Spring and Fibro exercise

Well, Spring is upon us once again and as I sit here to enter a new post, my legs are sore, I cannot seem to get comfortable and I have a dull, but ever present headache. This is my first post in a very long time as it was a hard fall and winter. Living in NY, the weather can govern your day more than anything else sometimes.
I am conflicted about this upcoming Spring weather as we have had some wonderful temperatures and sunny days recently, but I also know that with Spring comes the rain. I am still taking narcotic pain medication and there are days that just one or two will not suffice. However, I have gotten to a point where I will not take anymore than 2 1/2 per day. It is still difficult to manage the pain. Some people are able to do so with non-narcotics, others may need more than that. Many patients will be told from their doctor that exercise can be really helpful, yet, if you are a fellow sufferer, you know how difficult this can be, no matter what your level of motivation.

A simple suggestion for exercise that I have found and is currently working is a simple walking routine.

1. On the first day, begin walking for either 5 or 10 minutes.
2. Every day thereafter, add either two or four minutes to the walk.
3. The goal is to get to 60 to 75 minutes, and is recommended a minimum of three days per week.

I am doing my best to maintain this routine myself.

When the pain level is high, I will sit and do a series of breathing exercises......
Nostril breathing works wonders and I learned it in a Mind/Body class in college.

Using one hand, place your fingers over your nose as if you are holding against a foul odor. Close off your left nostril with you index finger, breath in through the other slowly to the count of three. Then release and exhale. Repeat this motion on the other side with your thumb. Do this for about four times, each side.

**You will find that this really relaxes you and takes the focus off your pain as you are concentrating on the motion and breathing with the nose.

Also, YOGA can be very helpful on hard days as it can stretch what needs to be stretched and the slow controlled breathing will put more oxygen into your muscles. However, I will urge you to speak with you physician about this as opposed to my suggesting any poses here as they need to be carefully planned out. Any other pre-existing conditions (ie: heart problems, etc.) can be aggravated by certain poses.


I will write more about children and activities that I found helpful and fun, during my down days. As always, I wish everyone well and remember that you are not alone in this fight.

Take care and Happy Spring!!