Greetings,
I truly apologise that it has been so long since I have posted here. I have thought about posting various things here but they did not seem to be related. I have been rather busy trying to get a book to print as I have moved into self-publishing. I am also still running my own fencing school and all of these things take time and energy, so the lack of time and spoons is an issue. This is not what I am here to discuss. The article for this post is about progression.
5%. It does not sound like much but it is important as it is further along than you were before. Progression is about building up energy and strength, this approach is about building up this energy and strength in a manageable way. So, you decide that you want to walk to improve your fitness. Aim for 105% of the distance each time you walk and you will improve your fitness, or 105% of the speed, but not both at the same time. When you do this you will have improved yourself 5%.
Having a chronic illness is about managing the strength and energy a person has at that point in time. There is no point in going to a gym and smashing out a full session if you are going to "crash" afterward and not going to move for a week afterward. These sharp sessions of improvement and decline are not great for your body and should be saved for things that you enjoy, if you do them at all. As far as exercise for health is concerned, you should only be pushing yourself far enough that you can begin to feel it, i.e. adding 5%. This way you can repeat the same thing again, even in the same week.
For myself, I have been going to a hydrotheraphy pool twice a week, most weeks anyway and aiming for the 5%. Sometimes it is just nice to relax in the nice warm water and do some stretching of my muscles, but even this servs a purpose of the 5% extension in stretching. I can usually manage twice a week because I only push myself the 5%. It is a manageable goal. This is what we all need to aim for, thus I have the "5% Rule" and I encourage you all to use it too.
Cheers,
Henry.
Showing posts with label exercise. Show all posts
Showing posts with label exercise. Show all posts
Friday, December 7, 2018
Wednesday, June 22, 2016
A Victory at Last... Physiotherapy really works.
Greetings,
Yes, you read it right, I have a victory at last. My regular readers would have read about the problems that I have been having with my knees being quite painful for quite some time. They would have also read about the awful threat and actual happening of me having to use my walking cane for a period of time. Well, I can finally report a victory on that front.
Some months ago, March by my accounting, I managed to get into see the Allied Health Department at the Mater Hospital in Brisbane for an assessment on my knees. After the assessment they decided that they would trial me on three months of physiotherapy to see if that would help before going to send me to see the orthopedic surgeon to see what surgical options there were. I liked this idea as the idea of them cutting open my knees was not my idea of fun as it involved weeks of being off my feet.
Off I went to the Physiotherapy Department. Horribly helpful people, obviously not well-informed about all of my conditions. Sure they got told about my fibromyalgia, but not about the hyper-mobility and the marfans syndrome. These can make some of the exercises a little interesting and also some of the stresses on joints a little interesting. Once these were dealt with things got started.
My physiotherapist Anne was great. Rather than going straight for the knees she started with my posture and looked at my feet. Seems my feet were rolling inward resulting in my knees doing a similar thing, more stress on them, so we started there. My feet have mostly been good aside from the occasional dislocated/bruised toe, forming bunions, long feet and long toe issues. First we did some exercises to convince my feet to start "standing up" and rolling out. This also did a bit of work on my ankles as well, not a bad thing. Some taping was involved which worked a treat.
Result, I now have orthotics in my regular walking shoes to keep my feet in the right place. This helped a bit with taking some pressure off my knees. Next bit, as a part of this was gaining some control over the muscles around my ankles and the joints themselves. Also stretches were involved of various muscle groups in the legs. Ask my fencing students, some of them are now being subjected to them.
With the feet and ankles on the mend the knees were next. This is where the real work started. Lots of exercises lots of repetition and lots of posture correction. If you are a fencer, and your teacher says "Get your knee turned out." Just do it. It will save you a lot of time and effort later on. So now I have a bunch of exercises to work on groups of muscles and also stretches to also keep them nice and limber. They were horribly tight previously, I never noticed how much.
The end result of all this is. When you go to the physiotherapist and they give you exercises to do. Do them. They do work. They will help. I was discharged from the Mater Physiotherapy Department today. Aside from the usual fibromyalgia annoyances which I have to put up with anyway my knees have never felt better. I will be keeping up with the exercises and stretches because I do not want them to go back to where they were.
Cheers,
Henry.
Yes, you read it right, I have a victory at last. My regular readers would have read about the problems that I have been having with my knees being quite painful for quite some time. They would have also read about the awful threat and actual happening of me having to use my walking cane for a period of time. Well, I can finally report a victory on that front.
Some months ago, March by my accounting, I managed to get into see the Allied Health Department at the Mater Hospital in Brisbane for an assessment on my knees. After the assessment they decided that they would trial me on three months of physiotherapy to see if that would help before going to send me to see the orthopedic surgeon to see what surgical options there were. I liked this idea as the idea of them cutting open my knees was not my idea of fun as it involved weeks of being off my feet.
