Millions of people suffer from fibromyalgia, and it can leave you feeling like exercise is impossible for you. However, a carefully designed exercise
Dealing with pain, day in and day out, can be extremely tiring. While there is no cure, there is definitely hope for pain relief. Yoga for fibromyalgia relief is what we are talking about
Exercising with arthritis and fibromyalgia can be challenging due to the pain, stiffness, and fatigue. In this post, we explore the difficulties of following an exercise program and provide strategies to help navigate the challenges, including finding the right exercise program, coping with pain and fatigue, addressing mental health concerns, and seeking support. Discover how to identify the challenges and find solutions to stay active and manage these conditions effectively.
My name is Suzanne and I'd like to share with you my journey with fibromyalgia and how exercising both helped and hurt my chronic condition, which led to an amazing discovery! If you've ever felt fatter, more tired, more inflamed and had more pain during the times you exercised the most, my story and passion project will interest you for sure. I was a trained fitness instructor and personal trainer and have worked in the industry for over 25 years. Like everybody else in the industry I got caught up with the idea that high intensity training and other super challenging workouts were the only way to lose weight and shape up. So I pushed and pushed myself - I mean, "no pain, no gain," right? Well, not for me. The more I pushed, the worse I felt - The symptoms of fibromyalgia were beginning to bloom (actually they had been doing so for a while), I just hadn't realized it yet. My Experience With Fibromyalgia One day I was teaching a one hour long cardio kickboxing class and afterwards I became so dizzy I could barely stand up straight. I didn't want to embarrass myself in front of the class so I just propped my self up against a wall and played it cool with everyone. But in reality, I could barely catch my breath and thought I was going to pass out. My legs felt super heavy like cement. This was scary - I knew something had to change. For years I forced myself to fight through this kind of pain and fatigue, fooling myself that the other instructors were doing the same thing, when in reality, they were not. The way my body reacted to physical activity was unique and I needed to respect that... Over the next few years my pain and fatigue severely increased. There was a point where I could barely even walk and that was so depressing because I had previously lived such an active lifestyle. Like most of us, I started to investigate via the standard health care provider options, including a physical exam, seeing multiple specialists, getting all sorts of blood tests, etc. and the general consensus was that, yes I most likely had fibromyalgia and/or chronic fatigue syndrome. Of course, my next question was, "what is the cause of fibromyalgia?" I'm not going to say I was able to find what was the cause, but I did discover what was a major contributor for me: High Intensity Training and similar types of exercising (which is what everyone seems to be doing these days). So what I was doing to improve my health, was the very thing making my fibromyalgia symptoms worse! What's crazy about all this is that even though I had plenty of fibromyalgia pain and fatigue, with all the exercising I was doing, at least I should have been looking good, right? Wrong! Well, don't ask my husband - he always says I look great, but personally, I felt like I had excess weight around my belly, my muscle mass was decreasing, and I just felt puffy and inflamed. This is when I started the dreaded yoyo phase... What's the yoyo phase? On days you feel bad, you limit your exercising to a gentle stretch, but after a few days or weeks you start feeling better so what do you do next? You guessed it, you go right back to trying a high intensity or strenuous workout. And consistently, I would crash after that. I was in an endless cycle, and to be honest, my health was on the decline. I knew that a total lack of exercise was not healthy either. What I really needed were exercises that were right in the sweet spot - not too light and not too intense. I looked all over the internet to find workouts like these, but they just didn't exist. All I could find were two extremes: too easy or outdated routines that didn't get me any results, or overly intense routines that were just too much for me to handle. What I Did That Helped I started experimenting with creating my own workouts using unique combinations of exercises and varying levels of range of motion and intensity. After many months of trial and error, I found a combination that gave me consistent results. I was feeling stronger, leaner, had more energy and less pain with half the effort. It was crazy to be able to workout everyday without crashing. And those annoying side effects like inflammation and stubborn belly fat were disappearing! I wasn't finished with the yoyo stage yet, however. After many months of working out in this new way I started feeling so good, I thought - "OK, I'm better now so bring on the higher intensity workouts and heavy