Exercise

From: HealthRising user Philip Hayward on 'Study Suggests “Bad Energy” is Core Problem in Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS)' <a href="https://www.healthrising.org/blog/2017/05/31/study-suggests-bad-energy-core-problem-fibromyalgia-chronic-fatigue-syndrome-mecfs/">https://www.healthrising.org/blog/2017/05/31/study-suggests-bad-energy-core-problem-fibromyalgia-chronic-fatigue-syndrome-mecfs/</a>

But as Cort and others know from my regular comments here, I discovered over the last 3 years that my condition is helped significantly by a low carb diet and plenty of low intensity exercise, deliberately avoiding anaerobic exertion, and building the aerobic threshold so that more activity is possible without activating the anaerobic mechanism. My hypothetical reasons for doing this, was that burning sugar for exercise produces “dirty” by-products while burning fat is “clean” – hence the diet as well as the carefully targeted exercise program. And those “dirty” byproducts could be one of the toxins that linger in muscle tissue, worsening the vicious circle with the myofascial ground substance stickiness as its source.

Also frequent urination mentioned.

From: HealthRising user Lorena on 'Study Suggests “Bad Energy” is Core Problem in Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS)' <a href="https://www.healthrising.org/blog/2017/05/31/study-suggests-bad-energy-core-problem-fibromyalgia-chronic-fatigue-syndrome-mecfs/">https://www.healthrising.org/blog/2017/05/31/study-suggests-bad-energy-core-problem-fibromyalgia-chronic-fatigue-syndrome-mecfs/</a>

I have been trying to work with my physical therapist to create an exercise program that will avoid anerobic and increase CV efficiency. We are trying to use monitoring HR and keeping that at or below 100 bpm during activity My resting HR is already 80bpm and minimal activity ( emptying the dishwasher, folding laundry jumps me up to 100. Climbing a flight of stairs i jump up tp 120! It is impossible for me to train thus way. How do you approach avoiding anerobic training?

Reply from user Philip Hayward

The key is to do a LOT of exercise and movement at the intensity you can handle. The more you keep this up, the quicker your threshold will rise. When I first thought this was worth trying, I dedicated 2 to 3 hours per day to it, my income suffered, but it was worth it. (I am self-employed).

After a couple of years, my aerobic threshold was so high, I was freaking out other people in the gym on static exercise machines, because I was maintaining the same power level as them but with a heart rate 30 beats per minute lower. But that was the limit of what I could do; I still can’t do what normal people can – dig really deep, go anaerobic and generate a lot of energy to achieve a result, then recover overnight. People like you and I do not recover overnight.

But I have regained the ability to do something I used to love to do 25 years ago, and lost – I participate in group bicycle rides, the real lycra-wearing type. I can keep up with some pretty fit people most of the time. But I have to just let them go when they decide to put on a burst of speed, and when it comes to riding uphill.

From link:

Now we come to perhaps the most controversial aspect of managing ME/CFS. You're probably asking, "How can exercise help when it's the cause of the problem in the first place?"

Most experts agree that people with ME/CFS need to get some exercise. After all, muscle atrophy and inactivity will only serve to make you less able to handle activity, while they increase other symptoms as well as your risk of other diseases.

However, you can't treat therapeutic exercise like other people. You must know your limits and stick to them strictly.

<ul >

<li ><a href="https://www.verywell.com/exercise-for-fibromyalgia-chronic-fatigue-syndrome-716045" data-component="link" data-source="inlineLink" data-type="internalLink" data-ordinal="1" >Exercising the Right Way with ME/CFS</a></li>

</ul>

Some people turn to physical therapy, but with mixed results. It's important that your therapist is familiar with the restrictions inherent to the disease so they don't push you too far and make you worse.

<ul >

<li ><a href="https://www.verywell.com/fibromyalgia-chiropractors-massage-therapists-715646" data-component="link" data-source="inlineLink" data-type="internalLink" data-ordinal="2" >Find a Physical Therapist for ME/CFS</a></li>

</ul>

A segment of the medical community advocates a treatment called Graduated Exercise Therapy (GET) as a first-line treatment for ME/CFS. They point to research suggesting that it's beneficial. On the other side of this considerable controversy, though, is research suggesting that GET is actually harmful to people with ME/CFS.

How is it that they can have such a fundamental disagreement? In comes from a difference of opinion as to the very nature of the illness. You can learn more about that here:

<ul >

<li ><a href="https://www.verywell.com/five-competing-definitions-of-chronic-fatigue-syndrome-716126" data-component="link" data-source="inlineLink" data-type="internalLink" data-ordinal="3" >The Five Competing Definitions of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome</a></li>

</ul>