Off I went to the Physiotherapy Department. Horribly helpful people, obviously not well-informed about all of my conditions. Sure they got told about my fibromyalgia, but not about the hyper-mobility and the marfans syndrome. These can make some of the exercises a little interesting and also some of the stresses on joints a little interesting. Once these were dealt with things got started.
My physiotherapist Anne was great. Rather than going straight for the knees she started with my posture and looked at my feet. Seems my feet were rolling inward resulting in my knees doing a similar thing, more stress on them, so we started there. My feet have mostly been good aside from the occasional dislocated/bruised toe, forming bunions, long feet and long toe issues. First we did some exercises to convince my feet to start "standing up" and rolling out. This also did a bit of work on my ankles as well, not a bad thing. Some taping was involved which worked a treat.
Result, I now have orthotics in my regular walking shoes to keep my feet in the right place. This helped a bit with taking some pressure off my knees. Next bit, as a part of this was gaining some control over the muscles around my ankles and the joints themselves. Also stretches were involved of various muscle groups in the legs. Ask my fencing students, some of them are now being subjected to them.
With the feet and ankles on the mend the knees were next. This is where the real work started. Lots of exercises lots of repetition and lots of posture correction. If you are a fencer, and your teacher says "Get your knee turned out." Just do it. It will save you a lot of time and effort later on. So now I have a bunch of exercises to work on groups of muscles and also stretches to also keep them nice and limber. They were horribly tight previously, I never noticed how much.
The end result of all this is. When you go to the physiotherapist and they give you exercises to do. Do them. They do work. They will help. I was discharged from the Mater Physiotherapy Department today. Aside from the usual fibromyalgia annoyances which I have to put up with anyway my knees have never felt better. I will be keeping up with the exercises and stretches because I do not want them to go back to where they were.
Cheers,
Henry.
Tuesday, July 2, 2013
The Continuing Saga...
Greetings,
About this time last night or whatever it was I wrote about my sleeping issue. Well, looks like it is continuing, much to my disgust. I mentioned I may be back with regard to this one, and here I am. So here's another ramble...
So, I relented last night and took the medication to induce me to go to sleep. That was about 3:20am or thereabouts. I figured a late to bed and early get up would fix things. Not the case unfortunately as I am here again. Why did I relent you ask? In a word, pain. My head started to throb and various bits and pieces of my body were on their way to locking up, so staying up was not a good idea. Unfortunately I think I am headed for the same last night.
Let me say "Thanks" to those who took some time to have a chat with me on FB last night. It was greatly appreciated. Nice to have a chat and fill in some hours while I figured out what I should do. I have almost no doubt that the same will happen tonight. At least I have nailed one of the reasons and it is pain. Weather-related pain. The wet weather and the cold are most definitely getting to me again. Not happy about that. Expected it, but still not happy.
Of course due to the crappy weather I was unable to go to training tonight also. So the exercise thing went out the window so the joints have been sedentary. I hope that Wednesday clears up enough for me to go to training that night. I really think that the two doses of exercise that I get at training really do help. I think it is partially due to the enjoyment, partially due to the increased heart-rate, and partially due to the inner-warmth generated due to the exercise. Whatever the cause/effect, it works and I need training at least twice a week for this to work. For those who are new to the blog, that would be fencing training.
Best idea I ever had with regard to my FM was taking up fencing some 20 years ago. I have not looked back. It provides me with motivation, exercise and more importantly something to focus my mind on. Sure I play some console games as well and that helps, but the holistic approach to the study of fencing, studying and doing it, fulfills both the mind and the body. There is so much to learn and that is awesome. I am not saying that it is the magic key, but I think it really helps. What helps is that I have had multiple medical practitioners agree with this assessment. If you can, maybe you should give it a go.
Anyway, the brain has pretty much run out of things to write at the moment. I will probably follow the same procedure as last night, go on FB and have a chat until the body says "No more" again. I know it is not a solution, but heck, it seems to be the thing to do at the moment.
Cheers,
Henry.
About this time last night or whatever it was I wrote about my sleeping issue. Well, looks like it is continuing, much to my disgust. I mentioned I may be back with regard to this one, and here I am. So here's another ramble...
So, I relented last night and took the medication to induce me to go to sleep. That was about 3:20am or thereabouts. I figured a late to bed and early get up would fix things. Not the case unfortunately as I am here again. Why did I relent you ask? In a word, pain. My head started to throb and various bits and pieces of my body were on their way to locking up, so staying up was not a good idea. Unfortunately I think I am headed for the same last night.
Let me say "Thanks" to those who took some time to have a chat with me on FB last night. It was greatly appreciated. Nice to have a chat and fill in some hours while I figured out what I should do. I have almost no doubt that the same will happen tonight. At least I have nailed one of the reasons and it is pain. Weather-related pain. The wet weather and the cold are most definitely getting to me again. Not happy about that. Expected it, but still not happy.
