Two Things You Must Do Before Getting Yourself Motivated to Move With a Chronic Pain Condition
Fibromyalgia patients have often heard it said that exercise will make them feel better. So why are so many of us still sitting on the couch?
Each individual has her own rationale, but there are two primary reasons: One, we know that if we go too far, we will end up hurting worse than we do right now. Moreover, finding the line between enough and much is a lot harder than it sounds. Sometimes, it a moving target: what works Tuesday might well be too much on Friday.
The second reason we on the couch: it a simple matter of physics: bodies at rest tend to stay at rest. So, we reason, maybe we should just sit here a little longer, and exercise tomorrow. Three hundred and sixty-five tomorrows later, we still on the couch, feeling no better than before.
Yes, it a fine line we chronic pain sufferers must walk. But walk it we must, because otherwise, all our tomorrows are going to look painfully like today.
So, how about it? Are you ready to contemplate life off the couch? Great! But before you even think about inserting that Booty Ballet DVD in the player, stop right there and do these two things first.
First, See Your Doctor
Make an appointment with your doctor right off the bat, before you even think of beginning any new exercise program. Talk to her about what you want to do, and discuss with her what sorts of activities you can safely engage in.
Also, make certain that your blood pressure and current weight will support exercise. If there are concerns, ask what you can do to minimize the risks. Make sure she knows you are committed to living a healthier life, and that has to include some form of movement. If you are not exercise-ready yet, in her professional judgment, then work with your doctor to create a plan to get you there.
Next, Know Why You Haven Exercised Yet
Before you can even begin to create or implement an exercise program to complement your chronic pain treatment plan, you must first get clear on why you haven exercised yet. Acknowledge every single fear or belief, no matter how small or secretive it may seem.
If you anything like me, and hundreds of others with this illness, I daresay it not just the fibromyalgia that been keeping you on the sidelines. It probably also the fear of being seen as ridiculous, or of getting uncomfortably hot or sweaty, or of feeling worse about yourself and your body than you already do.
Write them all down and own each and every single one. Read them, re-read them, read them out loud. Acknowledging our beliefs is the first step to changing them.
Get Up! But Do It Slowly, and Talk to Your Doctor First
Getting active - doing some careful exercise on a daily basis - will go a long way towards managing your chronic pain, but to avoid flareups and other complications, go about it the right way. See your doctor, and verify with her what kinds of activity you can safely do. Then, work on acknowledging your current limiting beliefs. Now, you ready to change them and begin to implement your new program slowly, over time.
