Much like a healthy diet, exercise can be very beneficial to people who have certain ailments, diseases, and disorders. Exercise can provide many health benefits to a body that is struggling through certain problems. Exercise can provide endorphins that can act as natural painkillers, as well as give the body energy and health benefits, like keeping off excess weight, and keeping blood sugar at a normal level. People who have fibromyalgia can find benefits when they exercise, as well. Although it may be difficult for people who have fibromyalgia to want to get up and exercise, due to the fact that they are in constant pain, as well as suffer from fatigue, there are ways to get up and get moving. People with fibromyalgia can get benefits from exercise, and it does not have to wear them out, or be too difficult to accomplish.
Everyone can benefit from exercise, and people with fibromyalgia are no different. Not only does regular exercise keep a body healthy, but also there are an incredible amount of reasons that exercise can help people with fibromyalgia specifically. Exercise releases endorphins, which are the body’s natural painkillers. Not only do the endorphins help with pain, but they also reduce anxiety, stress and depression, which are all common symptoms that come along with fibromyalgia. Exercise also boosts levels of serotonin. Serotonin is a neurotransmitter in the brain that is related to fibromyalgia. Neurotransmitters play a vital role in mediating moods, and when there is an increased amount of it in the brain, it helps calm down anxiety, which is something that a lot of people with fibromyalgia deal with. Other benefits that exercise can provide for fibromyalgia patients are: strengthening muscles, increasing energy, improving quality of sleep, improving a person’s outlook on life, giving range-of-motion to painful muscles and joints, and improving cardiovascular health.
There are a lot of exercises that people with fibromyalgia can try. Keep in mind, it is okay to feel tired after a workout, and if your body is telling you to stop, then you should. Always listen to your body. Take things slow, and build up your endurance. Do not push yourself, and continue to improve every day you try these exercises. Exercises that people with fibromyalgia should consider are: endurance or conditioning exercises, strengthening exercises, and range-of-motion or stretching exercises. Endurance or conditioning exercises to try include swimming, walking and biking. These exercises condition the body as well as tone muscles. They also build up endurance, which will help you when you exercise in the future. Strengthening exercises help build strong muscles, and can help improve fibromyalgia symptoms. You should talk to a doctor or personal trainer to see which strengthening exercise is right for you. Range-of-motion or stretching exercises help move a joint as far as it will go without pain. They also help it go through its full range of motion. A doctor or physical therapist can guide you to which exercise would be best for this type of fibromyalgia workout.
Always consult a doctor about an exercise routine that will be right for you. You do not want to make any of the symptoms, especially pain, worse than it is already. Make sure to listen to your body, and continue to try new workouts to see which one best suits your needs.