Of course due to the crappy weather I was unable to go to training tonight also. So the exercise thing went out the window so the joints have been sedentary. I hope that Wednesday clears up enough for me to go to training that night. I really think that the two doses of exercise that I get at training really do help. I think it is partially due to the enjoyment, partially due to the increased heart-rate, and partially due to the inner-warmth generated due to the exercise. Whatever the cause/effect, it works and I need training at least twice a week for this to work. For those who are new to the blog, that would be fencing training.
Best idea I ever had with regard to my FM was taking up fencing some 20 years ago. I have not looked back. It provides me with motivation, exercise and more importantly something to focus my mind on. Sure I play some console games as well and that helps, but the holistic approach to the study of fencing, studying and doing it, fulfills both the mind and the body. There is so much to learn and that is awesome. I am not saying that it is the magic key, but I think it really helps. What helps is that I have had multiple medical practitioners agree with this assessment. If you can, maybe you should give it a go.
Anyway, the brain has pretty much run out of things to write at the moment. I will probably follow the same procedure as last night, go on FB and have a chat until the body says "No more" again. I know it is not a solution, but heck, it seems to be the thing to do at the moment.
Cheers,
Henry.
Tuesday, June 11, 2013
Fighting Back: Getting Fit
Greetings,
The one big thing that I have noticed with regard to my fibromyalgia is that much of the pain issues and joint issues in my case can be related to activity levels. I have found that if I do not get regular exercise of some form or another I begin to slow down and then the issues increase. In talking to some people with the same condition I have found that some are the same, but many do not know where to start or where to go. For the most part this process starts internally.
The first thing that you have to do is to make the choice to get up and do something. I have found that a moderate level of fitness enables me to do more than if I had been doing nothing. You have choices you can stay in the condition that you are and not do anything about it or you can try something new or different which may or may not work. In my impression, some sort of progression is better than nothing at all, indeed the chance of some sort of progression is even better. The thing is that this needs to be an active choice, not a maybe, but something that you are going to do.
Next thing is that this process is not easy, especially if you are starting off from an essentially sedentary state. It will take time and it will take effort on your part. This is one of those "do it yourself things", people can help and advise but you have to do it. It is easy to become discouraged in this process as the progression is not immediate and it will take time. The thing to do in these situations is to look forward to the future. Set yourself a goal to go for and attack it.
So the decision has been made to get more mobile and get some level of fitness. The next question is where to start. My advice is to start simple, this means not going trying to jog a couple of miles, but doing something like putting some walking shoes on and going for a walk. It does not even have to be particularly long to start with. You need to build up some endurance first and making a mess of yourself is not the way to do things.
Two things to figure out at this point in time, what can you do, and what do you enjoy doing? What sort of activities of an active nature can you do? What sort of activities do you enjoy doing? Pick one of these to start with and go and have a go. In my case I had always been interested in fencing, so that is what I had a go at. This may be a little to active for some to start with. As I have said, pick something you can do and will want to do.
Start easy and build upwards. If you have chosen the walking option try to increase the length of the walk or increase the speed. In time you can even increase both. The important thing here is that you need to set yourself little goals and once you hit them, pick something a little more difficult. As you increase your activity, your fitness and endurance will also increase, but you need to take the time that it will require.
When you pick an activity go for something which is low impact. Hence the reason why I suggested walking rather than jogging. This activity is something that you want to be able to maintain for the long-term as it is a long-term result that you are looking for. Low impact activities are kinder to your body and easier to deal with than high impact activities. They also have a higher chance of maintenance in the long-term.
With this in place you have another choice to make. The choice here is whether to continue or not. If you are getting some benefit from the activity it would be unadvised for you to stop the activity. Now, we are all going to have periods where we simply cannot do the activity, the important thing is that after this period that you get back to it in order not to lose the progress that you have made.
A level of fitness can assist with reduction in joint issues if it is approached in the correct fashion. The trick here is to find something that you are going to want to do, thus you will be enthusiastic about doing it. Something which is not interesting to you will be easy to give up and this will set you back. Pick something which is easy to start with and build up. Once you have increased your fitness you can pick something which is more active. Put simply, get moving and stay that way.
By getting fit we can fight back.
Cheers,
Henry.
The one big thing that I have noticed with regard to my fibromyalgia is that much of the pain issues and joint issues in my case can be related to activity levels. I have found that if I do not get regular exercise of some form or another I begin to slow down and then the issues increase. In talking to some people with the same condition I have found that some are the same, but many do not know where to start or where to go. For the most part this process starts internally.
The first thing that you have to do is to make the choice to get up and do something. I have found that a moderate level of fitness enables me to do more than if I had been doing nothing. You have choices you can stay in the condition that you are and not do anything about it or you can try something new or different which may or may not work. In my impression, some sort of progression is better than nothing at all, indeed the chance of some sort of progression is even better. The thing is that this needs to be an active choice, not a maybe, but something that you are going to do.
