Summary: When you're in pain, exercise may seem like the last thing you want to do.One out of three people suffer with chronic pain, and upwards of six million individuals in the U.S. suffer from fibromyalgia. When you're in pain, exercise may seem like the last thing you want to do. But, if you remain sedentary, it could lead to weight gain, which causes even more pain. Dr. Jacob Teitelbaum has been working with fibromyalgia and chronic pain patients for many years. He joins Naturally Savvy host, Lisa Davis, to share some tips for performing healthy and safe exercise if you're suffering from either of these debilitating conditions. Start off with doing water exercises in a warm-water pool. The weightlessness is easy on your joints, and the warm water helps loosen your muscles. When you stretch, put heat over the areas that give you the most pain. If you have widespread pain, all throughout your body, soak in a hot bath with Epsom salts before you stretch. When you're comfortable to ramp up your exercise, get a pedometer to track your steps. Dr. Teitelbaum suggests increasing your steps by 50 each day. Don't go too hard... "no pain, no gain" is not the mantra you want to live by. Take the supplement ribose after exercise. This will help ease any discomfort. Being intimate with your partner can seem like a lot of work, especially if you're in constant pain. But, it's one of the best ways to get some exercise and boost your "feel good" hormones. Listen in as Dr. Teitelbaum shares more about these methods, as well as other simple ways to reduce your pain.
