Fibromyalgia can be extremely painful and in a lot of cases be a cause for isolation. Fibromyalgia is unforgiving on parents because caregiving requires a lot of physical exertion, that can lead to a ton of pain. So what can you do to exercise with your kids when you have fibromyalgia? We give our quick list of tips and tricks to help you out.
1. Know Your Limits
Knowing your limits may seem like a no-brainer but exercising with fibromyalgia is different than regular exercise. Healthy exercise activities are designed to put an exertion on your muscles. When you fatigue your muscles they breakdown but our immune system not only builds them back up it makes sure they are stronger to be able to handle the next exercise correctly.
When you have fibromyalgia, this is a problem because the pain might be too intense or last longer than needed. Overexertion should be avoided because the side effects are often more damaging than the benefits.
2. Bring Your Child to an Area with Reasonable Resting Spots
Once you know your limits find a place that your child can continue playing/exercising while you can rest. Parks and playgrounds are great places if they have benches and designated areas to sit while your child burns off all that energy.
A track is also a great place to bring a bike or even play in the middle of the field. Bring a folding chair and set it in the midst of the field. Your child can play or ride around the track, and you will be close enough to see your child but also have an area to take a rest when needed. You can also walk the track for your exercise knowing that once you need a break, you are always close to a chair.
TIP– If you have Fibromyalgia it’s better to do short burst rather than long sets. Cutting your workout into short repetitions rather than one long workout will give you the same health effects as less strain and pain on you.
Lastly, pools are perfect for both the kids and you. Pick a pool that has a large warm pool/hot tube for you to walk and do water aerobics. Warm water will relax your muscles and by being in water provides less impact on joints and muscles, plus kids love pools!
3. Stretch
Stretching provides an excellent opportunity teach your children about muscles, dexterity, and proper exercise. Use this time to talk about safety and flexibility while you get to loosen tight muscles, work out stiff muscles, and improve your flexibility.
TIP- When you have Fibromyalgia, it’s better to stretch after you exercise than before. Stretching out a cold muscle could end up hurting yourself. To stretch after a light exercise its best to stretch the muscle to the point of slight discomfort and hold the position for a full minute and release.
4. Learn About Fibronomics
If you have not already you should do some reading and research on fibronomics. While there is way too much to get into the basics of fibronomics is relatively simple in practice. Fibronomics is the manipulation of your body to receive the least amount of pain on your body. Using fibronomics is an excellent method to help with pain and exertion will making sure your little one is getting the proper exercise.
TIP– A superb resource on fibronomics can be found here. The site also includes a resources page and group information for support.
5. Get a Proper Rest
I know exactly what you are thinking right now. I clicked on an article that is supposed to help me exercise my kid, and you are telling me to sleep. The short answer is yes! The most common symptom of Fibromyalgia is fatigue. Getting the proper rest at night is just as important as anything else on this list.
A good nights sleep will allow you to do more the next day and feel less pain doing it. A poor nights sleep or not enough sleep will cause pain and probably deter you from any planned activities you had.
It can not be overstated enough that planning, understanding your body, and knowing when to stop is the most important thing when it comes to exercising with your kids. A beat up, sore, and sometimes physically unable to help parent is far worse than one cheering from a chair. Plan your activities accordingly and have fun exercising with you little one.
About the Author
Shirley is the proud mother of two beautiful children. She has been writing informational blog posts for parents for a few years now and hopes she can help with your questions and concerns with parenting. You can visit her blog or follow her on twitter
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