Next thing is that this process is not easy, especially if you are starting off from an essentially sedentary state. It will take time and it will take effort on your part. This is one of those "do it yourself things", people can help and advise but you have to do it. It is easy to become discouraged in this process as the progression is not immediate and it will take time. The thing to do in these situations is to look forward to the future. Set yourself a goal to go for and attack it.
So the decision has been made to get more mobile and get some level of fitness. The next question is where to start. My advice is to start simple, this means not going trying to jog a couple of miles, but doing something like putting some walking shoes on and going for a walk. It does not even have to be particularly long to start with. You need to build up some endurance first and making a mess of yourself is not the way to do things.
Two things to figure out at this point in time, what can you do, and what do you enjoy doing? What sort of activities of an active nature can you do? What sort of activities do you enjoy doing? Pick one of these to start with and go and have a go. In my case I had always been interested in fencing, so that is what I had a go at. This may be a little to active for some to start with. As I have said, pick something you can do and will want to do.
Start easy and build upwards. If you have chosen the walking option try to increase the length of the walk or increase the speed. In time you can even increase both. The important thing here is that you need to set yourself little goals and once you hit them, pick something a little more difficult. As you increase your activity, your fitness and endurance will also increase, but you need to take the time that it will require.
When you pick an activity go for something which is low impact. Hence the reason why I suggested walking rather than jogging. This activity is something that you want to be able to maintain for the long-term as it is a long-term result that you are looking for. Low impact activities are kinder to your body and easier to deal with than high impact activities. They also have a higher chance of maintenance in the long-term.
With this in place you have another choice to make. The choice here is whether to continue or not. If you are getting some benefit from the activity it would be unadvised for you to stop the activity. Now, we are all going to have periods where we simply cannot do the activity, the important thing is that after this period that you get back to it in order not to lose the progress that you have made.
A level of fitness can assist with reduction in joint issues if it is approached in the correct fashion. The trick here is to find something that you are going to want to do, thus you will be enthusiastic about doing it. Something which is not interesting to you will be easy to give up and this will set you back. Pick something which is easy to start with and build up. Once you have increased your fitness you can pick something which is more active. Put simply, get moving and stay that way.
By getting fit we can fight back.
Cheers,
Henry.
Wednesday, March 6, 2013
Doing Stuff
Greetings Readers,
So, the title of this one is really specific... NOT. This one is about how I deal with my condition in general and some ideas about the implementation of some of the other stuff which I have already spoken about previously. You will have to excuse the format a little as I am going to do this all off the top of my head while the ideas are flowing.
First thing about doing stuff is that it is important. It is important that you find things to do. Do not expect other people to find things for you to do, though they will in some cases. You need to find something that you want to do that is going to motivate you. This needs to be something that you are interested in and something that you are not easily distracted from. In my case I have two things, writing and fencing, or as Miyamoto Musashi would put it "the art of the pen and sword". The two work really well together.
I have all sorts of projects on the run. Some of these are for the benefit of others in the long run and some of them I am doing because I am simply interested in doing them. I will admit even the ones which are for others I do because I am also interested in them. What is really neat is when I can link on to the other.
Blogs, I have three. I have this one, I have one on fencing (http://afencersramblings.blogspot.com.au/), and I have one on Elizabethan English (http://oldewordes.blogspot.com.au/). These are designed to encourage me to write. This blog is the most personal one of the lot. The other two are more formal, though the most formal one is the Elizabethan English, for the most part. The blogs cover three different subjects and I try to make regular posts on all of them. As can be seen this ties in with my fencing... and even more than you would realise.
To be more specific I study Historical European Martial Arts (HEMA) rather than modern sport fencing. This means the instructions which I read, and techniques which result from this, come from manuals from the medieval and Renaissance period. Thus rather than a foil, epee, or sabre, my primary weapon is a rapier, though I have been investigating a bit of longsword here and there. I have found this pursuit, which I started some 20 years ago, has assisted in keeping me motivated, and more to the point my FM more under control. This is because it is movement and has me being motivated relied upon it. I have fought from a chair when my legs were giving me trouble due to the FM, this is either the definition of motivation or being too stubborn for my own good.
My interest in the English of the Elizabethan period should be a little obvious, aside from the fact that I am a history nut and enjoy reading about history, more focused on medieval and Renaissance more recently. I have one particular manual which I have been studying for quite some time, Vincentio Saviolo's "His Practice in Two Books" (http://www.umass.edu/renaissance/lord/pdfs/Saviolo_1595.pdf). No surprise it was published in 1595 and thus written in Elizabethan English. I am studying Elizabethan English in effect so I can understand the language better in order to decipher this manual better in order to be able to perform it better.
I have found that staying active in some form allows me to better cope with my FM and my level of fitness and health as been at least maintained, if not improved, because of this activity. Sure there are days when fencing is out, so I tend to do more research. Sure there are days when both are out, and that is time to rest. Rest is something which we all need. The point is that when it is available, and you can, you should do something with yourself, I have no doubts that this will make you feel better about yourself at least if not improve your condition.