weights!" You know what happened next. Widespread pain and exhaustion, welcome back! Honestly, I'm glad I went through that phase because it taught me that treatment of fibromyalgia and similar conditions need to be treated in a long term manner. Most people don't just fix it and never have to think about it again, but when they find something effective for them, it's a good idea to stick with it. And that's what has been totally true for me. Mild or Medium intensity exercising, performed effectively, is what my body requires to stay fit and lower pain levels... and I'm sticking with it! How I Help Others Today As a fitness instructor, I love to help others with their goals and I tried sharing these workouts on YouTube. The feedback was incredible! Comment after comment started flowing in with women sharing their experiences about major weight loss (10, 20, 30 Lbs. and more), as well as significant improvements to their chronic pain conditions, mental health and their overall quality of life! They were doing things they never thought were possible before and now they had real hope! It truly touched my heart that I could help thousands of people by sharing these workouts online. And so I kept at it and have developed a unique method to help our community of fibromyalgia warriors to effectively lose weight and shape up, without causing that dreaded crash, afterwards. This is what my passion project, Cocolime Fitness, is all about. Over the past several years I've created a wide variety of safe, effective workouts to help you on your fitness journey. I know how frustrating it is to have to search for exercises that are not too much and not too little, to help you get good results. So I've incorporated a little of everything to meet the various needs of our community. And, I'm still publishing new workouts monthly! Some of you may prefer to start out with simple stretching and honestly, you can accomplish a lot with that, including pain relief and increasing energy. If you like aerobic exercise, I have several cardio and dance routines including a special series called, MIIT (medium intensity interval training), which are cardio routines with fun, upbeat music, are non-repetitive and zero impact to give you a fantastic experience and results. For my particular body, I need light weight training to get noticeable muscle growth. If you feel the same I have several workouts with weights that are either targeted to upper body, lower body, or abs and back, or a total body workout. If you want to tone up without weights, I have an entire series of bodyweight only workouts. And I know many fibromyalgia patients prefer to not to have to get up and off the floor several times during a workout so I have ones that are All Standing and ones that are All Seated. In my MITFIT 90 program I share what I've learned about making a positive lifestyle change and incorporating a healthy diet, which includes my personal recipes to help you find an allergy friendly, healthy meal that the whole family will enjoy. This 90 day fitness program will guide you every step of the way to make significant changes in your life. Where To Start I know that sometimes just the thought of exercising can be overwhelming when you're dealing with the pain of fibromyalgia, sleep problems, chronic fatigue and other chronic pain disorders. So in addition to my blog articles and workout routines, I publish a simple newsletter called Tips, Treats & Tweets to share something positive and helpful to you each week. Fibromyalgia treatment starts with a positive outlook and to help, I warmly invite you to join the Cocolime Fitness community! One of the most important things I've learned in this journey is to always "listen to your body." Regrettably, I didn't do this at first, but once I started doing so, little by little I found a form of physical therapy that truly helped me and many others to lose weight, get in shape and get back to being the people we once were, and after 8 years of exercising this way, I can honestly say, "I'm never going back!" From Suzanne at Cocolime Fitness | Low Impact Exercises for Fibromyalgia, Adrenal Fatigue, workouts for beginners.
Millions of people suffer from fibromyalgia, and it can leave you feeling like exercise is impossible for you. However, a carefully designed exercise
Easy and Simple exercises for fibromyalgia may spark some thoughts on how you too can exercise to help with fibromyalgia pain.
Do you succumb to the thought process of New Year, New You? I do not, and I will tell you why. First of all, having a chronic pain illness often limits my mobility. Really, the term “new you” sounds awesome, but is unrealistic for someone with an incurable condition. Do I really want to set […]
It is best for anyone who has fibromyalgia to choose an exercise they enjoy and one that doesn’t cause a worsening of symptoms.
Doing specific yoga asanas can help you big time in getting relieved from the pain. Here are 6 best asanas which can aid your fibromyalgia
I share an update on how I am approaching exercise with ME/CFS and fibromyalgia at this stage in my healing journey
Can you do anything about fibromyalgia weight gain? Yes you can! Find out how I lost weight and then ran a half marathon!
