How Exercise Can Help You Manage Fibromyalgia

That doesn't mean anything goes when it comes to exercise, though. Some forms have been shown to be more supportive for those with this condition than others. Here's what to know about exercising with fibromyalgia, including best practices for getting started and staying motivated.

Exercise has numerous advantages for those with fibromyalgia, benefiting your physical, emotional, and cognitive function, says Dr. Ascher. They include:

• Alleviating fatigue

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• Improving sleep quality

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• Reducing pain perception

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• Helping lessen depression

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• Lowering muscle tension and stiffness

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"In general, exercise supports your nervous system and affects how your body responds to pain signals," Ascher says. "Exercise also aids in weight management. This is very important, as less weight on joints and muscles offers pain reduction as well."

When considering which types of exercise may be most helpful, jumping into high-intensity, high-impact workouts may not be the best approach, says Morgan Rees, a personal trainer in Los Angeles who works with clients who have fibromyalgia and who also has the condition herself. That doesn't mean you need to skip doing these workouts forever, but it's better to work toward them gradually to make sure the intensity doesn't trigger a flare, she says.

"Overall, high-intensity exercise can increase the sensitivity of the central nervous system and potentially increase pain signals," she says. "For some people, high-impact activities can increase stress on the joints and cause greater levels of inflammation. Some people are able to do high-intensity exercise and have less pain, whereas others experience more."

Here are some types of exercise to consider as you're getting more active.

Low-Impact Cardio

Strength Training

Strength training can help build muscle endurance in a fibromyalgia-friendly way, particularly if you begin with body-weight training and progress very gradually into using weights and other forms of resistance, Ascher says. Building endurance can help alleviate pain and stiffness in the muscles and tendons over time.

"This will be felt at a greater level, with increased pain, for someone who has fibromyalgia," says Rees. That's why taking your time to build up to heavier loads and using a trainer if possible are important.

"Sometimes if people work out and they feel extra sore afterward, it causes them to be afraid of that pain and to not go back to exercise," she says. "But you can build up a tolerance over time. It could take you several times of exercising to find what works for you. Just because you become sore one time does not mean it will be like that every time. The body does adapt."

Yoga

Yoga pairs movement with deep breathing, which can help alleviate emotional distress, says Nissa Keyashian, MD, a psychiatrist in San Jose, California, who helps people with fibromyalgia learn coping skills to deal with the emotional impact of chronic illness and the author of Practicing Stillness, which focuses on meditation, yoga, and psychotherapeutic principles.

"Practicing yoga can also help you build strength and have a greater sense of emotional health," says Dr. Keyashian. "If you don't already meditate or practice yoga, start with short sessions of time and build up from there. That can help you integrate this into a daily routine that also includes short periods of rest to support yourself physically and mentally."

"Listen to your body and try not to push yourself through painful movements all of the time," says Rees. "Be careful not to push yourself too hard in one day. Pace yourself and allow yourself to do lower levels of exercise over a longer period of time to build up your tolerance."

• Stretching before and after exercise
• Keeping track of workouts, including how you felt during and after exercise
• Aiming for at least 150 minutes per week of moderate exercise, which can consist of short sessions throughout the week
• Beginning with just 5 to 10 minutes of activity at first, based on what you can manage

Checking with your health provider beforehand, starting slowly, paying attention to how exercise is affecting you, and getting a personal trainer if that's an option are all ways to make exercise part of your fibromyalgia treatment plan, says Ascher. As you see progress, it can motivate you to continue adding more movement into your routine.

• There's often a misconception that exercise will worsen the pain of fibromyalgia, but experts say that too much rest is actually more likely to exacerbate muscle stiffness and weakness.
• Physical activity is crucial for people with fibromyalgia because it supports the nervous system and can improve how your body responds to pain.
• Certain types of exercise, including strength training and yoga, can be particularly helpful for people with fibromyalgia, because they improve muscle endurance and reduce stress.