Exercising Wise with Chiari & Comorbids
“The less we move, the more pain we have when we do move, causing us to move less.
– Mel Pohl, “A Day Without Pain“
It becomes a vicious and painful cycle.
The only solution for this ‘un-movement syndrome’ is moving.”
Movement is Necessary for Continued Mobility…
When you struggle to hold up your head and every joint in your body hurts, exercise is the last thing you want to think about doing. No matter what size you are, if you’ve battled chronic pain for any measure of time, chances are that you’ve thought about your level of inactivity. We’ve all made commitments to exercise more and failed to live up to our own expectations. We get it! The truth is that it’s a good thing that you’re thinking about it, even without a weight problem our inactivity decreases circulation and that not only amplifies our pain, but it can also open us up to additional chronic conditions (and we already have enough to worry about). Try finding a comfortable activity such as walking, tai chi or water aerobics – whatever you choose, make sure that it’s low-impact (meaning one foot always stays on the floor). Keep in mind where you want to be but realize that it’s going to take time to build your way from where you are. So, don’t let your starting point discourage you. Set physical goals for yourself. If you’re doing a little more than you did yesterday, last week, last year, you’re moving in the right direction and it will get easier if you keep moving in the right direction, so don’t let yourself quit! If you require a break, take a day off or shorten your goal for the day, then get back to moving. Let’s stop worrying about how many times we’ve committed and failed, and choose to think of it as our refusal to quit. Let’s just commit anew today, each and every day. Let tomorrow’s commitment be tomorrow’s commitment. Let’s just do it, today!
Get Moving!
The truth is we all just want to feel better and fight to get as much of our lives back as we can. That is never going to be as easy for us as it would be for someone who doesn’t have all of the challenges that we deal with.
Join The Team!
Have you fought the fight and have a passion to help other patients struggling with EDS/Chiari/Comorbid improve their quality of life through exercise? If so, joining our Exercising Wise Team might be the perfect place to help make a difference!
We are looking to organize a team committed to helping patients learn movements to help reduce pain and improve symptoms.
If interested, see our openings.
