Many people don’t exercise because they associate exercising with uncomfortable pain. Then how can people with Fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS) who live with constant pain be encouraged to exercise?

Pain is a “normal” almost accepted part of daily life. Morning stiffness, reduced joint mobility, muscular weakness, cardio respiratory impairment, poor posture, sleep deprivation, anxiety and depression are all symptoms that a person with FMS has to live with. In fact, about five million Americans (2 percent) mostly females between the ages 20 and 65 suffer from this body-wide pain disorder.

The cause is still unknown, but some research shows abnormalities in the central and peripheral nervous system. Treatment therefore is also difficult to prescribe. It usually takes a combination of medical and natural healing professions to relieve symptoms and to promote well-being. One of the effective treatments is exercise.

The key to exercising with FMS is to start very slow. For instance, aerobic activities, such as walking, will improve cardiovascular function and will help in reducing body weight. Start with five to ten minutes each day and add one minute after several days until 30 to 60 minutes of continuous walking is reached.

Water exercising is also a great opportunity. The body weight is reduced by 90 percent when walking in armpit deep water. Water also gives the body 12 times the resistance of air and therefore requires muscle strength and endurance. Besides, water relieves muscle spasm and reduces the feeling of pain. Range of motion can be greatly increased when moving the limbs through it.

Yoga is another modality that is good for relieving stress, muscle tension and muscular strength. Yoga focuses on breathing and relaxing while holding a pose. It increases strength and at the same time stimulates organs and glands, increases blood flow and helps people let go of anxiety and stress. Most of all, it focuses on posture and muscle balance, which usually worsens over time due to muscle spasm and tightness.

Strength training is also important. Weight training with light weights and few repetitions are recommended. Even though at the beginning, the body perceives exercising as painful, over time strengthening exercises will be less painful and the benefits out-weigh the uncomfortable feeling. Weight training will strengthen the muscles, increase metabolism and boost self-esteem, functional ability and self-reliance.

Generally, exercise produces hormones such as serotonin and adrenalin which are natural inhibitors of pain. Exercises will naturally improve sleep at night and therefore will improve mood and productivity throughout the day. Furthermore, exercising will prevent further deterioration of muscle weakness, immobility and flexibility.

The perception of exercising is important for improvements to occur in people with FMS. Believing it is helpful will go a long way. Over-doing it, however, will cause flare-ups and drop-outs. Again, starting slowly and progressing at a slow rate is the key in helping to win the battle of constant pain.