Yoga, pilates and tai chi: These gentle activities can be particularly helpful for people with fibromyalgia, to help improve flexibility, strength, balance and feeling of relaxation.
Strength training
You can use resistance machines or bands, lift free weights, or try bodyweight exercises like push-ups and squats. Evidence suggests that low, moderate, or high-intensity strength training can be safe for people with fibromyalgia.
One study found aerobics to be far superior -- even in people with severe fibromyalgia. Start an exercise program with a low-impact cardiovascular exercise such as walking. If walking creates too much stress on your muscles or joints, try non-weight-bearing activities like swimming or bicycling.
Low-impact aerobic exercises have been shown to improve symptoms and restore muscle strength in some people with fibromyalgia. They include: Yoga -- an ancient form of exercise that can reduce stress and relieve muscle tension or pain by improving range of motion and strength.
Although exercise can improve the symptoms of fibromyalgia, the effects are not always immediate. “Exercise is really the best long-term treatment for the pain and fatigue of fibromyalgia,” Jones says. “But it can take up to six months before you notice a change in your symptoms.”
Excessive physical activity
However, excessive physical activities should be avoided. Over-exertion fatigue may result in lack of adequate activities for several days. Daily moderate exercise that is favorable for fibromyalgia includes walking, swimming or biking.
The symptoms of fibromyalgia are associated with physical inactivity such as excessive sitting. Physical inactivity itself produces increased oxidative stress and chronic inflammation, factors present in fibromyalgia. Therefore, increasing physical activity should benefit patients with fibromyalgia.
Your choices include mall walking, swimming, water aerobics, using a kickboard in a pool, yoga, tai chi, or biking. Start slow and increase the time and intensity as you can. Again, your goal is to work up to 30 minutes a day, 5 days of the week.
Diet. Some experts say what you eat may play a role in fibromyalgia -- just not the same role for everyone. Certain foods and ingredients -- such as aspartame, MSG, caffeine, and tomatoes -- seem to worsen symptoms for some people.
In some cases, the doctor may recommend a multivitamin that includes antioxidant vitamins A, C, D, E, and the B vitamins, as well as calcium, magnesium, selenium, and zinc to ease symptoms. Coenzyme Q10. This antioxidant, used to convert food into energy, has shown some promise in treating fibromyalgia symptoms.
Exercise May Change How the Brain Processes Pain
On the other hand, a convincing body of studies shows that aerobic exercise, stretching, strength-training, balance training, and activities that combine physical movement with mindfulness, such as tai chi and yoga, all have benefits for people with fibromyalgia.
Exercise Regularly
Regular, low-intensity exercise, such as walking or warm-water exercise, is one of the best treatments for fibromyalgia. It helps decrease pain and stiffness, reduce stress, and may increase your sense of control over fibromyalgia. You may also sleep better.
Aerobic exercise was the overall most effective treatment. Muscle strengthening produces an improvement in overall disease activity. Aerobic exercise is an effective treatment for FMS.
People with fibromyalgia frequently develop tender pain points, also known as trigger points, that are found in the legs. Each person has nine pairs of points on the body that may result in pain when pressed, according to WebMD.
Any soft tissue (muscles, tendons, and ligaments) may be affected. But soft tissue of the neck, upper shoulders, chest, rib cage, lower back, thighs, arms, and areas around certain joints are especially likely to be painful. Less often, the lower legs, hands, and feet are painful and stiff.
Sleep and fibromyalgia share a bidirectional relationship. Just as painful symptoms can prevent patients from getting enough rest, sleep deprivation can exacerbate the widespread feelings of pain and tenderness brought on by fibromyalgia. Sleep loss can also lower a person's pain threshold.
Regular gentle exercise is one of the most effective ways that fibromyalgia flare ups can be avoided or diminished and pain managed. Exercise in moderation may increase pain at first but may help prevent or improve pain over time and build up endurance, muscle strength, avoidance of depression, and boost moods.
Physical and emotional stress are the most common triggers of fibromyalgia flares. Other triggers include lack of sleep, weather changes, and hormone imbalances.
Previous studies have observed that fibromyalgia women display a reduced walking speed, which could be a consequence of decreases in stride length and cycle frequency, as well as bradykinesia (Auvinet et al., 2006; Heredia Jiménez et al., 2009).
Slowly, she gained confidence to try different sports, including triathlon. Days when she felt too exhausted to run, she would go for a swim or a gentle cycle. Claire soon found that exercising daily lessened the symptoms of fibromyalgia.