Exercising while herxing?

exercise can induce a herx. While you are herxing your body is trying to get rid of the toxins - the best thing to do for your body is to detox, i would think exercise would make things worse, and would be too hard on your body!

I usually stick to yoga when I'm herxing. I do think it helps to move the lymph and clear the toxins quicker. I generally avoid doing anything too strenuous though as I think it's better to give the detox organs most of the body's energy.

Great question.

I think yoga is the best - I wouldn't call it "exercise" either... it's more like, I don't know... a rejuvenating stimulation and stretching and strengthening... it does SO much.

Like Girlie, I have no idea if I'm herxing, hurting, over-extended, stiff from inactivity, or it's just "Tuesday"... My muscles are sometimes throbbing while I'm trying to sleep. This will go on for days and then one day--nothing.

I get on my bike and I'm nearly in tears as I start off and my quads may still be throbbing through my ride but maybe I don't notice it because I still ride. I don't know. I have a life-long habit of ignoring pain.

And then I come home and I am EXHAUSTED. I can barely move. But sometimes my muscles are the same throbbing and sometimes I think they are better from exercise.

They say movement is good for fibro symptoms, which I think is specific to the a nerve agitation condition.

Agree about the strenuous exercise - it requires too much energy and our bodies need that to fight infection and detox. Also, as Chapelle mentioned, exercise is also a detoxing method so you could also be overwhelming the body with toxin release that it can't flush fast enough.

For me, just getting heated up can cause a huge flair--the kind that knocks me out for a day. No hot showers/sauna/hot tub... Can't spend a lot of time in the sun... Will never again visit friends in Pheonix in the summer. If I did bikram yoga (the high heat kind) I have no doubt it would kill me. ;)

bonnawannabe -

I would do some walking first - unless it's really hot out then maybe the elliptical is good. It's a nice low-impact workout (I sure do miss my elliptical sessions--I could also go for 60 minutes HARD and according to the machine I burned 1200 calories--likely not accurate but I was happy with half that... not only did it feel great, I looked great and it helped with stress and anxiety and detoxing). But I would go very very slow and easy for a long while.

For those of us used to exercising and being active, not being active is so very strange and uncomfortable. But your body doesn't really need exercise right now as much as it needs rest and recuperation. As was mentioned in other posts - exercise, the faster circulation, the heart rate increase, the body heating up - all of these are healthy mechanisms but a very herx-inducing and if you herx too hard too much too fast, you can easily set back your treatment, which just isn't worth it.

I'd skip exercise for at least another week but if you do try it, go very slow and easy.

-p

I'm leaving to do it right now! I don't find it helpful in clearing the herx, but it makes sense to get your lymph moving at least once a day.

I decided to wait until I see how I feel tomorrow-it sounds like the 8-12 minute range would be the right call for now. I am at the pinnacle of my HERX according to my LLMD, and I now recall that he actually told me last week to try and do a short walk during this Herxing period, if I can tolerate it(but definitely do not overdue it). Right now I am TIRED and WIRED-I am going to take my BP/anxiety medication, and hopefully that will allow me to sleep. It really helps to have some advice from people who have been there.

Good Luck to everyone this week,

rjb

good job learning rjb! Yup, I found easy does it when herxing as well as flaring.