Graded exercise for chronic fatigue syndrome
Why do I need a graded exercise program?
If you have chronic fatigue syndrome, you may have days when you feel pretty good and days when you can barely get out of bed. On your good days, you may decide you can do twice as much, but that may cause a relapse of your symptoms. Those relapses may make you afraid to exercise at all. But if you avoid exercising altogether, your body grows weaker and less able to fight off fatigue as well as illness. People with CFS often feel like they have no control over their bodies, as if they cannot do anything for themselves. By starting a carefully controlled exercise plan, you can begin taking back control.
In combination with good sleep habits and careful scheduling of activities, a gentle, graded exercise program can help you feel better. You must start with very brief activities and gradually increase the frequency, duration, and intensity of exercise as you feel able. This kind of exercise plan can be extremely helpful in relieving and controlling symptoms of chronic fatigue syndrome.
Test Your Knowledge
Avoiding all exercise will not help people with CFS feel better. In fact, it can make them feel worse.
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| Author: | Robin Parks, MS | Last Updated: May 15, 2007 |
| Medical Review: | Anne C. Poinier, MD - Internal Medicine Karin M. Lindholm, DO - Neurology | |
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