i am looking for a good, basic yoga workout or other similar physical activity in which to start off. i suffer from fibromyalgia and want to regain some strength and help alleviate my muscle tension and pain. thanks!
129291
Hi raina,\n\nI, too, have the challange of living with FMS. I use walking for excercise. I never thought of yoga, but after doing a little research, it may be something I will look into, too.\n\nHere are some interesting websites I found, I hope you will find them helpful:\n\nhttp://www.yogaforwellnesspro.com/fibro2.html\nhttp://www.yogajournal.com/health/1301.cfm\nhttp://www.remedyfind.com/rem.asp?id=573\n\nI searched under the words: FMS yoga, if you wish to do your own search.\n\nI really empathize with you and hope the best for you.\n\nP.S. Welcome to Y Answers! I hope you join in the fun and answer questions, too.
239231
I love the GAIAM yoga videos. You can find them pretty much anywhere online and Target also carries them. The "Yoga for Weightloss" gives great stretches and relaxing poses which are great for everyone (not just those trying to lose weight).  Here's a link that will take you directly to GAIAM's yoga videos:\nhttp://www.gaiam.com/retail/category.asp?catalog%5Fname=gai&category%5Fname=l2%5FVideoDVD
669193
Awww you poor thing\n\nhas anyone suggested physiotherapy to you?\nIts the most effective way of easing the pain but it's not the answer.\n\nAnti-inflammitorys don't work i know cos ive tried them all-- what about accupuncture-- it's been tried and tested and proved to work\n\nOther than change of lifestyle swimming is very good for the muscles\ni cant think of anything else sorry if this doesn't help
152746
try yoga. better than any tool you'll ever buy.
192649
I teach Yoga and Pilates.  They are the best thing for you- all natural forms of exercise, they will STRENGTHEN your lower back safely, tone you up and make your stronger. (Yes they help you loose weight. Your heart rate will increase when doing it correctly for longer than 30 minutes at a time which will burn calories. It will also tone your muscles. As your muscles become more massive, you will also burn more calories..its a win/win situation.) I have a student that took my Yoga class 1/week for two months, and gradually added up to three classes a week by her 5th month. She lost about 8" all around, gained 200% in upperbody strength and lost about 7 pounds. And she wasn't even a big girl to start with. Just a little flabby here and there. \n\nHealthier eating schedule is VERY important...especially with Yoga. Yoga is mind/body process which foucuses on get rid of the toxins in your body. The less toxins you put in, the better your results.  I would say drink only water or herbal tea, ever. That's the rule I go by. THat alone makes a huge weight loss difference for a lot of my students. Additionally, avoid unnatural foods, and try to eat AFTER your Yoga or Pilates workout. \n\nNow as far as DVDs go... they are not really good for beginners. You need to find a class or two- preferably one that meets 3 times a week so that you have a living breathing human in front of you to show you how to do the exercises.  Yoga without proper alignment is pointless, and you can't be SURE of proper alignment without a qualified instructor present. Same goes for Pilates. Not to mention that variety in your class will keep your body "on its toes" since variety is key in any workout. Videos obviously only repeat, so they will become useless after a time.\n\nGood luck!
606270
I would love to invest more time in both esp. yoga. I work 12-14 hour days 3-4 days a week and I have 2 kids. I'm tired. When I sit down to relax into yoga I usually fall asleep or get so tired, I don't care do do anything. I do love to do it though, if you have any advice email me.
614794
If you get an excersize ball it works great to stretch on,  or theres a back press at the gym I use for mine, it strengthens my back and I havent had any pain in awhile.  I have bulging disks.  Also theres this stuff by Melaleuca, its called pain a trate it works great and its all natural.  Doesnt really smell horrible like Icy hot either.  Medicine is bad on your liver, but i've heard alternating tylenol and motrin to be effective.
638721
cardio workouts are the best for fibromyalgia,plus massages.it is very important to keep fresh oxygenated blood running through the muscles.and massages plus muscle workouts keep the lymph fluid flowing,pooled lymph fluid is what causes the tight feeling as though fluids are pooling.good nutrition and sleep cycles and a routine as far as all of these.i have fibromyalgia for last 6 years.my rheumatologist worked with me for a year and i feel great.i take vicodin only if pain is severe and intolerable.i take klonopin 3 times a day to stay calm and not get stressed.we all know fibro folks cant handle adrenaline rushes,and it helps me sleep good..other wise i take tylenol 3 times a day only and use alternative methods without drugs to feel well and energetic.
114192
Yoga is about the only exercise out there that will put your back in the kinds of poses you may have been used to.  Hatha yoga is more gentle (relatively) and Ashitanga Yoga more aggressive.\n\nSome of the "basic" poses include standing forward head-to-knee with hands under the heels, standing deep back bends, bridges, and lying face down toes-to-head (if you can) back bends.