Hey, I am not claiming that my approach works for everyone, nor am I claiming that this is some miracle cure, what I am saying is that you should give it a go and see how it goes. The feeling of accomplishment, no matter how small is an awesome feeling and it can only be good for you. Your mental state is important and constructive things which you can do to improve it can only be good.
Cheers,
Henry.
So, the title of this one is really specific... NOT. This one is about how I deal with my condition in general and some ideas about the implementation of some of the other stuff which I have already spoken about previously. You will have to excuse the format a little as I am going to do this all off the top of my head while the ideas are flowing.
First thing about doing stuff is that it is important. It is important that you find things to do. Do not expect other people to find things for you to do, though they will in some cases. You need to find something that you want to do that is going to motivate you. This needs to be something that you are interested in and something that you are not easily distracted from. In my case I have two things, writing and fencing, or as Miyamoto Musashi would put it "the art of the pen and sword". The two work really well together.
I have all sorts of projects on the run. Some of these are for the benefit of others in the long run and some of them I am doing because I am simply interested in doing them. I will admit even the ones which are for others I do because I am also interested in them. What is really neat is when I can link on to the other.
Blogs, I have three. I have this one, I have one on fencing (http://afencersramblings.blogspot.com.au/), and I have one on Elizabethan English (http://oldewordes.blogspot.com.au/). These are designed to encourage me to write. This blog is the most personal one of the lot. The other two are more formal, though the most formal one is the Elizabethan English, for the most part. The blogs cover three different subjects and I try to make regular posts on all of them. As can be seen this ties in with my fencing... and even more than you would realise.
To be more specific I study Historical European Martial Arts (HEMA) rather than modern sport fencing. This means the instructions which I read, and techniques which result from this, come from manuals from the medieval and Renaissance period. Thus rather than a foil, epee, or sabre, my primary weapon is a rapier, though I have been investigating a bit of longsword here and there. I have found this pursuit, which I started some 20 years ago, has assisted in keeping me motivated, and more to the point my FM more under control. This is because it is movement and has me being motivated relied upon it. I have fought from a chair when my legs were giving me trouble due to the FM, this is either the definition of motivation or being too stubborn for my own good.
My interest in the English of the Elizabethan period should be a little obvious, aside from the fact that I am a history nut and enjoy reading about history, more focused on medieval and Renaissance more recently. I have one particular manual which I have been studying for quite some time, Vincentio Saviolo's "His Practice in Two Books" (http://www.umass.edu/renaissance/lord/pdfs/Saviolo_1595.pdf). No surprise it was published in 1595 and thus written in Elizabethan English. I am studying Elizabethan English in effect so I can understand the language better in order to decipher this manual better in order to be able to perform it better.
I have found that staying active in some form allows me to better cope with my FM and my level of fitness and health as been at least maintained, if not improved, because of this activity. Sure there are days when fencing is out, so I tend to do more research. Sure there are days when both are out, and that is time to rest. Rest is something which we all need. The point is that when it is available, and you can, you should do something with yourself, I have no doubts that this will make you feel better about yourself at least if not improve your condition.
Hey, I am not claiming that my approach works for everyone, nor am I claiming that this is some miracle cure, what I am saying is that you should give it a go and see how it goes. The feeling of accomplishment, no matter how small is an awesome feeling and it can only be good for you. Your mental state is important and constructive things which you can do to improve it can only be good.
Cheers,
Henry.
Wednesday, February 6, 2013
Best Things I Did for My FM...
Greetings,
So, I have been adding to my blog with reasonable regularity of late. I have decided that this is just not good because I keep losing subjects in the meantime. I have thus decided that I am going to treat this blog the same way that my Fibromyalgia treats me, with complete random. No more regular blogs I am just going to write when I feel the urge or find a subject. To this, my first one is actually a little back "on track" with the original idea of the blog.
So the post is called, Best Things I Did for My FM. Most importantly these are things that I did rather than things that other people did for me. If you have this condition you need to help yourself. No one is going to do it all for you. Sure, people can help you along the way, but the real stuff you have to do yourself. This requires motivation, and it requires courage.
Ironically this is actually a list of things but I will be focusing on a couple in this one. Most obviously, I found a doctor who actually believed me that there was actually something wrong. He actually looked at my medical history and what I actually did and devised a medical plan of how to deal with things from his end. What is even better this changes depending on my needs at the time, thus the program is flexible. So find a doctor you can talk to, explain what is going on, explain what you need, and work it from there. If the doctor is good he will take in what you say and things will improve.
For some people their little eyes and ears are going to burn when I explain what another thing that I did was as it is something I have been harping on for ages. I took up fencing. This happened because I was interested in it, not because I was told to exercise. In fact I actually took up fencing before any of my symptoms actually arrived. The point here is that fencing is something which keeps you active. The simple work of fencing is even movement based. What you need to do is something aerobic.
