Day 7 Blogging Olympics: Yoga for Fibromyalgia Exercise

Yoga Photo From Free Digital Photos 

Yoga is one of my favorite forms of exercise. I started out at about 5 minutes a day and worked my way up to about 20 to 25 minutes on really good days.  On bad days, I may not be able to do more than meditate.  Ultimately, I average about 10 minutes a day of Yoga.  I know that exercise is beneficial for Fibromyalgia in low doses over longer periods of time, because I’m living proof of it.

I recently stumbled across a study done in 2010 which actually showed a decrease in the pain, fogginess, and soreness of Fibromyalgia patients when they did a specific 2 hour Yoga class that consisted of both basic yoga poses and meditation for months versus a control group that did not do Yoga.  Check out the article “Yoga Soothes Fibromyalgia Pain” here, if you’d like to learn more about the study.

Yoga is composed of three parts: meditation, breathing, and poses (called asanas). I find benefits to all three of the components.  I find it to be relaxing, gentle exercise.  Focusing on meditation and breathing helps me clear my mind of any worries or stress, leaving me more clearheaded and calm and generally less stressed.  The poses stretch my muscles and alleviate muscle spasms.  I also always feel like I’ve accomplished something awesome when I’ve managed to hold a single pose for a full minute or two without an increase in pain.

I purchased a basic home yoga kit with the mat and block and starter DVD’s.  I have a background in dance, have worked with many physical therapists, and have taken some Yoga courses in the past, so I know the proper form.  I also am not able to fully commit to attending a class during specified times at this point, can’t financially afford to hire a private yoga instructor, and my abilities to do Yoga vary from day to day (which is true for a lot of people with Fibromyalgia).

If you are just starting out, however, I would definitely recommend looking into finding a certified yoga instructor and joining a class, just know that you may not be able to finish each class or do every pose every day. Also, make sure you select a beginner level or low impact class. There are some Yoga classes that are very fast paced and for someone with Fibromyalgia just starting with Yoga it may cause a flare up.

The reason I recommend finding a certified yoga instructor when first learning the poses is simple: people with Fibromyalgia who hold a Yoga pose too long in an improper form cause more problems for themselves and excruciating pain than benefits.  It’s important to make sure you are doing the poses correctly, once you know the proper form you may not need an instructor any longer.

Oh, and if you find a certified yoga instructor, be honest with them! Tell them you have Fibromyalgia up front.  Many Yoga instructors have dealt with chronic pain and know how to help, but they may have higher expectations of you and exert pressure rather than support, if you don’t share why you’re taking the Yoga in the first place with them.

Does anyone else do yoga to help combat Fibromyalgia symptoms?