Excercise

This is the hardest thing to wrap your brain around, but it will help! Positive, natural endorphins are what it’s all about. Fewer body aches. Less pain from fatigue, as moving around will not seem as daunting. I went from not being able to climb a set of stairs without serious pain to recently riding 20 miles. On a mountain bike no less. No, the pain is not gone, but I’m out having fun, and believe it or not, feeling a different kind of pain feels good in a way. The idea that it goes away makes it easier to handle versus FM pain. Pain with purpose you might say, you’re actually going to feel better once the pain from working out subsides.

Avoid high impact exercise. Running is probably out. If you have smooth roads, a road bike may be good. The roads where I live are not, so I have to have a full suspension. But not any will do. It may sound silly, but I have to ride a race bike just to enjoy myself, as anything less takes the enjoyment out of it. A $200 bike, generally speaking, is not going to allow me to ride as far or as often as a quality bike will. I’ll go more into this in the bike section.

Yoga is good too, but be sure to get a really good thick mat. If you can’t be comfortable, you will have a hard time.

Thai Chi is a great way to go. Relaxation plays an important role in Thai Chi, so that is great! Martial arts can be good too, just be sure to avoid being jarred. Sparring may not be a great idea, and helping you sensei understand your limitations would be a very good idea.

Spin class might be a good idea too. Swimming in comfortably temperate water.

Probably not boxing, jogging, jumping jacks, skateboarding, football, rugby, soccer, hockey, or basically anything that can be jolting. Think smooth, fluid, flowing, and relaxing but invigorating.