You want to work out but it's painful

“You want to work out but it's painful. Here's how to avoid the pity party. ”

If you are over a certain age, sometimes you just hurt. Muscles ache, joints don't want to bend as far, and just trying to tie your shoe feels risky. Those with fibromyalgia, MS, and other debilitating conditions are at the mercy of the disease and have to ride the wave of what pains the day brings. Injuries and illness can also put a wrench in our workout schedule or keep us from working to full potential. When we hurt, it's easy to chuck the workout, stay home and feel sorry for ourselves. In the olden days people in pain stayed in bed and they gave them a leather strap to bite on when the pain got unbearable. Sorry, but it's time to pitch the strap. Lying around will not make anything better, but is likely to make it a whole lot worse. First, talk to your doctor. Find out if you can (or should) be working out. What is too much? Can you push yourself? What are your limits? Studies are showing that for fibromyalgia sufferers, exercise actually reduces flare-ups and severity. If your doctor okays you for exercise, fight against the desire to skip your workout and you may be surprised how much less pain you're in down the line.