Exercise for Fibromyalgia by Dan Watt, Level 2 ACE Fitness Instructor
Author of “Learning The Garden Of The Body” on Amazon.com
If you missed Taylor’s description of Whiplash and Fibromyalgia from four weeks ago I suggest you go back to that blog and read it.
As a trainer my experience in working with clients with fibromyalgia is broad. One of the biggest concerns is how hard to exercise. If you feel great and work out really hard you might find you are in pain for the next three to four days (not the good kind of pain). I think the best way to describe it is someone grabbed your muscles and clenched their fists. So here’s a list to consider:
- Take a warm shower before you workout.
- Warm-up thoroughly before you start lifting the weights (light cardio).
- While lifting light weights observe which areas become inflamed the most (neck is the usual culprit but it could also be the chest, etc.).
- Areas that get inflamed (in this case hurt for days) only lift minimal weight with.
- Painkillers can be addictive so be careful how often you take them, if at all.
- As Taylor pointed out in her blog a few weeks ago, massage can help but the intensity (soothing compared to deep fascial) will depend on how you react to the pressure.
- As with Whiplash, Breathe. For pulling and curling exercises you might find it better to inhale as you lift/contract. Make sure you do not hold your breath.
- Do not lift your weights too slowly (can cause muscles to tighten up in an unpleasant way), or too quickly. Best speed is to follow your breathing.
- If an exercise aggravates muscles in certain areas, find an alternative. For example, if crunching on the floor hurts your neck, try it on an incline bench. The Soup Can Workout is a good spot to start.
Good Luck!
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