tc n Hugs Judy
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I later bought a book on CFS and found the following quotes very insightful. Explains why exercise always left me worse off.
The following is an excerpt from Dorothy Walls book, Encounters with the Invisible about her experiences with chronic fatigue syndrome:
'No one knows for sure what causes this postexertional mailaise. One theory is that a mitochondrial dysfunction in the cells means the body doesn't produce energy the way it should. Another theory links the problem to an immune system defect in an enzyme called RNase-L that in turn produces poor oxidative metabolism, which means people get fatigued more easily during exercise. Others have suggested that malfunctions in the autonomic nervous system results in decreased blood flow to the brain and muscle tissues, compromising the ability to exercise.
Some investigators have postulated that cardiac insufficiency is at the root of CFIDS. Unexplored heart problems may cause the heart to pump abnormally, resulting in postextertional symptoms that parallel those of heart failure patients. One exercise physiologist claims that when a CFIDS patient takes an exercise test, the results look like those of a pateint with cardiovascular or pulmonary disease.
There's been tremendous debated within CFIDS circles about whether to treat CFIDS with graded exercise--gradually trying to increase one's exercise program--or whether postextertional malaise makes this impossible or counterproductive. Many persons with CFIDS are adamant that those who champion graded exercise don't understand the biological nature of CFIDS and are advancing the misguided notion that CFIDS can be cured through force of will: If you would just get up on that exercise treadmill, you could work your way to better health. This line of thinking implies the enervation of CFIDS is similar to that of someone who is deconditioned, an assumption that ignores the science on severe physiological dyfunction in CFIDS patients.
Dr Anthony Komaroff sets the debate in perspective: I think the literature demonstrates some patients will respond well [to exercise] and others clearly do not respond well, suggesting that there are subsets of patients among those with CFS..... [pg 88-89]
only do what u can when u can . even if it is only a couple stretches in your chair .. something is better then nothing..**hugs**
and dont stress over it .. we all are not able to o the same things .
you could even just start with gentle stretches b4 you try to do anything else. just make sure you don't stretch to the point of pain (believe me, you will regret that one later). i hope this helps!
(btw, my favorite form of exercise is dancing--ballroom, swing, latin. its the perfect exercise for me b/c i can take frequent breaks and no one gives me a hard time about it. i decide exactly how much and at what speed i do stuff. some days i can only dance to a song or two but other days for an hour or so, so i kno i'm getting a little stronger.)
(whispers) pst.. sometimes theres a hot tub attached to the pool ooooooooo yah
I had to quit physical therapy because for several days after I was down for the count and in severe pain. I was going 2 to 3 times a week. By the time I got to the end they only had me doing the TENS machine and they would perform stretchs on my body while laying down. They had me doing shoulder crunches, rubber band stretches, knee movement back and forth, lifting one leg and holding, performing the walking movement with one left and one arm opposite of each other, lying on my back and lifting my lower back off the mat (This really killed me and would put me into tears). These were supposed to be for indiv. with Fibro and CFS but I could not do them without killing myself even further.
So I think it is all in what your body can do without making the condition worse. Right now I just can't and the girls at work want me to walk with them everyday but they do not realize or want to understand about my illness. Therefore, it is easier to tell them I just can't.
I find walking to be the least hard on me. I walk my dog each night and have gotten up to 20 minutes. I can't do gym type exercise because it kills me the next day.
I don't feel the fatigue the way I did in other shoes.
I also workout in a warm pool at a PT hospital nearby.