Home Treatments For Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: Get Light Exercise

It's no secret that exercise is necessary for humans to maintain good health.For those living with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, this poses quite a conundrum. Exercise improves sleep quality along with myriad other health benefits, but exercise also can severely aggravate CFS.Therefore, CFS-afflicted people must strike a balance and engage in light exercise that will provide health benefits yet not stretch their energy.

A Delicate Balance

While it may be extremely painful for those with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome to even get into the shower, a sedentary lifestyle can be even worse.A range of health problems including loss of bone mass, obesity, and heart disease pose a serious threat to such a lifestyle. However, research suggests that lactic acid, a natural by-product of exercise that causes fatigue in healthy people, is an even bigger problem for CFS sufferers.Exercise produces a flood of lactic acid and onsets CFS symptoms, and studies even suggest that those with CFS produce even more lactic acid than healthy people.Naturally, if you are a CFS patient you are frustrated.

Baby Steps around the Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

You should always approach exercise gently and slowly.Stretching is a popular starting point, even if you do it in your bed.Consider yoga, light walking, and Tai Chi.If aerobic exercise aggravates your CFS, experiment with non- aerobic exercise like weight training. Keep track of your exercises in your log book, and note if the exercise causes your CFS to relapse.If it does, try a lighter, shorter version of the exercise next time. Remember not to over exert yourself, and stop exercising well before you are tired.

Listen to Your Body

If you are simply not up for exercising today, or if you notice that your symptoms are worsened by exercise, don't be discouraged.Sit out and try again tomorrow; if running for six minutes does aggravate your CFS, scale it back to five and stay there until you are ready to try again.Pushing yourself too hard can have debilitating consequences.

Adopt a Graded Exercise Program

Walking, riding a bike, and swimming are all excellent forms of aerobic exercise for people with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.Graded exercise means you increase the intensity, duration, and frequency of physical activity very slowly.For example, if you are comfortable running for five minutes and CFS symptoms do not appear, try running for six minutes next time.

Get Started

• Feel a positive attitude toward exercise.Do not be afraid of a relapse, although be aware of any signs and then stop immediately if you experience them.
• Start small and work your way up.Even if you begin with stretching in bed, you are on the right path to eventually being able to run outside for several minutes.
• Graded exercise will help you build up your intensity, frequency, and duration of workouts.
• Refrain from exercise at least 2 hours before bedtime, but remember that light exercise during the day will help you sleep at night.
• Don't push yourself too hard, and rest when you need to.
• Use your log book to track your workouts carefully.

Develop a plan for graded, light exercise and stick to it; you are on your way to freedom from difficult Chronic Fatigue Syndrome symptoms.Continue reading to 5-6 Home Treatments for Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: Join a CFS Support Group.

Sources: http://www.cigna.com/healthinfo/zx1021.html#zx1022

http://livingwithcfs.wordpress.com/2007/03/26/exercise-and-chronic-fatigue-syndrome/

http://www.cigna.com/healthinfo/hw32907.html

Photo Credit: Majicdolphin

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