CLICK HERE to watch the YouTube video. #1 – Legs Up the Wall Lie on your back on the floor with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor, relaxing your upper body. Place [...]
It can be a challenge to do any exercise when you live with fibromyalgia; get the top 10 tips here.
Dealing with pain, day in and day out, can be extremely tiring. While there is no cure, there is definitely hope for pain relief. Yoga for fibromyalgia relief is what we are talking about
Losing weight with fibromyalgia can be a struggle, but it does't have to be. This guide will help you navigate a healthy and effective weight loss plan.
We hope you love the items we recommend, and just so you know, Quit Chronic Fatigue may receive a small commission from links in this post. How Do
This is my fibromyalgia yoga routine to get your day started right. I share my top tips for making the morning a littler nicer.
Easy and Simple exercises for fibromyalgia may spark some thoughts on how you too can exercise to help with fibromyalgia pain.
It's been over a decade since I developed full-blown, symptomatic fibromyalgia. I had no idea what I was dealing with, least of all any potential fibromyalgia cures.
What is the best exercise for fibromyalgia? I delve into this member question for you today. From yoga to strength training, what's the answer
Six fibromyalgia triggers that increase pain and severity of fibro symptoms. 👉 Find out what they are and how to avoid them.
Do you succumb to the thought process of New Year, New You? I do not, and I will tell you why. First of all, having a chronic pain illness often limits my mobility. Really, the term “new you” sounds awesome, but is unrealistic for someone with an incurable condition. Do I really want to set […]
FIbromyalgia with exercise is possible! By following these seven tips, it will help you find the perfect exercise routine for you.
"Fibro doesn’t care if you have things to do that day; if it is a bad pain day, it is a bad pain day.”
The Evidence: Fibromyalgia may be an autoimmune condition In a paradigm shifting new study, researchers were able to trigger fibromyalgia symptoms in healthy mice by injecting them with blood from …
The answer might surprise you! The name does not fit the illness and fibromyaliga is NOT solely a pain symptom. We'll bust some myths for you.
Here I share the benefits, the hows and the whys of meditation for fibromyalgia. I also offer ways to get started practicing today.
Dealing with pain, day in and day out, can be extremely tiring. While there is no cure, there is definitely hope for pain relief. Yoga for fibromyalgia relief is what we are talking about
What is Fibromyalgia? Living with fibromyalgia is tough. It invades all parts of your body and affects your quality of life. The major symptom is pain,
Exercising with arthritis and fibromyalgia can be challenging due to the pain, stiffness, and fatigue. In this post, we explore the difficulties of following an exercise program and provide strategies to help navigate the challenges, including finding the right exercise program, coping with pain and fatigue, addressing mental health concerns, and seeking support. Discover how to identify the challenges and find solutions to stay active and manage these conditions effectively.
How are myofascial pain syndrome and fibromyalgia related - or are they? How to treat myofascial pain syndrome and why doing so may help your fibromyalgia pain.
