| One of the best things you can do
is low-impact aerobic exercise. Examples of this type of exercise include
swimming or water exercise, stationary bicycling and exercising on ski-type
machines. You may need to begin at a very low level of exercise (5 minutes
every other day is helpful at first). Continue to increase the length
and frequency of exercise until you are exercising for at least 30 to
60 minutes at least 4 times a week. Once you reach this point, you can
consider switching to high-impact exercises, like walking, jogging and
tennis.
Because the symptoms of fibromyalgia are made
worse by stress and poor sleep, it is important to cut stress out of your
life whenever possible and to get as much sleep as you need. Since alcohol
and caffeine cause poor sleep, avoid these substances around bedtime.
Other simple lifestyle changes may be helpful.
For example, try keeping your activity level the same each day. Many people
with fibromyalgia try to do as much as possible on "good" days,
which leads them to have several "bad" days. If you keep your
activity level even, you may not have as many "bad" days.
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