Exercise And Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

Exercise is a very tricky aspect of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. While exercise is extremely important for overall health and wellness, it can become a “toxin” for a person with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. That is why it is very important to find that critical “balance” of not too little, but not too much. And, each person will have a different level of what their condition can tolerate. Here is some information I came across today about Exercise and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome……

picture by © joansheartart

Chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) is an illness characterized by extreme exhaustion. Other common symptoms include aching muscles, joint pains, headache, sore throat and flu-like feelings. The cause is unknown and recovery can take years. In some cases, people don’t recover and suffer relapses throughout their lives.

Exercise is often a problem for people with CFS because physical activity may worsen their symptoms. Medical opinion has been divided on whether CFS patients should attempt regular exercise or not – some believe that gentle exercise is helpful, while others caution against any form of aerobic activity at all. However, studies recently published in the British Medical Journal and the Medical Journal of Australia have found that patient education on CFS and a graded exercise program can improve CFS symptoms in many cases.

Exercise may not be possible
Some people with CFS, especially in the weeks or months following onset, are unable to perform the most basic activities, such as showering or walking from one room to another. In such cases of extreme exhaustion and pain, the person may be confined to their bed. As time passes, they may feel a little better and attempt regular exercise. However, aerobic activity can cause a relapse of symptoms.

The added problem for people with CFS is that a sedentary lifestyle causes a range of other health problems including muscle wastage, loss of bone mass, and increased risk of obesity and cardiovascular disease.

The lactic acid connection
Lactic acid is a chemical by-product of muscular activity. In healthy people, a build-up of lactic acid causes fatigue.

Research suggests that exercise worsens CFS symptoms because it triggers a flood of excess lactic acid. In some trials, CFS patients were found to produce double the amount of lactic acid than people without CFS, even when taking lack of fitness into account. The researchers stress that more research is needed, but their findings suggest that CFS may be linked to an error in energy metabolism.

The potassium connection
Medical problems that cause low levels of the electrolyte potassium often include chronic fatigue as a symptom. The bulk of the body’s potassium supply is found in muscle tissue, with the rest in the brain, blood and internal organs. A recent study found that people with CFS have less total body potassium (TBP) than healthy people of similar age and weight.

Exercise suggestions
A person with CFS needs a gentle approach to physical activity and should only make tiny increases in the frequency, duration and intensity of their exercise program.

Be guided by your doctor or physiotherapist, but general suggestions include:

• Aim for no more than three exercise sessions per week.
• Experiment to find the type of exercise that works best for you. Choose from a range of gentle activities such as stretching, yoga, Tai Chi, walking and light weight training.
• Stretching seems to be well tolerated by people with CFS. You may prefer to perform your stretching program while lying down in bed.
• Aerobic exercise seems to cause relapses for many people with CFS. If this is true for you, try non-aerobic forms of exercise like weight training with light weights.
• Learn from past relapses. For example, if walking for 20 minutes worsened your symptoms, try walking for five minutes and see how that goes. It may be helpful to keep a diary to keep track of what works and what doesn’t.
• Stop the physical activity well before you feel tired. Pacing yourself is very important.
• Remember that your exercise tolerance will differ from one day to the next.
• Listen to your body – if you don’t feel up to exercising on a particular day, don’t.
• Only slowly increase the intensity, time spent or frequency of exercise when you know you can cope with it. For example, if you can exercise for five minutes without suffering a relapse, try for six minutes.

Also See:

YOU CAN ALSO TRY — GRADED EXERCISE FOR CHRONIC FATIGUE SYNDROME

CHRONIC FATIGUE SYNDROME AND EXERCISE

Educate yourself
People who have a thorough knowledge of CFS tend to manage their condition better and have a more positive outlook. Suggestions include:

• Find out as much as you can about CFS. You could consult with your doctor, physiotherapist or CFS association, read books on the subject, or browse through reputable CFS sites on the Internet.
• Networking with other people with CFS can give you more ideas on exercise. Consider joining a support group. Many CFS websites offer online chat rooms too.
• Set realistic exercise goals and congratulate yourself for any gains that you make, no matter how small.
• Be patient – it may take months or years to slowly build up the intensity, duration or frequency of your exercise program.

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EXAMPLE OF TAI CHI

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THIS IS A 15 MINUTE OFFICE WORKOUT. I thought this would be something that might work for patients with CFS, maybe doing five minutes and then taking a break.

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TIPS FOR LIVING WITH CHRONIC FATIGUE SYNDROME

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