You may have heard of a graded exercise program for chronic fatigue syndrome, it may have been recommended by a doctor, or maybe it’s something you’ve read about. One reason it works is because once someone has had CFS for long enough the body is de-conditioned, the muscles are weak, fitness levels have dropped significantly. A graded exercise program can re-condition the body, gradually building up strength and fitness.

This concept is useful for any chronic illness that has caused significant levels of fatigue or pain, and therefore a drop in activity levels.

So the big question, how do you exercise when you’re tired and weak all of the time? Doesn’t activity make CFS symptoms worse?

The key is to use the right type of activity in a controlled way. Certain activities will make symptoms worse, and too much of any activity will have the same effect.

Some exercises that are gentle:

·         Yoga

·         Tai chi

·         Swimming

·         Gentle bouncing on a mini tramp (bouncing without your feet leaving the mat uses minimal energy)

·         Weights (VERY VERY light weights, small dumbbells or weighted wrist straps)

·         Walking

Find what exercise works best for you, meaning that it doesn’t exacerbate symptoms, and you enjoy it. Avoid any intense forms of exercise to start with.

How to start:

1.      Start small, consider how inactive you’ve been and determine the starting point. 5mins a day 3 times a week is a good way to start.

2.      Create a schedule of what days and for how long, only increase the time when you’re ready.

3.      If the increase exacerbates symptoms, or you have a bad run go back to the previous time schedule (e.g. back to 5mins a day if you just increased to 10mins)

4.      Don’t push yourself, even if you’re feeling great and want to do more, always stay within the scheduled time. Bursts of lengthy exercising will exacerbate symptoms even if it feels ok at the time.

5.      If you start exercising and it immediately feels as if it’s making you worse, stop, it’s not the day to exercise.

6.      Take into account incidental activity, your body won’t distinguish between 5mins of walking and 5mins of sweeping the floor. If you’ve been active in other ways consider that your days exercise.

An example of a graded program, remember only you can determine when it’s time to go onto the next stage

1.      5mins a day 3 times a week

2.      10mins a day 3 times a week – Split the exercise into two 5min blocks with a rest in between

3.      10mins a day 3 times a week

4.      15mins a day 3 times a week – Split the exercise into a 10min and a 5min block with a rest in between

5.      20mins a day 3 times a week – Split the exercise into two 10min blocks with a rest in between

6.      20mins a day 3 times a week – Split the exercise into a 15min block and a 5min block with a rest in between

7.      20mins a day 3 times a week

If you’d like to increase days it’s a good idea to wait until you can comfortably manage 20min blocks without exacerbating symptoms. Then increase to 4 days a week, then 5 days a week. 

Post from: The Recovery Room

Exercising with chronic fatigue

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How to get the most out of these days:

In truth, it’s probably unlikely you will get much out of a day like this, but in the least it’s possible to ease the burden of a bad day. The key lies in being prepared; and being willing to accept that it isn’t a day for achievements.

Preparing for a bad day:

1.      Have easy to prepare healthy options always available – We all know its important to eat well, yet on the days the most nurturing is needed it’s the most likely we will slip up and eat badly. Keeping food in the house that is easy to make and healthy will make it less likely you will slip up, and will also minimize the energy expended on preparing food.

2.      Have prepared food always available – On the good days, make use of that more useful time and prepare some meals. This can be just cooking extra and freezing the leftovers, or keeping some ready made meals and snacks in containers in the fridge that can just be grabbed and eaten.

3.      Make use of energy dense foods – A trail mix of nuts and dried fruits is easily grabbed out of the pantry, this can be sat next to you and you can just nibble on it throughout the day. Yoghurt and milk is also energy dense and easily prepared.

4.      As much as possible do the jobs that are really going to bother you the most on the days you are well, always being careful not to overdo it.

5.      If you live with others, inform them of what you need on a bad day – this can mean telling them how you may feel emotionally; inform them what you wont be able to do so they know what is expected of them.

6.      Set up the house so its easier to function – this can be as simple as putting a coffee table close to where you sit so your not reaching for things throughout the day. Keep things you will most likely need together and place them where you can reach them throughout the day. Items like a book, hot pack, medications you will need to take throughout the day. Something as simple as keeping tea and coffee next to the kettle with spoons and cups can minimize walking back and forth in the kitchen.

7.      Put the phone where you can reach it early in the day – this applies if you have a cordless or a mobile phone, being prepared can save having to get up to answer it when your lacking in energy.

8.      Next to all those necessities, it’s worth also putting a jug of water and a glass, and a box of snacks.

Most importantly rest on a bad day, its not a good time to engage in any new activities or to push boundaries.

Post from: The Recovery Room

Bad days: Simple tips

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