Research tells us that 50 percent of people with fibromyalgia report pain in their feet. Here I will discuss some of the reasons, what can be done about them and share my own personal story with fibro and feet problems. Fibromyalgia is a long term pain disorder. This means that you live with pain each and everyday and it can be in any part of our body. Today I am talking about the feet. The foot has three areas; the ankle, the middle and the toes. They have many muscles, nerves and joints... actually there are 26 bones and 33 joints in each foot. The feet bear the weight of our body, so it’s not surprising that we get pain in this area. As well as pain in the feet pain can be referred to our ankles, knees, hips and back from problems in the feet. If your foot pain is persistent, your doctor can help determine the best treatment. The feet are complex as can be seen in this illustration of the muscles. There are many conditions that cause foot pain. These conditions may not be caused by fibromyalgia but fibro is what amplifies the pain. Osteoarthritis may cause episodes of pain and swelling in one or multiple joints. It can also cause bone enlargement and changes in the shape of feet, which may also cause pain. Between 10-15% of people with osteoarthritis also have fibromyalgia. Treatment includes: Anti-inflammatory drugs. Taking over-the-counter pain relievers. Wearing pads or arch supports. A steroid injection into the foot. Using canes or braces to support the joints. Using an orthotic in the shoes. Physical therapy. Wearing custom shoes. Plantar fasciitis causes pain in the heel. It is an inflammation of the band of connective tissue on the surface of the foot connecting your heel bone to your toes. Usually, it hurts the worst in the morning when first getting out of bed. You feel it in your heel or the arch of your foot. Treatment includes: Resting your foot. Specific heel and foot muscle stretches. Taking over-the-counter pain relievers. Wearing shoes with both an arch support and a cushioned heel. Heel spurs are a growth of bone on the bottom of your heel. You can be caused by wearing ill-fitting shoes or from postural problems or from running. They hurt when you walk, run or stand. They are more common in people with flat feet or high arches. Treatment includes: Resting your foot. Wearing a horseshoe shaped pad. Using an orthotic in the shoe. Wearing shoes with shock-absorbing soles. Taking over-the-counter pain relievers. Trying physical therapy. Morton's neuroma causes a thickening around the nerves between the base of the toes (usually between the third and fourth toes). You may` feel pain, or numbness on the ball of your foot. It can be a result of wearing high heels or tight shoes. Treatment includes: Wearing shoe inserts to reduce pressure on the nerve. A steroid injection into the foot. Taking pain relievers. Don’t wear high-heeled shoes or ones with a narrow toe box. Avoid activities that put pressure on the neuroma. Ask your doctor about surgery. Sesamoiditis is the inflammation of tendons near the big toe. It’s a form of tendinitis, common with runners and ballet dancers. Treatment includes: Resting your feet. Icing where it hurts. Wearing a pad under the toe. Taping the toe to immobilize the joint. Wearing low-heeled shoes. Asking your doctor about steroid injections. Flat feet, happen when the arches of the feet flatten. It can cause foot pain. Treatment includes: wearing shoe inserts shoe adjustments resting Neuropathy is nerve damage in the feet. The pain can be burning, stinging, or feel like electricity. It can happen anywhere in the feet. Treatment includes: Pain relievers. Anti-seizure medications. Topical treatments. Specific Antidepressants that may block the nerve pain. Tendinitis is inflammation and irritation of the tendons, the bands attaching the muscles to the bones. Treatment includes: Resting your foot. Taking pain relievers. Steroid injections. My own personal story with fibro and feet problems. I have a history of fibromyalgia and peripheral neuropathy. I was a ballet dancer for many years so I am no stranger to foot pain. Also I have always had a large bone on the heel of both feet which I recently found out is called Haglund's deformity. It has never really caused me a problem until recently except for finding shoes that were soft at the back. Switch to lower heels About seven years ago I decided I would never wear heeled shoes again. I wore them very rarely but the last two times I did they caused so much pain and I went over on my right heel both times. I had difficulty just walking in normal shoes but having so much pain, from fibro, in the legs and hips and feet it is hard to work out where the problem is originating from. My foot pain did not improve. I started to focus on my feet more. I have found thick rubber soled shoes very helpful. I prefer lace up walking shoes for the best comfort. I was never a person who even wore shoes around the house so this is a big, and beneficial, change for me. I also researched and bought support socks which really do give a feeling of extra support. Also wearing supportive socks is very soothing and does seem to reduce the tingling. The ones I really like are Thorlos Unisex Walking Thick Padded Crew Sock or any sock that is padded in the foot. I find they really give more support and less pressure on the foot. My peripheral neuropathy became unbearable, as besides being in the feet and legs, hands and arms it was in my face. The doctor at the pain clinic suggested a small anti-depressant dose which worked brilliantly to block the