Now, I am not saying that you should take up running marathons or something equally silly. I am saying that you should find some sort of exercise which is easy to start with. A regular walk around the block or similar is a good start. If you can find a sport which will keep you interested and motivated that is your second step. The third step is sticking with it, even when things get hard.
I will admit there are sometimes when it is easy to pike going to training or even doing stuff at training. It is at these times that you need the most motivation and courage. You need a reason to be there a goal to set yourself. Make them small to start with and allow them to get bigger as you go along. Find some good reason to go along and make an effort, even when things seem hard. This is the reason why you need something that you are interested in and not something that you are taking up because you "have to" or "need to". This is one of those times where a "want" to is more important than a "need". Needs are things that are important to us for survival, you need to eat, you need to sleep and so forth. Wants are things that make things better for you, you want a new game, you want chocolate. In this particular case you have to "want" to do the activity, not because you have to but because you want to. This want has to overpower things that may stop you from doing this thing. It needs to get past your depression, it needs to get past your pain, it needs to be more important and a reason to go and do it.
There are times when we all need down-time, this is something that I will admit. But when your down-time seems to be more important than actually doing something, this is the beginning of a slippery slope downward. There are levels of pain you should not fight past. My biggest problem is confusing it with the ones which I can, and doing stuff when I really probably shouldn't. There is a great feeling of accomplishment at the end, but boy do I pay for it. Recognise the signs and don't let your body fool you.
A lot of people think that when they are diagnosed with FM things are really in the hands of other people, doctors and the like. Well it is NOT. It is still in your hands and you can make the difference. It is your life after all it is up to you to do something with it.
Cheers,
...Henry.
So, I have been adding to my blog with reasonable regularity of late. I have decided that this is just not good because I keep losing subjects in the meantime. I have thus decided that I am going to treat this blog the same way that my Fibromyalgia treats me, with complete random. No more regular blogs I am just going to write when I feel the urge or find a subject. To this, my first one is actually a little back "on track" with the original idea of the blog.
So the post is called, Best Things I Did for My FM. Most importantly these are things that I did rather than things that other people did for me. If you have this condition you need to help yourself. No one is going to do it all for you. Sure, people can help you along the way, but the real stuff you have to do yourself. This requires motivation, and it requires courage.
Ironically this is actually a list of things but I will be focusing on a couple in this one. Most obviously, I found a doctor who actually believed me that there was actually something wrong. He actually looked at my medical history and what I actually did and devised a medical plan of how to deal with things from his end. What is even better this changes depending on my needs at the time, thus the program is flexible. So find a doctor you can talk to, explain what is going on, explain what you need, and work it from there. If the doctor is good he will take in what you say and things will improve.
For some people their little eyes and ears are going to burn when I explain what another thing that I did was as it is something I have been harping on for ages. I took up fencing. This happened because I was interested in it, not because I was told to exercise. In fact I actually took up fencing before any of my symptoms actually arrived. The point here is that fencing is something which keeps you active. The simple work of fencing is even movement based. What you need to do is something aerobic.
Now, I am not saying that you should take up running marathons or something equally silly. I am saying that you should find some sort of exercise which is easy to start with. A regular walk around the block or similar is a good start. If you can find a sport which will keep you interested and motivated that is your second step. The third step is sticking with it, even when things get hard.
I will admit there are sometimes when it is easy to pike going to training or even doing stuff at training. It is at these times that you need the most motivation and courage. You need a reason to be there a goal to set yourself. Make them small to start with and allow them to get bigger as you go along. Find some good reason to go along and make an effort, even when things seem hard. This is the reason why you need something that you are interested in and not something that you are taking up because you "have to" or "need to". This is one of those times where a "want" to is more important than a "need". Needs are things that are important to us for survival, you need to eat, you need to sleep and so forth. Wants are things that make things better for you, you want a new game, you want chocolate. In this particular case you have to "want" to do the activity, not because you have to but because you want to. This want has to overpower things that may stop you from doing this thing. It needs to get past your depression, it needs to get past your pain, it needs to be more important and a reason to go and do it.
There are times when we all need down-time, this is something that I will admit. But when your down-time seems to be more important than actually doing something, this is the beginning of a slippery slope downward. There are levels of pain you should not fight past. My biggest problem is confusing it with the ones which I can, and doing stuff when I really probably shouldn't. There is a great feeling of accomplishment at the end, but boy do I pay for it. Recognise the signs and don't let your body fool you.
A lot of people think that when they are diagnosed with FM things are really in the hands of other people, doctors and the like. Well it is NOT. It is still in your hands and you can make the difference. It is your life after all it is up to you to do something with it.
Cheers,
...Henry.
Thursday, September 16, 2010
Henry's Rules
Greetings,
It has been a while since I have written anything in my blog and for those who have been particularly interested in reading what I have to say, I am sorry. I got to the situation where giving simple updates on my current state of health just was not appropriate to my aim for this blog. For those who have been keeping up, my chest is much better and has improved a lot with excercise and physiotherapy. Now on to the topic at hand...
