How to Beat Fibromyalgia Fatigue with Mild Exercise
It's one thing to have to deal with the physical pain associated with fibromyalgia, but when you add fatigue on top of it, I know it can be completely devastating. First of all, I'm so sorry if you are dealing with this right now. Whether you're someone who experiences fatigue in short bouts, or someone who's fatigue is so steady that there's no doubt it's a chronic illness, you're in the right place.
Suzanne W., Creator of Cocolime Fitness
Believe me, I know what it's like for fatigue to have become so 'normal' that when you actually have a good day, it's kind of depressing because it's just a reminder of what you’re missing on all the other days. Well, when it comes to fatigue, I encourage you to keep fighting! It may be a long journey to identify specifically what is causing your fibromyalgia fatigue and how to improve it. But, remember, you are worth it! You deserve your quality of life back, and so do your closest friends and family. In this article I'd like to share with you how exercise can help improve your fibromyalgia fatigue, when done the right way.
I'm sure you've been researching relentlessly about the topic and you may have found that organizations like the National Fibromyalgia Association and the American College of Rheumatology recommend exercising as a helpful physical activity that will help improve your energy levels over time. The hard part, however, is to find the best ways to exercise that will provide you with significant improvement, while reducing the risk factors.
So, let me guess, you're now an expert in finding exercises that DON'T WORK - exercises that gift you with widespread pain instead of just 'feeling the burn,' and extreme fatigue that lasts for days. You may also be good at finding workouts that don't do any of that, but at the same time, make absolutely no change to your energy levels, even when you've made the commitment and tried to incorporate these into your daily activities. Like good old Goldilocks, you're looking for something that's not too hot, and not too cold, you need exercises that are just right!
This is exactly what I've been working on for the past several years and I’ve incorporated both what I've learned from treating my own condition and feedback from other fibromyalgia patients to create the CLF Method that goes into the design of Cocolime Fitness workouts. If you'd like to jump straight from here and take my FREE QUIZ to get your custom recommendation of which workouts, playlists and programs to use for your current condition, CLICK HERE to get started! If you prefer to learn a little bit more about the kind of exercising you should and should not incorporate into your treatment options, then please keep reading!
Listen to your body
Healthcare providers can listen to what your unique list of fibromyalgia symptoms are, give you suggestions for pain management, and prescribe you dietary supplements to help improve your lack of sleep and increase your energy. However, exercise can be a very personal thing that only you can effectively monitor and 'prescribe' what you should do next. For instance, some people with fibro fatigue are able to do short sessions of aerobic exercise, others tend to prefer strength training, and still others need to stick with effective stretching so they don't crash afterwards. Does your fatigue come and go, or is it consistent enough that you wonder if it's chronic fatigue syndrome now? When you do exercise, what's your particular safe zone, 5-10 minutes? 10-20? Or more? Questions like these are going to help you evaluate yourself so you can find a safe, long term solution to help you make small changes from week to week, month to month, etc. and beat fibromyalgia fatigue! I know this can be hard to do, so again I encourage you to take the quiz and evaluate where you're at today and what sort of treatment plan may work for you.
Effective Treatment
Let's say your fatigue makes everyday activities like cooking dinner a real challenge to do. In a case like that, I'm sure a physical therapy like exercising may seem totally overwhelming - but you know you need to do something, that's why you're reading this article! Wouldn't it be great if there were a few effective exercises you could do right in bed? Well, Cocolime Fitness TV has a routine for that!
In the above workout entitled, 10 Exercises to do in bed to reduce body fat, you'll find a routine that is just 10 minutes long, can be done in an all-seated or lying down position, and will provide you with a very gentle, cardio and toning routine that is super effective. The exercises are designed not to place excess stress on your joints and only use your bodyweight. You can do this one in your comfortable clothes before you go to sleep at night, or in the morning when you first wake up. When you do short, effective workouts like this, just 10 minutes can make big improvements to your daily life - after a few weeks, maybe making dinner won't feel as overwhelming as it did before - it's worth a try, right?
So now you’re making dinner again most days, except for date night (yeah that’s still a thing, don’t worry, you’ll be back to it soon) without having to microwave anything because you have just enough energy to really cook and now you feel ready to try a workout on the floor instead of your bed. At this point you might choose to go with my Tone + Stretch for Fatigue routine. This one is great because it provides mild bodyweight toning exercises along with calming, rejuvenating stretches to help strengthen your body and energize you without stressing you out or causing unnecessary fatigue.
And from here, you’re on your way. You’ll be setting reasonable goals for yourself and using proper exercising to progressively meet them. This is just one example of how you can evaluate what you personally can do, find the specific routine that will fit your needs, and just go at your own pace. Cocolime Fitness is full of alternative therapies like this to help you exercise in a way that's right for you. All CLF workouts combine safe exercises with strategic exercise programming that are designed to equally work the front, sides and back of the body, in a balanced way. Basically, you'll get the results of working out really hard, without having to workout really hard!
Of course there is also the emotional stress that comes from experiencing fatigue. If you have been searching for support groups to help, CLF subscribers have the option to join our Cocolime Fitness Community to get advice and encouragement from others just like you who are dealing with either the main symptoms of fibromyalgia or possibly a group of symptoms that there's just not much information published about yet. It will be great just to have someone to communicate with who gets you.
Preventing Burnout and Fatigue
My workouts that are designed for fatigue sufferers are always made using low-intensity or low-energy moves, with longer breaks between each set for better recovery. The workouts themselves provide encouragement to stop and take breaks so you don't overdo it. You won't find me telling you to push through the pain or fatigue - just the opposite! In fact, in most of my workouts over 15 minutes, there are reminders in the middle for you to stop and evaluate how you're feeling so you can remain in control - you decide if you want to continue or stop for the day. Every workout is designed to have a unique sequence of perfectly balanced exercises that equally work all areas of the body. This is a huge reason the CLF Method gets you real results without causing excess fatigue in the process.
What about a healthy diet?
I know this article is about finding the right exercises to aid you in beating fibromyalgia fatigue, but honestly, when investigating health problems, I encourage you to look into all aspects of your life, including your nutrition and lifestyle choices. When you include important nutrients and natural vitamins in your diet, reduce your intake of fast food and other vices, and plan your life to reduce stress and anxiety, AND then you combine that with the proper kind of exercising, you'll be on your way to feeling the best you have in a long time. Combining all of these factors is one of the most important things you can do, and to help with that, I have a 90 day program that helps you incorporate manageable steps into smaller phases so the process is not overwhelming.
Conclusion
Beating fibromyalgia fatigue and low energy is a challenge, but it's a journey you can't give up on. As you investigate the causes of the illness, you can use safe exercise to help you significantly improve your energy. The good news is, there are routines out there that are designed to help people just like you and the only way to find out what works is to try it! I truly hope you can find a sustainable solution to your fatigue and I would feel so privileged to be able to play a small role in helping you do so. If you’d like to learn more about me and my journey, you’ll enjoy this article and the about me page. I hope you can have a pain free, stress free, energetic day!