Weights with fibromyalgia

[FiftynFooked]

I've recently been diagnosed with osteoarthritis and fibromyalgia. Meds are helping but I need to lose a lot of weight and am looking to reintroduce weights into my exercise routine.

I used to lift at a PT studio but the focus was on heavy and low reps. All the advice for my health conditions is low weights and higher reps.

My gym does body pump classes. Do you think these are as effective as a workout in the gym? Does anyone else cope with these conditions and if so what sorts of workouts do you do?

Just looking for a bit of inspiration!

I know nothing about those conditions but I find Body Pump to be mainly cardio (I lift very heavy for my age). So the thing I’d be careful about the speed of a pump class. But I use the music rhythm to help with the pumping! Maybe if you ignore the music (I just can’t) and go slow with titchy weights - like the bar plus 1.25 weights to get started?

Lising weight is about diet, sadly.

The little I know about fibro (from friends who have it and a bit of my own research) is that it's really individual as to how your body/energy levels respond to exercise. So on that note I'd probably avoid group classes as they tend to be quite intense/cardio based, and tend to encourage you to keep up with group, when you (more than most) need to listen to your own body.

If you can afford it I think you'd be better off working with a PT who could set you a programme and then adjust it depending on the impact for you - essentially you want to find a balance where the level of exercise leaves you feeling more energetic, not less. Even if you couldn't work with someone all the time, someone you could check in with from time to time.

In general, low weights high reps tends to be for fitness - your lungs, heart, and endurance.
High weight low reps tends to be for building muscle and getting stronger.

I wouldnt necessarily go with what the NHS recommends for a particular condition because it's so often out of date - you need to find what works for you!

Oh yes I'm aware that weight loss is 90% diet but exercise and weights have lots of benefits for my conditions and should improve them, provided I don't over do it. I need to be careful with cardio so I think I'll give it a little while before I try anything new and stick to a gym-based weight workout.

Thanks that's helpful. Hadn't really considered a PT but I can see how it could be beneficial

Hey Fifty, if you go to the Google Scholar website and put in fibromyalgia and weights you’ll find lots of studies, some showing beneficial stuff, and some interesting thinking about how muscle building enhances immunity. It seems the management of lactate is important to avoid muscle pain, hope you find something that helps.

I've got autoimmune conditions that can cause mobility issues. Definately have some sessions with a PT if you can afford to. I did this recently and wish I'd done it sooner. She spent a lot of time working out what I could and couldn't manage. Upshot was some weights machines, lowest weight with high reps, exercise bike (making sure seat level is correct) swimming and aqua classes. Resistance bands were also good.

@Proteinpud puts it really well - in a cardio-style class like Body Pump, there is a sort of pressure to keep up. I know that's the sort of situation when I've managed to pull muscles etc.

A good PT can be transformational ! I think my PT should be available on the NHS.

Hit and miss. Go try and see how you feel.

Thanks everyone-really useful!

I have fibromyalgia plus other stuff.
I lift heavy, low reps because that suits me, I also have a PT who is worth her weight in gold.

I'm a member of David Lloyd and have just been looking at their PT availability which is shocking! I'd prefer a female and someone who understands a bit about injury recovery and the only two who look suitable only seem to have availability during my normal working hours. Might have to look for an independent one.

I have a male PT and I really enjoy that, because he has no 'conditioned' limits to what he thinks any of his clients can or should do. He trains men and women, old and young, all the same (within their capabilities & their aims of course). He doesn't do endless "grow your glutes" stuff which many women trainers seem to focus on.

He really should be bottled and given out by the NHS.

Interesting. Do you find he relates well to menopausal issues too?

I’ve been meaning to come on here and thank you for posting about the advice you’ve been given, to use low weights and higher reps. I have 2 sorts of inflammatory arthritis and I’ve so often been trying to increase the weights to what I used to be able to do. I just can’t improve and I end up in pain and frustrated. It sounds blindingly obvious but I have not been able to make the mental adjustment that I need to make. I keep pushing myself, thinking I’ll be able to use the heavier weights. Now I feel that I can accept the lower weight thank you!

@FiftynFooked I'm not the same poster but I also have a male PT and yes he responds well to anything I throw at him, including peri. He's all about coaching the person in front of you, so I'm not in a peri box, as much as that might be part of what I bring, so he'd respond to that as much as anything. But he also doesn't pry into things I don't bring, so he's never quizzed me about all my symptoms or anything.

@FiftynFooked how about Pilates especially if you have a good instructor at your gym? I lift heavy usually but when I do a good Pilates class I find it challenging (I sometimes do Lottie Murphy)- but all slow, controlled, high reps and no pressure. I think you probably have to do it more often but than lifting heavy but maybe that would work for your condition, if you can manage it.

I have a male PT who also trains the person in front of him. I'm not sure what peri issues would affect in what we do. The exercise is the exercise and we (I share my PT with a younger man) do it at the level we can on the day.

Hi everyone. Just noticed there have been a couple of more responses.

There is a really challenging Pilates instructor at my gym so I might give her class a try.

I have gone back into the gym this week. Just sort of playing around at the moment, using machines and trying to get a feel for what level of weight and number of reps is appropriate. I've really enjoyed it! Played an audio book and just zoned out for an hour.

I've also done some swimming which I always love.

It appears that a few PTs have left the gym recently but some new ones are coming so I'll wait and see who arrives and what their availability is like.