# Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Exercise



## Diana63 (Oct 20, 2009)

I have tried exercising over the years ie.relaxation techniques,yoga even tried personal training at the gym but i always end up feeling worse and have to give up.What is others experience with exercising and chronic fatigue?I just dont seem to get any benefit from it at all.I was told just to take it very gently and build up but i always end up feeling ill.


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## Diana63 (Oct 20, 2009)

Does anyone have any experience or advice on the above?Thanks.


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## Kathleen M. (Nov 16, 1999)

All I've ever read says it very much is a less is more sort of thing. I have no personal experience, but I have read about what it takes because I do have a lot of issues building endurance even though I don't have FM or CFS (I just build strength easily but have issues adding more time).You may have to start with very small amount (5 minute walk, or 5 reps of just a couple of weights with very low weight) and only increase a small amount at a time. Also take frequent breaks if you need them, even if that makes the whole workout take longer.The tolerated amount at the start can be very very low and most "normal amounts" of exercise will exhaust you until you build up.Once you find the amount you can do right now without feeling bad afterwards do that 3-4X a week for a week and make sure that is your tolerated level. And you might have 2 or 3 different things you rotate through, so do weights or other exercises 2X a week and do something aerobic 2X a weekThen I would increase that at no more than 10% per week. And that 10% is either amount of time or how hard you work. Or if you increase both the total increase should be about 10%, and then stay at that for a week.I know this sounds really slow and like it will take months just to get up to where most people start exercising, but any amount of overdoing it will set you back. You can make improvements but you have to start at where your exercise tolerance is now. A little bit of progress every week will eventually get you there. Doing too much at any one time will never get you anywhere.I'll see if I can find a sample program for you or some more infohttp://www.webmd.com/chronic-fatigue-syndr...atigue-syndrome talks about "Graded Exercise" which is what the doctors recommend. And discusses what kind of professional can help and how to do the rest you need while building up to normal levels of exercise. I think it gives some good guidelines.I really have to watch overdoing it even though I don't have chronic fatigue. Even if I feel good one day that doesn't mean I can work out much longer without having that lead to a set back so sticking to something slow and gradual is what I need and that is as a healthy person. If I need to be careful, you shouldn't feel bad about needing to take it slow. It very much is a slow and steady wins the race kind of thing.


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## Diana63 (Oct 20, 2009)

Thank you so much for the reply Kathleen,i do understand everything you have posted.I will look up the website you have mentioned.It is difficult to take things very slowly,but i know i really have to.I am so used to trying to push myself quite hard to get on with things due to my ill health.Thanks again.


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## Kathleen M. (Nov 16, 1999)

I don't know if it is always true, but it does seem that these disorders that need the slow gentle approach to recovery happen to those that have a personality where they tend to push too hard and don't deal well with the take it slow and steady kind of thing.Sometimes I think it is because any physical body can only take overwork and lack of balance with needed rest for a certain amount of time. No one can get away with it forever, but some people have a hard time stopping the process and end up in a complete collapse because they find it hard to back off until they are forced to.I'm OK at noticing when I'm crashing and backing off, so I never get really bad. But I'm also not good at making sure my relaxation and rest are high quality so I'm prone to overdoing and I really should be better at it, especially since I know better. It is just so much easier to say than to do.It is hard when you know what you eventually need is 30-40 minutes every other day of moderate exercise but you have to start at 5 minutes of barely doing anything. It helps to focus on every bit of small progress and try not to compare to the end point. Try to enjoy the process. I know it is hard not to push.My T'ai Chi School has 4 rules from Master Jou.1. Know yourself (so you have to get clear on how much you can do without a set back)2. Do your best (so if you can do 5 minutes, do those 5 minutes)3. Don't overdo. Anytime anyone does this you end up going backward for awhile. For a lot of people this is the hardest one.4. Make a little progress every day (literally translated is make one inch of progress). An inch here and an inch there will get you very far over time, but it can be frustrating at the beginning when you tend to feel you have so far to go. I think focusing on every little bit of progress along the way even when it is one small step can really help you get over that hump of feeling like you aren't getting anywhere.I also think, like a discussion on another thread, that trusting that your body can heal when it has done something that feels like a huge betrayal is hard. But I do think looking for those moments when it does the right thing can help you get through the worst of the bad times and get on a road of consistent (if slow) recovery.


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## Diana63 (Oct 20, 2009)

Thank you so much for posting again.I am so very used to pushing myself and trying to get on with life as much as possible.Although i do know i need to slow down and take it a step at a time.As pushing so hard is doing my health no good at all,as you said pacing would be so much better for me.I think that through caring for my parents i really did not think about myself or my body/health at all,i just wanted to look after them as much/well as i could and did not bother about myself.I must say though,that now i can relax and be calm but since being able to do this more,my health has got so much worse which i find very strange indeed,you would think i would be feeling a bit better.Thank you again and i do take on board what you have said.


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## Diana63 (Oct 20, 2009)

KathleenI meant to ask,how do i get into the previous postings/questions i have asked?Thank you.


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## BQ (May 22, 2000)

Diana.. Just click by your name on any posting you have made. (Like the one above me here.) A drop down arrow & 5 options will appear. One of those options is "Find Member's Posts" (any posts you have made anywhere) and another is "Find Member's Topics"(any Threads you yourself began.).Hope this helps.


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## Diana63 (Oct 20, 2009)

Thank you for that.


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## Feisty (Aug 14, 2000)

I am much like you, Diane. I tend to push myself past the "stop" point and then I pay for it. Slight pushing is okay, but not as much as what I do.







But, I am slowly learning, I think. While taking care of your parents, you probably operated on pure adrenaline and now that so much is not needed, your body finally caved. I'm going to start with slow stretches which make me feel more relaxed and limber. Then I plan on walking for 10 minutes or so. That will be my goal for a week or two until I feel like I can go a little further. Eventually I would like to get it up to a 30 to 45 minute walk every day. I will never be able to do intense workouts again......age and the body is telling me NO MORE of that stuff....I hit the big 60 almost a year ago. LOL I have Osteoarthritis in most of my joints now and my spine is full of it, besides being plagued with Fibro and colitis and IBS. So, I have to take it "easy does it", but I'm hoping to get back some of my former stamina again.







Good luck to you!


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## M&M (Jan 20, 2002)

Hi Diana, welcome.Just remember that your body will not have its true reaction to "today's exercise" for 1-3 days. So, while you're trying to figure out how much is ok for your body and how much is too much, do NOT exercise daily. Exercise 1 day (for a brief, reasonable amount). Then wait. See how you do for the next several days. If your symptoms are not exacerbated, then you can add another day of exercise, and wait again for several days to see how your body will react. It's important not to overdo, because overdoing does have a cumulative effect. You will (in the long run) do more damage to your body and make your symptoms progress. So start light, start with 1 day a week, and see how you do.As you begin a light exercise routine, 1 or 2 days a week is sufficient. (And may be too much for some patients.) Know that ANY kind of movement IS exercise, so even 1 or 2 days a week WILL help you and will create progress.


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