I know how you feel we cant hardly get up and do daily chores let alone do things that we love to do and they want to tell us that we need to do exercises i am the same as you i do one thing and im down for hours or for the next day .I dont think docs know what they are doing at times .

YEP I UNDERSTAND,I've put on weight from the meds and being unable to be active,i've resorted to using a cane for any walking over 5-10 minutes.I tried tai chi at home for a while but its so hard just to get through the day .My goal right now is just to keep my job.

Showering isn't exercise? That's an accomplishment during a flare...otherwise, I walk a mile each night, but that's about it....Maybe it's age, I don't know, but walking wears me out, so the though of an exercise program makes me hurt!!

I too cannot exerecize. Even in water thearpy, I pay for days. all I can do too is walk and only short times like 15 minutes on a good day. I dont know what else to do! hope we are all going to be healed some day! take care, Dianne

When I first started trying to do aqua therapy, I would pay for it for until it was time to go back the next week. A few times my doc firmly requested I not go that week. As the months went by, it did get easier. Now after a year and a half of fighting to get through it I now try to go 3 times a week. I can still have flares of increased pain but I know I have decreased stiffness when I do go. So for me, it is a benefit. I didn't know if I would ever get to the point where I could tolerate aqua therapy.

my job can be excrutiatingly physical, so in-house days are exercise enough and oftentimes way too much. as mjadaa said, i worry that i will become unemployed/unemployable sooner than later.

at the advice of my massage therapist, i've begun doing iyengar yoga, which isn't based so much on movement but rather on holding a pose and stretching. it improves my flexibilty and clarity, but i'm still in pain.

I know, it stinks doesn't it?!! Yesterday, I was so productive as far as housework, ect,.. and today, oh yeah, I'm paying...and will be lucky to put the clean laundry away from yesterday. It's the way this disease goes isn't it? I feel good though, that I did a lot yesterday. Tomorrow will be better I'm sure. When drs don't know much about something, i.e. pms, fibro, even depression for that matter, they always say, no caffeine, no sugar and excercise. Anyone will feel better doing those, it's just with fibro, it's much harder. No one knows what it's like to be in your shoes, and everyones fibro is a little different anyways. LindaF

We are all in our own space and stage of the disease. What works for some, may not work for others, take what you can and leave the rest alone. People need to hear about it all.
I go back and forth myself. At times, I can walk, exercise, and others I can barely do what's necessary.

I still exercise, but I am really feeling the limitations that FM imposes on me. And, how delightfully ironic....I've finally got my act together and started to persue fitness as a career, then this happened. Talk about a laugh or cry situation! I've had to adapt my teaching style so that on days when I just can't do it, I'm coaching instead of leading. But if I *don't* exercise, no matter how awful I feel when I'm doing it, I'll feel even worse the next day. I've staggered around the track many a day, and I *know* other people are trying to figure out what the Hades is going on - one day, I'm teaching cardio kickboxing, the next, I can barely walk.

I am really sorry that so many of you are struggling so badly. It makes me feel selfish for getting upset when I can't do what I feel I need to.

I will say this - the daily chores go before my exercise. I told my husband he can either help more around the house (HA!), hire a maid, or just live with it. We're just living with it.

San, my heart breaks for you. I'm very worried that I'm going to have to give up teaching at some point - and I *just* started.

The only thing that really helped me as I have mentioned before is the water therapy. I go twice a week and build up to 45 min per session. At first it really bothered me, but now I feel really good. I do have my bad days, but not nearly as bad as before.

I just got asked today by my physical therapists if I was doing my exercises daily. No not really. He keeps telling me that even if I don't feel like doing them they will help me feel better. I know with the depression I have been in just getting myself out of bed was a feat. I am hoping to get myself moving again this week after the doctor switched around some of my meds, maybe I can get myself out of this funk. Hopefully I can get myself to the YMCA again. I don't do any classes, because that would definately put me through the wringer, but I try to walk the length of the pool a couple times between going to the whirlpool and the sauna. That is about all the exercise besides chores that I can handle anymore.

I understand completely, this is what I keep hearing you need to exercise. I do try and stretch everyday cause that does help some. I used to be very active also so I know how you feel. Now I feel like a 100year old woman. My Dr. keeps telling me to get into water arobics,but I would have to drive 30miles and because of the Hep c treatment I haven't been able to drive. I hope to find the strengths I once had also. Hang in there San77.

Hello. I found for the first few days exercise did make it me worse and then it make me better...

But, everyone has a different story, what works for one won't work for all...

I want to relax! I want to know that my life is not a twisted highway of constant wonderings of what it will be like tomorrow! What it will be like in a minute! What it will feel like tomorrow! What it will feel like in a minute! I want to go to the movies and sit! I want to eat and digest! I want to call up a friend and not drop the phone! I want to look at another and see them clearly! I want to be seen clearly! I want the world to be seen clearly! I want my sunglasses not to have to be worn in doors! I want my gloves and socks and jacket to be tossed out the window, along with all these preconceived notions of who I should be at 29, where I should be at 29! I want 29 not to equal 80! If age is but a number and a feeling why is my number 80 and other 80's, 29? I want to jump, skip and twirl and agree with my mind-feeling without falling over in trying to reach that agreement! I want to kick down doors and climb that ladder and not lay in bed for a week in attempting to do so! I want to walk that extra mile and cross that finish line and not have to call a doctor!
----------------------------------------
I know being sedentary makes me feel worse, but some days I can barely walk my dog! I use to love aerobics because I loved to dance and it combined dancing and working out which kept my interest! Now I can't even fathom the idea! I use to be an avid camper! Nature puts my soul at ease and I use to be the first one to organize hikes! I remember when I knew for certain I was sick...my photography loving aunt asked me to take a hike to scout for pictures on a camping trip eons ago and I didn't even want to go! I went with her and it felt like I was walking in quicksand! I have had to take so many "hikes" lately! I am renewing my license and because I'm sick I have to get a doctors approval and I'm sure you can see how much paperwork is involved in that and how long that's taking! So because I want to get places and being sedentary only makes it worse, I gotta hike! Some days it is a toss-up on which is worse, moving or not moving, but you gotta do what you gotta do some days, you know? It's pretty screwy logic really...to know someone is in an extreme amount of pain and question if driving is better or worse! What is worse is the marathon walking that I have to do in the meantime while I wait for doctors to say, "you are in a huge amount of pain, so just walk across town because we are not sure if driving is going to eleviate the pain!" Pretty screwy logic! That's my exercise as of late! Marathon walking because I have to do grocery shopping and I'm being questioned on everything! If I couldn't drive, then how could I just push myself and walk because I have to now!

Take care,
Stay sane!

Oh my,
I am just like all of you here..I feel like we were all sitting around my diningroom table having this conversation...I have always exercised..but now, obviously, I can't do what I used to do..sigh..I still ride my recumbent bike, inside, stretch and sometimes put on ZZTOP and dance around for a few minutes...I am about to add weights but Iknow it will hurt..but if I don't I won't be able to move...imagaine all of us...how did this happen...it's truly move it or lose it..if I didn't move I would feel worse...so helpful reading and sharing with all of you...I had to give up kickboxing...the pain after lasted for days...sigh again..we are so brave..