This particular blog is about 10 rules that I do my best to apply when dealing with my fibromyalgia (FM). What I will do with regard to this is not just simply list them and let people work out what I am saying, but write a small paragraph about each in explanation for each one. The first thing that needs to be realised with regard to these rules is that they are rather general and mostly aimed at the physical aspects of life and especially exercise. This being said, they can apply to less physical things as well.
1. Do what you can when you can.
Rule number one. This is about not having too strict deadlines because you never know what is around the corner. It is also about making the best out of a good situation and achieving all that you can when you are able to do things. When you are feeling your best you should try to achieve the best that you can. This rule is also about not pushing things too hard.
2. Do what you can with what you have.
If rule number one is about what to do when you have all of your facilities and abilities, then rule number two is about what to do when you don't. This rule is focussed upon doing things that you are able to do at the time. If you can't walk comfortably, find something that is sitting down to do, and so on. It is also about maximising the usefulness of the abilities that you have at all times, this way you will always be getting the maximum amount out of your day.
3. Any exercise which gets you to move and helps you to continue to move is great.
One of the biggest problems with FM is that if you start on the downward spiral it is very difficult to recover from it. This rule is about keeping your mobility and maintaining it. Excercise is important for keeping mobile and simple things such as walking and doing simple physical activities will improve your health. Obviously running marathons and excessive exercise in the beginning is not such a good idea, you need to ease into things.
4. Find your limits and push them.
Everyone has limits. Some of these limits are imposed upon them involuntarily, and some are imposed voluntarily. Both of these sets of limits can be pushed within reason. If you think that you cannot do something and never try to do it, you never will. This is self-limiting. On the other hand, if you try something and find a limitation there is something that can be pushed until the real edge is found and you will have made progress. This limits should be pushed carefully and with consideration for consequences.
5. A little advancement is better than none at all. Aim for 105%.
Little advances are better than big ones as little advances are progressive and one can be stacked upon the next, and before you know it the large advance is made, even if only made a little at a time. The idea of 105% is in order to stretch your limits and improve them. If you only go to 100% you will end up with the same limit as you started. If you push for a little bit more, over time your limitations will improve and be further along. Steady improvement is much better for you than over-reaching yourself.
6. If you push it too much today, remember you will pay for it later.
Burn-out, what a nuisance. This is the result of pushing things a little too hard. You need to know that if you attempt to push way beyond your limits you will end up paying for it later. This can result in some extended downtime, but this being said if you are prepared to do this and it makes you feel good to push your limits do so. This is one that I am personally guilty of on a regular basis. I get going, have too much fun and then don't know when I should have stopped. I then pay for it afterwards.
7. Don't feel guilty about taking a rest when you need one.
This one applies to everyone, regardless if you are completely healthy or not so much. Rest time is important. This is how we build our energy to deal with the next day, next task, next event or whatever. If you do not take the time to rest you will not perform at your peak. Listen to your body and what it is trying to tell you. Have a break, you will feel better for it afterward. Just remember not to stay on the break too long.
8. Respect, do not fear pain.
There is a guage that I use which puts fear of pain on one end, disregard on the other and respect right in the middle. If you fear pain then you will never attempt to push yourself as as soon as it hurts you will stop, this just may be from fatigue. On the other end of things if you keep pushing yourself even though you are in real pain you can do yourself some real damage and this is to be avoided also. Understand that if you push things then it will hurt, for the most part this will just be due to fatigue, just don't push it too far. If you are getting pain beyond fatigue then you really need to stop.
9. If you don't use it, you will lose it.
FM like all forms of arthritis and similar conditions locks joins and restricts movements. If you let your condition dictate to you, you will end up less able to move. You need to be doing some sort of gentle exercise at least in order to keep your movement up. If you fail to do this you can end up being worse than you were before. The only thing that will keep you mobile is if you move. The only thing that will keep your joints operating is to use them.
10. Recovery is a long road, but it will be worth it in the end.
Recovery takes a long time and if you rush things you can put yourself back further than you were before. It is important that you take your time to recover in order to make your recovery effective. This being said, you also need to be doing things as you are recovering in order to maintain your recovery. Once again it is a balance between doing not enough and doing too much. If you put effort into making your recovery effective you will thank yourself in the end.
These 10 rules are pretty simple and their explanations are also. I have found it useful to keep these rules in the back of my head. This way you are always considering what you are doing. In effect each person should make up a similar list of rules for themselves, this way they can be modified to suit the individual. I have given an example of a list which I have found works for me for the physical aspects, you can even have a list of rules for each area in your life, and they do not all have to go together and they can contradict one another, they only have to make sense to you.
Cheers,
Henry.
