Hello……I’ve had debilitating CFS/ME and Fibromyalgia for over 30 years. It’s been my personal experience and that of most patients that exercise actually exacerbated your symptoms. Whether one has PEM, “POST EXERTION MALAISE” or something similar, any kind of exercise or physical exertion can really be difficult to manage. Of course, there are always exceptions and anybody who can tolerate physical exertion without exacerbating their symptoms and debilitation are fortunate.
However, reading and researching most of the evidence these past 30 plus years, exercise is something that is really not promoted.
It was thought to be beneficial in the early years for patients with these disease states. However, that was mostly predicated on the belief that any exercise in general is beneficial to the body. It just isn’t true nor does it serve the well-being of most patients. Of course, doing whatever amount of stretching, yoga and exercise is beneficial as long as it doesn’t make you feel worse.
I was a very fit athlete participating in a number of sports in high school and college. As a result, I am very well versed and experienced in knowing and experiencing the difference between normal muscle soreness and fatigue that is very short lived after exerting maximum physical effort versus the very painful, long lasting pain and extended fatigue and exhaustion associated with POST EXERTIONAL MALAISE. This is nothing to take lightly or abuse.
Quite simply, if exercise on whatever level makes you feel better than it’s obviously tolerated and appropriate. If it’s anything less than that…….don’t do it.
It can spin you into a severe relapse. Just an alternative view to some of the other comments made above.