Part 1: Exercise for Lyme Sufferers – Tips, Tricks & Hacks I’ve Learned Over The Years

“Without exercise, it is impossible to recover from Lyme disease.”
– Dr. Joseph Burrascano, MD
(note that Dr. Burrascano only advocates mild, gentle, infrequent exercise)

This is Part 1 of a multi-part series on exercise strategy and importance in recovery from Lyme disease. This is a topic I’m very passionate about. I encourage you not to skip these blog posts, even if you are tired, frustrated, and not quite sure how exercise fits into your recovery plan.

Read Part 2 in the article series

Warning: Not everyone with chronic illness is healthy enough to exercise. Consult a physician before beginning any new diet or exercise program. The author of this article is a layperson sharing his own experiences, he is not a professional, doctor, physical therapist, or personal trainer. 

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Introduction

All people – whether healthy or sick – need to consider diet, exercise, and lifestyle if they want to stay healthy into old age. Lyme sufferers, in particular, need to take special care to stay fit and strong, as they are already compromised and must give their bodies extra help to get healthy.

Having healthy blood tests and a long life are only a few the benefits of diet and exercise; actually feeling good is another benefit, since hormones largely control how we feel, and both diet and exercise have a huge impact on hormones, especially as we age.

But people recovering from Lyme disease face unique challenges when it comes to diet and exercise strategies. Among them are adrenal fatigue, general weakness and fatigue as a part of the Lyme complex, sleep disturbances, special dietary needs and aversions, “good days” and “bad days,” and other challenges. People suffering from Lyme disease also need exercise more than many people – we need the detoxification benefits, the improved circulation, and the stimulation of hormone production. So, we need it the most, but we have the hardest time accessing it. A big challenge!

So, in this series of posts, I’ll be trying to accomplish two things: I will be telling you about some of the latest, cutting-edge diet and exercise strategies that many people are unfamiliar with, and I’ll be doing it in a way that is tailored toward the special needs of Lyme sufferers.

I’ve personally used these strategies for years and I’ve been so grateful for them. When I was at my sickest, I obviously couldn’t do much, but as my recovery progressed, I became increasingly thankful for exercise and the outdoors. Building back up in an exercise plan was such a lifeline for me. It gave me inspiration, encouragement, uplifted my mood, and allowed me to feel more normal. Whether healthy or sick, a muscular, strong physique just makes a person feel so much better – both physically and mentally. So, the subject of this article is something I am extremely passionate and excited about, and I’m grateful for the chance to share with you. I spend a lot of my free time researching diet and fitness topics. You can also expect many more exercise-related posts from me in the future, but this post will serve as the foundation.

Of course, there are numerous fitness strategies, and this article represents only a narrow cross section of fitness wisdom. But these were some of the lessons which I personally benefited most from, and I hope they are helpful to you, as well.

The Basic Goals

When we talk about diet and exercise, what are we trying to accomplish? Here are some foundational goals (with a Lyme disease slant):

1. Maintain strength and flexibility to avoid injury: This goal is such an important one! If injury occurs and it prevents further exercise, we have a problem on our hands. This goal is even more important when it comes to Lyme sufferers, because they often have compromised joints and connective tissue.
2. Maintain a healthy weight: Excessive body fat increases the chances of injury, throws off hormonal balance, and causes many other problems. These problems become even more dangerous for Lyme sufferers, who already have a more delicate balance than most of the population.
3. Maintain muscle mass: Did you know that a recent study showed that muscle mass was more important for health and longevity than cardiovascular fitness? Let me clarify this: Both markers are important, and you do need some of each to stay healthy. But after a certain point, muscle mass was more important. Muscle mass stimulates the production of hormones, burns calories, and prevents injury, among other benefits.
4. Maintain a moderate degree of cardiovascular fitness: This goal will be to an individual’s tolerance. Some recovering Lyme sufferers can do much more cardio exercise than others. The goal is to maintain cardiovascular fitness to the degree possible, without bringing on adrenal fatigue or other types of crashes. As a general rule, most Lyme sufferers are more tolerant of resistance training (strength training) than they are of cardio exercise.

So, those are the basic goals. We’ll be discussing various strategies to accomplish these goals, using diet and exercise as our tools.

Strategies for Staying Lean, Strong & Healthy With Lyme Disease

The following strategies will have different usefulness to different people. Remember, we are all unique. Don’t try to force yourself into a box that doesn’t fit. Pick and choose from these strategies and let your own body be your guide. Always consult a physician before beginning any new exercise or dietary program.

Strategy #1: Do when you can, Don’t do when you can’t

This is the most important strategy we will be looking at – it is the strategy which should govern all the others we will review. Don’t miss it! Lyme disease sufferers have good days and bad days. This makes it almost impossible to follow a normal diet or exercise plan – most regular fitness plans require daily action or change. As a result, many Lyme sufferers just give up. They think to themselves, “well, I just can’t keep up with that diet and exercise plan – it doesn’t work for me.” So they end up doing little or nothing.

The solution to this problem is to do when you can, don’t do when you can’t. If you wake up one morning and have an unusual amount of energy, that’s the day to go to the gym! Don’t waste that energy burst checking email or watching TV. Harness the energy to participate in an exercise program. Since energy bursts may be few and far between for you, make sure to use whatever energy bursts you have, to exercise!

On another day when you wake up and feel tired and drained, don’t beat yourself up for skipping that day’s exercise! Likewise, workout during the time of day when you have the most energy. If you are a morning person, don’t try to work out at night.

Be kind to yourself. Allow yourself to take several days off, or even a week off, if you need it. No amount of exercise is too small – going on a simple walk outdoors has MANY benefits – it stimulates hormones, improves mood, increases your metabolism, gets detox going, and even makes your brain healthier according to recent studies.

Simply go with what your body is telling you. This goes for diet, too. Giving yourself this freedom and flexibility will open up new doors for you and allow you to give your body the rest it needs and also reach whatever fitness goals you are capable of reaching.

When it comes to diet, don’t beat yourself up when you fail to follow a healthy diet. It’s part of the journey. Do the best you can.

If I could tell Lyme sufferers just one thing about diet and exercise, this would be it.

Thanks for reading! 

Read Part 2 in the article series

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