Just before I was officially diagnosed with fibromyalgia I decided to take up running. Despite it not necessarily being suggested as the ideal exercise for fibromyalgia, I've kept with it for about a month now. Three weeks longer than I've ever stuck with running in the past. Well at this point its more of walking/jogging, but you get the point. I've never been what you would call "coordinated" or "athletic". Most of the time I'm lucky if I can walk straight and not run into a wall. Lets just say I'd be bad at that sobriety test when I am sober.
As a kid gym was my least favorite class, especially when it was time for the President's Challenge (do they even do that anymore?). Remember it? You had to do a bunch of sit-ups, try to do pull-ups, see how far you could reach past your toes, and...run a mile. I could never do it, I'd have to walk a good portion of it. It was so embarrassing, especially when all the other girls in my class were stick thin soccer players (I was of course chubby too). Because of that I've always tried to get myself into running despite hating it. Finally I decided I'd need a reason to run, so I signed up for a 5k in July. I'm slowly getting better at it and I hope I'll be ready when the time comes for the race! Its going to be a bit harder for me since I'm one of those weird people who hates running outside and loves the treadmill(tv total, control of your speed, and being able to just stop whenever you want, who wouldn't love it?), so I have to get myself outside more to train.
So far it hasn't been too bad on the fibro. Some days I do notice more joint pain, especially in my hips and knees, but it has definitely given me more energy overall. We'll see if it helps in the long run, but I've actually been enjoying it, which is something I never thought I'd say. Has anyone else tried exercise to control their fibromyalgia? How has it worked for you?