Endometriosis and workout goals

[Topsywoemount]

See there is a whole Fitbit PCOS community, but don’t see anything about endometriosis.

im 29, have had endometriosis for probably about ten years, worse the past 5. Doctors have been very unhelpful on this subject, telling me not to think about the impact on fertility and just take pain pills. Right now my focus isn’t on having kids just staying healthy. I find myself scared I will actually injure myself if I exercise at the beginning of my period because to exert myself while in a lot of pain feels counterintuitive, like I might damage myself worse. Does anyone else have endo, and how have you approached your fitness goals with it? I am tempted to allow myself to stay in Ned all day today, maybe walk a bit tomorrow, then see if I can take things lightly st the gym the next day. I’m also into any dietary recommendations. I don’t think completely cutting wheat products works for me but I definitely am on a general reduction of them for weight loss period and will try to avoid sugar and bread during my period for healing.

thanks for any feedback, 

[bourby]

hi. i'm a guy so i dont experience what you describe obviously. however, i have 2 friends that i know of who have the same thing. one is very active now, doing long walks as well as boxing and some gym work with me. the other has done alot of boxing and mixed martial arts. i cant say if they have suffered any worse or better than you but in the end they just decided to move on with life. one has a kid now btw after being told it was very unlikely. they changed their mindset and kick **ahem** now. i'm sure they still hurt but they dont seem bothered, or just dont care now. hope this helps a bit.

[emili]

@Topsywoemount I have never experienced what you have but I have friends who have. Some continue on with what needs to be done and some hibernate during the worst of it. I guess it all depends on mindset and pain tolerance. I haven't ever heard that medically speaking one shouldn't be active, I think for the most part health practitioners almost always recommend activity of some sort to most patients. As far as diet.. weight loss starts in the kitchen so you should be focusing on your food choice while you workout whether exercise is an option for you. I am not sure why you wouldn't eat wheat- I didn't read that you have celiac disease. The main objective of weight loss is to consume less calories than what you put out. Your food choice should consist of vitamins, minerals, protein, healthy fats etc.- but fall into a predetermined calorie consumption number that you work out for yourself based on your age, height, weight, activity level, etc...

[etvete]

I agree with @emili with the thoughts on gluten and bread. Unless you need to for medical reasons, there is no reason to eliminate gluten from your diet. That being said, I personally am one of those that don't have celiac's but i find that avoiding it helps me control migraines and general inflammation. It is a choice that you need to make with your doctor.

I don't have endo but have severe pain that accompanies my periods to the point that lately if I exercise I get light headed. Granted those days have been 45 minutes of HIIT training. I am thinking of changing it up to make my first couple days be long walks instead.

I am a firm believer of listening to your body. If it says stop or slow down, listen. I don't think you should be scared to exercise for fear of injury though. Perhaps take the time on those days to listen to the pain and ask yourself what intensity can you handle and remind yourself that exercise releases natural endorphins that are the best pain meds you can get, provided you don't push too far.

[MagsOnTheBeach]

Exercise can help with pain, that sounds weird, but I know certain things, a lighter run than normal for example does help.  Even stretches help a lot.

I found this info https://youngwomenshealth.org/2012/06/12/endometriosis-nutrition-and-exercise/: 

Can exercise improve my endometriosis symptoms?

Yes. Here are a few reasons why exercise may help your endometriosis symptoms:

• Exercise releases endorphins. When we exercise, our brain releases “feel good” chemicals called endorphins. These naturally occurring hormones work like pain relievers to lower pain. It only takes about ten minutes of moderate exercise (any exercise that makes you sweat or breathe hard) for your body to start making these chemicals.
• Exercise improves circulation. Moderate exercise gets our heart pumping and improves the blood flow to our organs. This is important because our blood carries oxygen and nutrients to important body systems.
• Regular exercise lowers the amount of estrogen in the body. Since the goal of endometriosis treatment is to lower estrogen levels, regular exercise may help improve endo symptoms.

[Topsywoemount]

I probably should have clarified that the dietary questions were more about pain relief as ppl purport end o diets out there which are generally about eliminating sugar and gluten...seems incompatible w my own personal happiness so I have just tried to reduce greatly. 

[MagsOnTheBeach]

I figured that was why, but gluten free usually means unusual fibers added as well as a chemical sweetener, so i wouldn't go gluten free unless you had a gluten allergy. Some of the prebiotic fibers and sweeteners can cause gas and other intestinal issues.

However, I would go away from sugar.  I switched all artificial sweeteners and regular sugar to maple syrup and honey and really feel awesome. I think part of it is that I am really careful with how much I use (I always use a measuring spoon).  Since I've reduced sugar I have fewer sugar cravings and when I do have it (birthday parties for example), it tastes super sweet and I don't want much.

I would start with walking - it might suck, you might feel uncomfortable, but the more you do it, the easier it will get.  Then you can try to get more steps in and once you are feeling really good you can look at switching it up.  If you wear a fitbit, you can see how many steps you take a day with no extra effort and add a goal of 500-1000 more that what you do.  Once that become routine, add another 500 or 1000.  This way you build up and are at less risk of injury.

[Mirlanda]

Apologies if this is a repeat post. I got an error message when I tried to post initially

@Topsywoemount I am also looking to connect with other women living with endometriosis. I was diagnosed in 2015 but symptoms started in 2013. I have been using my fitbit for about 6 months now and I've noticed that my resting heart rate significantly increases as it gets closer to my period. I am wondering if any other women have noticed this trend (or any other trend) in their fitbit data and are willing to share so we can get more insights into this condition and how to manage symptoms. 

To your question about exercise, I have noticed that increasing my cardio helps with my symptoms. I recently found a device that allows for "passive" workouts. I have been able to use it even on really painful days when I'm unable to get out of bed. It definitely tires me out (which adds to the fatigue I experience during my period) but I haven't noticed any other negative side effects from using it. I'm happy to share more information about the device if anyone is interested. 

For diet, I also heard about the relationship between gluten, sugar, and endo but I haven't been able to consistently keep those out of my diet. A few years ago, I was able to go raw vegan for a little over a month and noticed that it was the ONLY time I was completely pain free since my symptoms started. I want to try to do it again when I have the time, money, and will power to follow the diet. 

I'm hoping we can revive this community topic and actually build a supportive community of women living with endo.