Salutations Everybody!
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I know I’ve been pacing well when I start to forget that I’m ill because my symptoms get very mild. Now I only need to keep reminding myself that that’s good and it means I should continue pacing and not doing more activities because that’ll just result in another crash.
Not being able to work out is my biggest pain probably. I hate how weak my body has become and I miss the euphoric feeling I used to get from exercise. Just thinking about it makes me want to cry lol. Neutral intended post ended up sad, sorry :(
Doing preventative measures always ends with me wondering why I do them and then needing them and more again :(
Have you ever thought about doing small amounts of exercise in your own space?
There are small exercises that you can do which can be as brief as you like, and plenty of them don't require a lot of space or expensive equipment.
As an example, I have a rebounder - a mini exercise trampoline. Not the cheapest option for exercise equipment but far from some of the more ridiculous prices. I spent a bit extra to get a rebounder that folds in half and has clip on legs rather than screw-in legs because I have limited space and honestly the idea of screwing and unscrewing 6-8 trampoline legs every time I use the thing is just... nope, my executive dysfunction could never.
What I can do is to pop out the rebounder in probably 30 seconds or less, get some aerobic exercise (it's also a really pleasant vestibular and proprioceptive stim for my autistic brain) for however long (i.e. short) of a time I want and then I can tuck it away or I can leave it out and do a little bit more exercise later on if I have the energy to. It's also gentle on my knees and it's good for the lymphatic system. Idk what shape lymphatic system is in but if I can improve it then it's one less thing that might drain my limited energy.
Other options might be a physical game like Just Dance or jump rope or doing step aerobics or isometric exercises.
Obviously if you're part of the low spoon gang you want to be very careful about how much exercise you engage in and what intensity you go for. And it's going to depend on your physical needs and limitations, of course. But having small, easy exercise options available at home means you can literally just do a minute or two if that's all you've got in you on that day, which makes it ideal for meeting your need for pacing yourself.
Going to the gym is a big commitment and personally I'd struggle with feeling embarrassed by how limited my capacity is and how much rest time I need. Plus I'm not shelling out all of the cash and eating up precious energy getting ready and travelling to the gym just for 15 mins of exercise. Not on your life. But it's much more accessible to have a punching bag in your garage or a yoga mat under the couch or a couple of dumbells that you can just grab on a whim to put in a couple of minutes of exercise before you take a break until the next time you're ready to do it.
You know yourself better than I ever could but it's just some food for thought. I know even very small amounts of exercise can have a noticeable benefit on my mood and my sleep so this is how I manage drop the bar low enough that it's possible for me to exercise, despite my limitations, and it's been really important for me to do a sort of personal inventory of what I want and what I need, what makes it difficult or impossible to do these things the ways that I used to be able to, and then developing some strategies and accessibility tools to find that sweet spot where ideally I can meet my different needs. This is basically me becoming my own armchair occupational therapist and I strongly recommend it.
Anyway, just spitballing and sharing some ideas that I wish someone had shared with me a long time ago.