Safe exercise for ME/CFS?

[Centime Tara]

I’m looking for a short (no more than 20 minutes) exercise program, preferably a video, that would be safe for ME/CFS. Can anyone recommend a program, maybe Pilates, yoga, or tai chi? I walk a slow mile a day but at 73 am losing muscle and feeling weak. I’d be grateful for any suggestions.

 

[Tammy7]

So hard to recommend due to the fact that we all have different limitations and what might be OK for some might not be OK for others. I think the fact that you can walk a slow mile a day is fantastic! Curious, do you have any repercussions after the walk?

 

[Centime Tara]

So hard to recommend due to the fact that we all have different limitations and what might be OK for some might not be OK for others. I think the fact that you can walk a slow mile a day is fantastic! Curious, do you have any repercussions after the walk?

Thanks for your answer. If I feel at all tired before I walk, I have to rest for the rest of the day. But if I have a little energy, and go slowly (luckily I have a slow dog), I’m usually OK. But I really need some muscle-strengthening too.

 

[Nicolaas]

Just yesterday I heard a doctor speak on the radio about the health advantages of cold-water baths after exercise, and I started wondering whether THAT might be part of my successful exercise in spite of my CFS.

I have been suffering from CFS since 1989, and was unable to exercise during the first few years. Then I gradually started rollerblading next to a swimming pool – so I took a dip in the pool every now and then.

Then I started windsurfing, dipping in die water quite often and getting wet during this exercise.

Then I started jogging next to the dam where I was windsurfing, also taking a regular dip.

Then I started swimming for exercise.

Then I moved to the ocean. Now I always exercise on the beach, taking a dip every now and then.

I am able to jog about 2 km in two sessions, do pull-ups, push-ups, sit-ups, planking, long handstands, long headstands, and a sort of “inverted sit-ups” in the headstand-position and lots of other exercises also.

I take in account that CFS sufferers tend to switch to anaerobic energy production after a short while, so I do like 13 push-ups and then go for a few body-surfs in the waves to take a bit of a rest. (I live next to a nudist beach, so it works perfectly) I usually manage 30 sit-ups, 10 inverted sit-ups, 10 pull-ups and so on.

I was only able to start exercising after cutting as much chemicals from my lifestyle as I was able to. I am 50 years old now.

Exercise? Try adding water …

 

[SarahTee]

I don’t have anything specific to recommend, but supine or seated routines remove that extra stress on the body of being upright.

 

[Tammy7]

Just yesterday I heard a doctor speak on the radio about the health advantages of cold-water baths after exercise,

That might be OK for healthy people but for people with CFS/ME, a cold water bath on top of exercise could very well be way too much stress on the body. I tried cold water showers that someone had recommended one time and it just made me worse.

 

[Creekside]

As Tammy7 said, we vary too much to make general recommendations. Some PWME can do fairly extreme bodybuilding, while others can't walk to the bathroom without triggering PEM. We mostly have to self-experiment to see what works--and doesn't work--for us as individuals. I can do a fair level of fitness activities: walking, digging soil, sawing firewood (by hand or chainsaw) and splitting it, without consequences. I have plenty of days when I don't feel like it (lethargic, achy), but I could if I had to.

I'm less convinced of the value of extra exercise. I usually do a 2.5 km walk daily. At times, I've done that 3x a day, and added in arm exercises (lifting a heavy walkingstick in different ways to exercise different muscle groups). I never noticed any extra benefits from those extra exercises, which doesn't encourage me to do extra.

I think an important aspect of exercise is how much you are willing to do it. Some exercise machine might claim to provide maximum benefits, but if you hate boring repetitions indoors, you'll avoid using it. If you like going for walks, you might do that even if you are having a bad day. For me, digging soil is a good choice, since I need to fill ruts in my driveway, so this activity rewards me with satisfaction (the ruts get filled). If someone really enjoys baking bread, kneading by hand (and giving the excess to friends) might be a better choice than a membership at a fitness center that they hate going to.

If you need arm exercises, you could try carrying a walking stick or whatever, and lifting it in different ways (side, front, etc) to work different muscle groups. If you're using that time for walking, you may as well use that time for your arms too.

 

[Deb.me]

I’m looking for a short (no more than 20 minutes) exercise program, preferably a video, that would be safe for ME/CFS. Can anyone recommend a program, maybe Pilates, yoga, or tai chi? I walk a slow mile a day but at 73 am losing muscle and feeling weak. I’d be grateful for any suggestions.

I’m 75 and understand your frustration. I’ve lost most of my body strength in 8 years of ME. I do walk a mile or so around the house every day (my watch counts steps). I just started using a peddler. It’s like pedaling a bike without the bike and it has helped my leg strength in the past. It’s a cheap small tool that hides under a chair. I think any basic stretching program would be safe. I should do that too. Anything that doesn’t get you out of breath, or make you need to lie down. Yoga & pilates sound good and you can start slowly. Good luck - I need to follow my own advice!

 

[Laura S]

I’m looking for a short (no more than 20 minutes) exercise program, preferably a video, that would be safe for ME/CFS. Can anyone recommend a program, maybe Pilates, yoga, or tai chi? I walk a slow mile a day but at 73 am losing muscle and feeling weak. I’d be grateful for any suggestions.

Hi, You could try Chigong with Mimi:

this is a 10 minute one. She has longer ones.