Based on research, Fibromyalgia affects 1-3% of our population and commonly affects women. What we need to remember about Fibromyalgia is that we want to focus on the large muscle groups because we want to build strength throughout the whole body and have that strength help us when it comes to our daily living.
The exercise routines that we will be recommending are all based upon the research article in 2015 titled, “Arthritis Research and Therapy”. What they found in the article was an improvement in pain, overall health status, leg, and upper body strength. They did the program for 15 weeks and going through the exercises twice a week. The exercise duration is approximately 50 minutes, starting off with a 10-minute warm-up exercise such as an easy walk around the block and finishing with a 10-minute stretch.
It is important to keep in mind the sets and repetitions, intensity, frequency on how you go through these in a week. The best thing to do is start in a level that is sustainable and gradually build from there over the 15 weeks. If you start with a level that is too intense, you could flare up your Fibromyalgia, thus making it worse.
Progression:
- Baseline level: Start off with 40% of your effort level with 1-2 sets of 15-20 repetitions.
- After 2-3 weeks, progress to 60% of your effort level with 1-2 sets of 10-12 repetitions
- After 6-8 weeks, progress to 80% of your effort level with 1-2 sets of 5-8 repetitions
Contributing Factors to Injuries and Fibromyalgia:
- Sleep – this plays a huge part when it comes to injury recovery and A lot of times with Fibromyalgia pain, you can’t sleep well. You really need to do what you can to improve your sleep.
- Stress – it can be emotional stress, financial, personal, and the like.
- Food – when you are in pain you turn to comfort foods that are probably not the best for you and your Fibromyalgia and also cause additional inflammation in the body.
- Weather
#1 – Tubing Leg Press
Begin in an upright sitting position, maintaining good alignment with your head, shoulders, and hips. Loop the resistant tubing under one foot, holding the handles of the tubing in each of your hands. Lift your knee, then extend your leg out front. Return to the starting position and repeat the movement on the opposite leg.
Tubing Leg Press
The purpose of this exercise is to focus on the muscles throughout the whole leg.
#2 – Leg Extension With Hold
Begin in an upright sitting position, maintaining good alignment with your head, shoulders, and hips. Contract your core and lift your knee, extending your leg out front. Hold this position for 5-10 seconds. Return to the starting position and repeat the movement on the opposite leg.
Leg Extension With Hold
The purpose of this exercise is to focus on the quadriceps.
#3 – Tubing Leg Curls
Begin in an upright sitting position, maintaining good alignment with your head, shoulders, and hips. Loop the middle of resistant tubing around your ankle and stepping your opposite foot close for resistance. Bend one knee back, then bring your foot forward. Return to the starting position and repeat the movement on the opposite leg.
Tubing Leg Curls
The purpose of this exercise is to focus on the hamstrings.
#4 – Tubing Shoulder Press
Begin in an upright sitting position, with your feet flat on the floor and maintaining good alignment with your upper body. Loop the resistant tubing under both feet and hold the ends of the tubing in each hand at shoulder-height. Contract your core and press both arms overhead. Lower your arms back down to shoulder height and repeat the movement.
Tubing Shoulder Press
#5 – Tubing Chest Press
Begin in an upright sitting position, with your shoulders back and your feet flat on the floor. Maintain a good alignment with your upper body. Wrap the resistant tubing behind your upper back and hold the ends of the tubing to create resistance. Extend your arms out front at chest-height, return back to the starting position and repeat the movement.
Tubing Chest Press
