PATTY

Patty posted the following comment:
What a perfect time for me to find you. I just re-started walking this past Monday. I have fibromyalgia, so need to do it slowly, but I just came in from a 1 mile walk in 25 minutes. That is pretty slow, but it will get better.
I have already lost 40 pounds, not walking, in the past 2 years, and have 65 more pounds to lose, with walking. It comes off slowly, but I am so out of shape from taking it too easy because of the fibromyalgia, that it is pitiful.
Thank your for this great blog. I am going to start at the beginning of it, and read on through to the now posts.

PATTY IS AN INSPIRATION!

One mile in 25 minutes is a very respectable starting point - and yes, it will get better. Your time will get better as you get better and develop more endurance and re-find all those muscles that are there, still waiting to be tested.

Your weight loss is remarkable, especially if you did it without exercise. But, in my experience, the only way to really keep that weight off is exercise. And, walking is the perfect exercise. With fibromyalgia and other pain-inducing conditions, it's so easy to fall prey to the lure of the sofa, thinking that 'resting up' will make it better. Resting makes some things better, but not chronic ailments like fibromyalgia and arthritis. In fact, using those muscles, joints, and tendons improves them over time. Further, the endorphins that are released during exercise actually dampens the perception of pain that we so often live with.

I encourage anyone who is 'on the fence' (and wouldn't that be an uncomfortable place for someone with a chronic ailment??) about exercise, specifically walking, to at least give it a try for a few weeks.

Taking it slow, as Patty indicates, is the key to building endurance, regaining muscle mass, and the other benefits that accrue over time with an exercise regimen.

If you have read (or will read) my blog entries from the beginning, you'll have learned that even the smallest strides will add up to great benefit. If you start with only 5 steps, that's 5 steps you wouldn't have done otherwise.

In the past few weeks when it's been so extremely hot, on several days I have just stood in front of my TV and boogied for 30-40 minutes. Really! Walking in place, knee lifts, side steps, low kicks, arm lifts, etc. Not hard to do. If you want some ideas, check out some Zumba moves on youtube.com. Don't put yourself through a Zumba workout, though. Just get some ideas of the kinds of things you can do while occupying only a few square feet of floor space.

If I DO NOT do at least 20 minutes of a good workout of some kind, almost always walking or linedancing, every day, I DO NOT sleep well. For a person with fibromyalgia, good sleep is a hard to come by and absolutely necessary for cellular repair overnight. So, without the workout and the resultant good quality sleep, I get into a downward spiral of pain. WITH the exercise, I get better sleep and feel less pain. That's simple for me. A no-brainer. So I move!


***************************Remember my 100% GUARANTEE. Should you decide to stop walking and resume your old habits, I personally guarantee that you'll get back 100% of your former life - your pain, your lifestyle, your attitude. You can trust the information you find here. It's from a dedicated walker. Trust me and your life will get better! I promise.