168066
Some good upbeat music. I suggest getting an mp3 player if you don't already have one. you could also try doing different exercises like every 10-15 minutes then go back to the treadmill.
37608
yoga, pilates, any exercise that allows you to use your own body weight as the exercise equipment. less stress for your joints.
584736
I prefer yoga, pilates, and leg lifts.  Don't freak out, just work on it.
20981
Pilates or Yoga would be awesome. Both of them are great for burning calories and they are both concentrated on core building. To be honest all of them work just about the same so it doesnt matter who you buy. They all come on different levels, so start on level one and then progress.\n\nYoga and Pilates use the weight of the body as resistance to challenge the muscles to become stronger. Yoga has more standing exercises that develop leg strength as well as balance. Pilates is mostly done lying on your back, on your stomach, on your side and sitting down. That's why I like to do both forms of exercise to have a good blend of standing and mat exercises. \n\nYoga also tends to have more exercises that challenge the upper body (chest, upper back, arms) than Pilates does unless you are doing machine-based Pilates, in which case the springs attached to the machines deliver sufficient resistance to strengthen the upper body muscles.\n\nAerobic or cardiovascular exercise is any exercise that is done continuously for 15 to 60 minutes or more while using the arms and legs in a rhythmic fashion. The goal of aerobic exercise is to increase the amount of blood pumped per beat to improve the efficiency and stamina of the heart, lungs, and blood vessels. Examples are walking, running, swimming, dancing, etc. \n\nIt's not that easy to calculate how many calories you burn in yoga and Pilates since the intensity of the class depends on the kind of exercises being done and the strength level of the class participants.\n\nIn general, a 130-pound person would burn approximately 260 calories an hour for a light to moderate Pilates mat-class and 236 calories for a yoga class. "Intense" Pilates would burn approximately 346 calories while an intense yoga class would burn about 400 calories per hour.\n\nYour weight affects how many calories you burn (the more you weigh, the more calories you burn), so use the following formula to make it more accurate: Divide the number of calories burned by 130 pounds. Multiply the answer by your weight in pounds. \n\nFor example, divide 260 calories by 130 pounds. The answer is 2 calories per pound. Multiply that by 110 pounds. The answer is 220 calories.\n\nNo doubt, Pilates has the most number of exercises that focus on the abs, waist, and trunk. Almost every variation you can think of for the abs is offered in Pilates. If abdominal and waist whittling is what you are looking for, Pilates is the ticket for you. This is not to say that yoga will not strengthen your abs and trunk because it will but Pilates just has much more focus on that area. \n\nI recommend pilates for clients who have been working out for a while and need a change.  I recommend yoga for clients who are overly stressed.  I personally prefer pilates for me, andI even incorporate them into weight workouts.
211551
yoga would be my suggestion
305017
Swimming is the best form of non-weight bearing exercise.  It can do no harm and it can do so much good for you.  Strengthening the supporting muscles around the affected joints helps to protect the joints from stress...let the muscle take the blow, protect the joint.  All exercise is good for OA...stay as active as you can...now is the time to realize that you MUST "use it or lose it"!!  If you do too much and particular joints flare...ice them and rest them for a while but keep on exercising or the joint will deteriorate.  Take NSAIDS if you must to control pain and inflammation and remember ice cools the flare...heat is for sore muscles...ice is for inflammation of joints.  If the heat feels best psychologically, follow it with ice to cool it down...trust me, it works!  If you haven't already, get to a good Rheumatologist who can help you control your disease and join the Arthritis Foundation to get their magazine "Arthritis Today" which will give you constant sources of help for living with Arthritis....membership is only $20 per year....a bargain!  Good luck....I'm 20 years into my OA and I'm healthier and more active now than I was 20 years ago....you can do it too!
382014
Hey. Im a MA at a pain management clinic and you're right. All this basically is, is that you pulled something in your lower back. If you have a primary care physician ( PCP ), get a referal to see a pain managment dr.. If this pain does come and go, then you wouldn't want it to be anything major in the long run by keep putting it off. A pain management doc she be called in for this. We have alot of patients come into the clinic with this type of problem and the dr orders physical therapy to work the kink out. By this being only a problem from exercise and not fibromyalgia, you should be fine with a little light back work-out to work it out. But, still, go see a pain management doc to give you direct orders.
531307
Just before I got pregnant I heard of "Core Rhythms" it is a latin dance workout video.  IT ROCKS!  You are having so much fun you dont even realize you are working out, and my BF was so happy with how sexy the moves were.  It was a great self esteem boost for me and I can't wait to start doing it again to get my figure back after my baby comes.  If it sounds like something you may like (800) 261-7217 is their phone number and I think they have a website but I have never been on it.