Starting a Healthier Lifestyle with Fibromyalgia: Is it Normal to Experience Flares?

❤️ keep your chin up sleepy79. You're not alone. 😌 I'm sure it will get better. Baby steps....

😥I to walk and ride bike but in 2001 we moved to Louisiana and I didn't feel comfortable walking around the city so I quit. And now I can't walk more than 10 steps without serious cramps and I can hardly breathe. I want to try to get back to walking where I was but I don't know if I can this illness is just to painful and I'm tired of fighting.

I like to walk but found out I can't due to severe muscle spasms 😥

It definitely has been hard for me too. I do things like swimming and rollerskating that are easier on my joints than things like running and I've heard that building strength can help with general pain. Also getting massages and keeping up on making sure you aren't overworking yourself can really help. But yeah, flare ups when you change your lifestyle are pretty normal for me

It's so hard I know first hand!! I do Sit and Be Fit videos on YouTube. Any sort of exercise is better than none👍

Thank you Bucket! It’s a great book and great treatments. I started and it looks good

Mayo Clinic's book on fibromyalgia is really helpful if you want a detailed look at what kind of things can be helpful and cause more pain, and they have a bunch of gentle exercises you can do at the back of the book that are great as a morning and/or evening routine to help reduce pain if you have the time for it.

I found a website that has helpful exercises for those with fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue, adrenal fatigue, etc. It’s not advertising or anything… but if it would be helpful, check it out: Cocolimefitness.com

Congrats on your decision! What kind of exercise have you tried? I like to swim but only in the summer days and not in the winter or when the water is cold because than sometimes i have flares. Remember there are different days and it is important to be attentive to your body.

Swim. I this will take gravity off your body and you can do water aerobics...remember when you start out you have pain later.. start slow and work up the ladder...I can also ride a bike and do some walking....but I can not go to a gym!

I just got diagnosed and one of the things my doctor told me is that exercise is helpful, but it has to be very mild to moderate. He said if you over do it your well almost always have a flare up. So his suggestion was doing stuff like yoga, 30 min walk, water aerobics, and low impact exercises.

I agree with everything Angie has written and also think it might be worth going for a consultation with a PT or sports therapist who specializes in people with conditions like fibromyalgia. Personally, I enjoy aquatic exercise and yoga.

Good for you for the decision! I once heard a doctor saying that there is a “post-exertional malaise” after overexertion. So I’d say.. give it a couple of days and then start again slowly and gradually. Be attentive to your body and try to learn what feels good. Remember that not all days are the same:)