Exercise

How do you find the motivation to exercise when you're constantly in pain?

I need to lose weight which will in turn help my back and dodgy knees but even walking to the letter box is causing pain. I desperately want to exercise as I'm sure it will improve my mental state too.

Sucks being a useless lump of whale blubber

i too am caught in that cycle of too heavy to exercise, low metabolism, pain and no will power, medical weight gain, and so on... i often say: here come da walrus,, people don't laugh,,
cause it's not funny... but here's to the beautiful you, inside~! {{{{HUGS}}}}

I'm waiting the hear the results of tests to see why I'm having so much pain and then I want to find out what exercises I can do without damaging anything or making my health problems worse. I do walk some....Sigh. It is very frustrating!

One thing I have found that has helped me immensely is aqua therapy and warm water aerobics. I have RSD/CRPS that causes severe pain in my entire upper body. I also have Sjogren's Syndrome, which causes arthritic symptoms primarily in my knees and hips. I am able to do things in water that I could never dream of doing on land. And while you are in the water you are practically weightless so your size doesn't matter. (I too am overweight.) My neurologist ordered the aqua therapy 8 weeks ago for the RSD/CRPS. I have regained a lot of the strength I had lost and increased the range of motion in my shoulders (which were both partially frozen). After 6 weeks of aqua therapy, and with my doctor's permission, I started the water aerobics. The pool is kept between 91-93 degrees F. While I am in the pool my pain is at a minimum. So far I have lost 10 lbs, gone down a full size, and I feel so much better mentally. It is something you might discuss with your own doctor and see if it is an option for you.
Cricket

Well, you aren't alone! I'm in exactly the same spot, although the pain is located in my hips as well. The only motivation I have found is a reward for my walking. Rewards can be anything from a physical item like a new book (if you are a reader), watching your favorite tv show, to taking a day trip somewhere. Start slow. If the mail box is all you can handle at once, then walk there twice a day. When that is accomplished, add a third trip, or walk somewhere else you can handle. Give yourself a point for every walk, and assign a point value to your rewards. In the beginning, make the rewards frequent, later on, you can make them cost more points.

This will take you a while to achieve, so in the meantime, here's a hug to keep you going.

Add me to the group as well I have severe spinal problems and the pain is awful !! I can't exercise, cause for one thing I have a hip that's ready to break at any time. Water therapy doesn't work cause just the act of moving in the water causes MORE pain, and I end up in bed for at least 2 days! Doesn't make sense, but there it is. Walking doesn't help -- the hip screams!

So Flooded -- From one lump of Whale blubber to another -- NUTS!!!

Hope everyone has a great day -- OUCH!! Hugs, Lee

Exercises play a vital role in our life. In order to get the fitness we must do the exercise daily. Running and jumping both are good exercises.

exercise has indeed helped me.

If you could afford a couple of sessions with a personal trainer to get some ideas on a specific work out to help with your pain, it might help you to kick start a good relationship with exercise. They are able to come up with all sorts and help to push you in the early days of exercise, and it's nice to have someone make sure you're doing it right.

I have had pain for years now, and working on the muscles to support the joints and getting alignment and posture right is definatly helping.

Also, just take it a day or week at a time, if you're anything like me, it's really hard to get going but once in a routine you'll actually want to do it because it makes you feel so much better mood wise too.

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I find yoga and tai chi help me. They are both low/no impact. The moves can be modified if health problems limit your range of movement. Many communities have free or low cost yoga or tai chi classes. Or you can get videos and do the exercises at home.

I agre with BuggsBunny... start slow. Do what you are able and slowly build from there.

As has been suggested already - many people living with chronic pain get benefit from participating in physical activity, and although this can be hard to manage, gentle activities such as Tai Chi, Hydrotherapy and gentle strolling can be good.

The real reason for this post however, was to refer everyone to a I came across that explains really simply and convincingly why physical activity is important. There's a similar one explaining chronic pain which is also great.