Physical therapy

Keep moving.  I can't stress that enough!  It's good that you are getting physical therapy.  That should help you loosen up and be in less pain.  But, you need to do stretching exercises and a light forum of exercise every day.  Walking is great.  You will find you can go further and further as your body become accustomed to it.  This really does help with pain and fatigue.

Sherrine

I used to live up north and couldn't walk in the winter so I bought a great walking in place video that I used.  Mine is by Leslie Sansone.  She has a bunch out so you could find one that suited you.  Just google it.

 

Sherrine

Yoga is wonderful! Just be very careful, follow the directions, and don't push yourself too hard. I've been tempted to buy a wii but when you add in the fitness games/equipment - it is too expensive. I haven't tried the wii yoga but I heard it was a pretty good program. It is probably safer that trying yoga from a DVD.

I have a rebounder, it's a mini trampoline. It sounds like it would be jarring but it's not, it really takes the impact out of your movement. You can get on it and lightly bounce for a minute or two whenever you walk by it. Some versions come with a bar that you can hang on to so you don't fall off which was probably invented with fibro people in mind. I have a fitness DVD that has a lot of jumping and bouncing around. I do it on my rebounder and my legs are fine afterwards. I tried the same DVD on the floor when I was on vacation and couldn't last through the first 5 minutes.

There is a flexibility series that I learned at Michigan State University for arthritis and fibros. The list of yoga stuff is simple and good for you and has no weird poses or strange stretches, just simple easy movements. If you visit this site and print off the instructions you can take it one step at a time until you can do the whole series. Yoga Flexibility Series

When you read them they seem ridiculously simple but they work!

I got the Wii Fit last Christmas, and I loved it at first. But after a few months I got bored with it. I found the exercises not enough for my fitness level anymore, and I'm not much of one to play games. That said, I still do use it when I feel particularly bad, b/c the exercises are easier and at least get me moving. I especially love the step one for those days, it's easy and gentle.

I found the yoga exercises hard though, but again that could be the fitness level, I don't know. All I know is my body doesn't stretch that way and it's hard on my knee. The balance board is great though b/c it tracks how your weight is distributed, so you have an idea if you are doing the exercises properly. It also helps train your core and centre of balance. A properly aligned body gives me less back, shoulder and neck pain.

This year I'm getting a new game for it, I've left it up to my dh to get the Wii Active, or the Jillian Michaels new one. She is one of the trainers on 'The Biggest Loser' and I just love her. She gets right in your face and pushes you.

Whatever you decide to try, don't go too hard at first, until you know what your body can tolerate. start slow and do a little more each day.