Creating a Graded Exercise Program for Fibromyalgia

A graded exercise program is simply a program keyed to individual needs, where you can add steps as you become healthier. With a fibromyalgia patient, the grades are set up so that you can move both forward and backwards as you need to reduce your activity when you are in flare. Generally, when it comes to fibromyalgia, the two recommended starting exercises are walking and yoga.

Preparation for exercises is key. When it comes to fibro, it is imperative that you do not do things that will exacerbate your illness- in this case, it is imperative that when you are starting a walking routine, that you have the right kind of shoes so that you do not add stress to your hips, knees, ankles, and feet. I even recommend adding gel inserts to your shoes to ensure additional comfort for your feet. As you continue on and move up in grades, return to the basics and check your preparation for the additional steps.

Preparation for yoga is light- if you do not have a carpeted area where you can do your yoga, invest in a yoga mat. You will not regret having the additional padding between your hands, feet, butt, and the floor.

When beginning any exercise regimen, you want to start off slow. Both yoga and walking will help you build endurance without overstressing your system. With the walking regimen, start off slow, doing 10 minute bursts at a time, walking fast enough to cause you to have your heart rate increase, but not so quickly that you would find it difficult to carry on a conversation. Once you can handle 10 minutes of walking without difficulty, increase it to 20 minutes, until you are doing 30 minutes of walking at least 3 times a week at a good aerobic clip. This is also graded- if you go into flare, and find 30 minutes too difficult to handle 3 times a week, cut back to 20 or 10 minutes 3-4 times a week.

For the yoga, you want to do 20 minutes a day of whatever stretching routine you find suits you. The yoga and walking are recommended as complimentary for fibromyalgia sufferers because the walking will give you a good aerobic exercise and the yoga will help to keep you flexible and stretch your upper body muscles, which do not get worked by walking. And yes, you want to do the yoga every day, because the stretching is that beneficial. (A good routine, by the way, can be found on the DVD "AM Yoga," but that is simply one of many. You can make your own routine up, also.) I recommend, also, even if you go into flare, do not cut back on the yoga too much. Feel free to do your exercises more slowly, more gently, take your time with it, do not hold the poses as long, but do not cut it out. It truly can help you, and it can even make your flare time shorter. Yoga is too valuable to us fibromites to let it go by the wayside.

Each individual fibromyalgia sufferer will want to develop their own "next level," but here are a few suggestions I think are worthwhile to get you started. :)

Resistance/strength training: Whether you use a simple rubber band, free weights, or just cans of soup, resistance training can help build muscle, which will help you lose weight, become more limber, become stronger, and recover from illnesses better. People with fibro shouldn't ever get into the heavy-duty weightlifting, but the kind of mild resistance training that is done with bands and light 2 or 2 1/2 lb weights is often ideal for fibro sufferers. As you make your muscles stronger, you may even smooth out some of the knots. Simply be aware that you will need to hydrate more as you do this because you will be creating a lot more acids in your muscles. With these exercises, it is recommended that you add the exercises one exercise set at a time. So, week one you would add five arm curls. Week two you would add five arm curls and five triceps exercises, etc. Then if you needed to back down on the exercises, back down on the number of exercises that you do, or cut out a particular area that is hurting you. But definitely build up slowly.

Water aerobics: A water aerobics class is about the best thing you can do when you have fibromyalgia. The water helps reduce impact on your joints and muscles, and the various gentle exercises gain impact from the resistance of the water. It is really amazing how much strength and endurance you will gain from two or three classes a week if it is offered in your area. Start off with one class a week and build up if you can.

Aerobics classes: A low impact aerobics class, or even a high impact class where the instructor understands that you may have to take things a little slower than some of the other participants can be very helpful to build your endurance and strengthen your heart. Again, here start off with one class a week and build up if you can.

I hope that this gives you a guide to how you can work exercise into your life, despite your fibromyalgia restrictions.