Exercise

‘Believe you can and you're halfway there’

Theodore Roosevelt

 

Gentle exercise is a vital key to managing Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue, but of course we realise just how difficult it can be.

 

One of the key factors is that any form of exercise releases plenty of endorphins – ‘happy hormones’ – and can be an immediate lift.  Even just a few minutes of basic yoga stretches can be enough to help both the body and mind; it is a real mental and physical boost.  I love how good stretching can make me feel – just stretching my body out can make a difference.  

 

A 10-minute walk around the block in the sunshine (which boosts levels of vitamin D in the skin) can be very uplifting, or taking the kids to the park.  If you’re really struggling, start practising a few stretches and exercises when you’re lying in bed after you wake up in the morning.  It should start to make a real difference and help to get your body moving more.

 

It really doesn’t have to be much in the first instance but it’s so very important to try and get/keep moving.  If you become more inactive then it has an adverse effect, and can cause even more restriction of movement and more pain.  So, no matter how hard it may be, you HAVE to try and find forms of exercise that you can physically cope with.  

 

Always remember that 10-20 minutes of physical activity can not only boost serotonin but can also help reduce high levels of substance P as well as helping the lymphatic system to work more efficiently (as it relies on muscle power to function).