sensations. Once these tingling pain sensations were blocked I could feel other pains in my feet when I walked or stood too much. The pain on walking increased and I did develop plantar fasciitis in one foot. I did the prescribed exercises and stretches and after a while the pain subsided. I then developed pain in the achilles area and the heel. I also realised that the bone that protudes at the back of my heel, (haglund's deformity) was causing a pulling sensation and also aching a lot of the time. See the doctor. If you are like me it is difficult to work out what is wrong with your own feet and you really need an expert to navigate through all the pain and limping. I am still awaiting my appointment with the specialist and will update this when I find out the official diagnosis. How I keep moving. What I have learnt is it is important to keep my joints moving. However I needed to try different types of exercise because of the painful feet. I am exercising in water. The buoyancy of the water takes the pressure off my ankles and feet and I can move more freely than I can on land. I can also get my heart rate up, for a short while, so this may help with weight loss. Support shoes I went to the Athletes Foot shoe store where they assess your walk and they said my right foot was pronating which means it needs an arch support. I purchased the shoes they suggested and I can feel that they support my feet much better but I still have foot pain. I also purchased the shoe inserts they suggested which I can put in my other shoes. These orthotics have a slight arch and extra heel support. So my suggestions for reducing foot pain include: Switch to lower heels. Lose weight if you need to. Exercise in water. Wear support socks. Wear support shoes designed for your foot. Wear orthotics. See a foot doctor: a podiatrist or an orthopaedic foot and ankle surgeon. So you can see that feet problems can be ongoing and complex. I have learnt a lot but am still awaiting professional help. Do you have a foot problem that I have not mentioned here? I would love to hear about it. RESOURCES: National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) U.S. National Library of Medicine. WebMD Arthritis Australia
If you are one of the millions of people who suffer from fibromyalgia, you know how difficult it can be to manage your symptoms. Diet is a huge part of managing fibromyalgia, and there is no "one size fits all" solution. In this blog post, we will discuss the best diet for fibromyalgia and provide tips on how to improve your symptoms!
I share how to start exercising when you have fibromyalgia (chronic pain and fatigue) without flaring your symptoms and making things worse
Explore the intricate dance between mind and body, especially in those navigating the challenges of fibromyalgia or any other chronic illness. Many people often seek natural, holistic approaches to…
What is Fibromyalgia? Living with fibromyalgia is tough. It invades all parts of your body and affects your quality of life. The major symptom is pain,
Many people ask me what Fibro is. I think that when we have it, and know so many others with it, we forget that many people need to understand the basics of fibromyalgia. Fibromyalgia (fi·bro·my·al·gi·a) is a condition that causes pain all over the body. The word fibromyalgia comes from the Latin term for fibrous tissue (fibro) and the Greek words for muscle (myo) and pain (algia). But Fibromyalgia is so much more than just muscle pain in the fibrous tissues of the body. Fibromyalgia syndrome is widespread muscle pain, fatigue, and multiple tender points. In addition to this, people who have fibromyalgia may experience a variety of symptoms including: sleep disturbances morning stiffness headaches irritable bowel syndrome painful menstrual periods numbness or tingling of the extremities restless legs syndrome temperature sensitivity cognitive and memory problems referred to as “fibro fog” a variety of other symptoms Fibromyalgia which is often called fibro or FM or FMS by researchers is a chronic condition. This means that it is long-term and it is not likely to go away. The symptoms can fluctuate, as in, you may have pain all over your body one week and then just in certain parts of your body the next week. Fibro can also easily flare up for a variety of reasons and sometimes it is not possible to work out what brings on the extra increase in symptoms. According to the American College of Rheumatology Fibromyalgia is a neurologic chronic health condition that causes pain all over the body and other symptoms. Other symptoms of fibromyalgia that patients most often have are: Tenderness to touch or pressure affecting muscles and sometimes joints or even the skin. Severe fatigue. Sleep problems (waking up unrefreshed). Problems with memory or thinking clearly. You might also like: Fibromyalgia explained by the experts (what 12 organisations say) Read full article about what Fibromyalgia is. Fibro Friday is where you can find what others are saying about fibromyalgia.
Common fibromyalgia triggers. Triggers cause fibro flares or an increase of fibromyalgia symptoms. Triggers include stress, diet, sleep, and weather. Learn how to track your fibromyalgia triggers, take back control, and recover from fibromyalgia.
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Fibromyalgia (FM) has a high-frequency rate globally. The National Fibromyalgia Association reported that over 3-6% of ...
So many Spoonies aren't talking about exercise intolerance and what it means to our daily lives. How do we live with it and do about it?
