Working Out with Fibromyalia

Friday, August 24, 2012

My friend, SS, is not the only one working out with me at the gym each day. I've got my long time friend Fibromyalgia along for the ride too and her companion pain medication.

I've always had psychological issues with taking my prescribed pain medication. My father was a long time drug (prescribed and illegal) abuser. He would lie and exaggerate pain for more drugs, constantly pushing the limits on how much he could take. Because of this, I've always had strict limits on my own drug and alcohol usage. I live in constant fear of having a substance abuse problem as he did. As a result, I often ignore or fight through my pain making it difficult to live up to my potential. I'd work hard in the gym one day and when my body screamed that night I would skip the next week out of fear of making it worse. This constant battle of pain from doing what my body needs and not wanting to take my prescribed medications as held me back immensely. I also convinced myself that being on a medication that other people abuse makes me a bad parent. See? All these rules. I can't take meds if I'm home alone with Meghan. I can't take meds if Robert takes something (even cold meds). It's good to be paranoid, but sometimes I go a little too far with it.

I guess it finally clicked in my brain that I needed to start accepting the help prescribed to me if it meant doing what I need to do. So now if I go to two aqua classes back to back and come home walking funny in pain, I'll take a pain pill. I still feel guilty, but I just need to work through it. I realize that with time the workouts will become less painful as I become stronger. Each workout puts me closer to my goal of being healthy and without so much pain. I know that loosing weight and gaining muscle will lower the amount of pain I deal with from day to day.

Sure, pain can be a warning sign. I know I need to not over do it. I'm listening to my body. For example, when I awoke in pain today, I decided to do cardio instead of an intense weight lifting class. Tonight I will go swimming for therapeutic proposes and loosen this tight muscles. Tomorrow I'll be attending a stretch class and if I will well enough after I'll do some weight lifting afterward. It's important that when I feel pain I shouldn't stop. I just need to modify and keep going. Any exercise is better than no exercise. Each and every day I will continue to exercise regardless of how I feel.

I will tell you that having a good friend along side me helps! It keeps me accountable and makes the time go by a little faster. Now it's not just going to the gym, it's visiting and socializing. Let's just hope she doesn't get tired of my awesomeness!