It has been a while since I have written anything in my blog and for those who have been particularly interested in reading what I have to say, I am sorry. I got to the situation where giving simple updates on my current state of health just was not appropriate to my aim for this blog. For those who have been keeping up, my chest is much better and has improved a lot with excercise and physiotherapy. Now on to the topic at hand...
This particular blog is about 10 rules that I do my best to apply when dealing with my fibromyalgia (FM). What I will do with regard to this is not just simply list them and let people work out what I am saying, but write a small paragraph about each in explanation for each one. The first thing that needs to be realised with regard to these rules is that they are rather general and mostly aimed at the physical aspects of life and especially exercise. This being said, they can apply to less physical things as well.
1. Do what you can when you can.
Rule number one. This is about not having too strict deadlines because you never know what is around the corner. It is also about making the best out of a good situation and achieving all that you can when you are able to do things. When you are feeling your best you should try to achieve the best that you can. This rule is also about not pushing things too hard.
2. Do what you can with what you have.
If rule number one is about what to do when you have all of your facilities and abilities, then rule number two is about what to do when you don't. This rule is focussed upon doing things that you are able to do at the time. If you can't walk comfortably, find something that is sitting down to do, and so on. It is also about maximising the usefulness of the abilities that you have at all times, this way you will always be getting the maximum amount out of your day.
3. Any exercise which gets you to move and helps you to continue to move is great.
One of the biggest problems with FM is that if you start on the downward spiral it is very difficult to recover from it. This rule is about keeping your mobility and maintaining it. Excercise is important for keeping mobile and simple things such as walking and doing simple physical activities will improve your health. Obviously running marathons and excessive exercise in the beginning is not such a good idea, you need to ease into things.
4. Find your limits and push them.
Everyone has limits. Some of these limits are imposed upon them involuntarily, and some are imposed voluntarily. Both of these sets of limits can be pushed within reason. If you think that you cannot do something and never try to do it, you never will. This is self-limiting. On the other hand, if you try something and find a limitation there is something that can be pushed until the real edge is found and you will have made progress. This limits should be pushed carefully and with consideration for consequences.
5. A little advancement is better than none at all. Aim for 105%.
Little advances are better than big ones as little advances are progressive and one can be stacked upon the next, and before you know it the large advance is made, even if only made a little at a time. The idea of 105% is in order to stretch your limits and improve them. If you only go to 100% you will end up with the same limit as you started. If you push for a little bit more, over time your limitations will improve and be further along. Steady improvement is much better for you than over-reaching yourself.
6. If you push it too much today, remember you will pay for it later.
Burn-out, what a nuisance. This is the result of pushing things a little too hard. You need to know that if you attempt to push way beyond your limits you will end up paying for it later. This can result in some extended downtime, but this being said if you are prepared to do this and it makes you feel good to push your limits do so. This is one that I am personally guilty of on a regular basis. I get going, have too much fun and then don't know when I should have stopped. I then pay for it afterwards.
7. Don't feel guilty about taking a rest when you need one.
This one applies to everyone, regardless if you are completely healthy or not so much. Rest time is important. This is how we build our energy to deal with the next day, next task, next event or whatever. If you do not take the time to rest you will not perform at your peak. Listen to your body and what it is trying to tell you. Have a break, you will feel better for it afterward. Just remember not to stay on the break too long.
8. Respect, do not fear pain.
There is a guage that I use which puts fear of pain on one end, disregard on the other and respect right in the middle. If you fear pain then you will never attempt to push yourself as as soon as it hurts you will stop, this just may be from fatigue. On the other end of things if you keep pushing yourself even though you are in real pain you can do yourself some real damage and this is to be avoided also. Understand that if you push things then it will hurt, for the most part this will just be due to fatigue, just don't push it too far. If you are getting pain beyond fatigue then you really need to stop.
9. If you don't use it, you will lose it.
FM like all forms of arthritis and similar conditions locks joins and restricts movements. If you let your condition dictate to you, you will end up less able to move. You need to be doing some sort of gentle exercise at least in order to keep your movement up. If you fail to do this you can end up being worse than you were before. The only thing that will keep you mobile is if you move. The only thing that will keep your joints operating is to use them.
10. Recovery is a long road, but it will be worth it in the end.
Recovery takes a long time and if you rush things you can put yourself back further than you were before. It is important that you take your time to recover in order to make your recovery effective. This being said, you also need to be doing things as you are recovering in order to maintain your recovery. Once again it is a balance between doing not enough and doing too much. If you put effort into making your recovery effective you will thank yourself in the end.
These 10 rules are pretty simple and their explanations are also. I have found it useful to keep these rules in the back of my head. This way you are always considering what you are doing. In effect each person should make up a similar list of rules for themselves, this way they can be modified to suit the individual. I have given an example of a list which I have found works for me for the physical aspects, you can even have a list of rules for each area in your life, and they do not all have to go together and they can contradict one another, they only have to make sense to you.
Cheers,
Henry.
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