CFS article on Excercise

Here is an interesting article on exercise with CFS patients.Well worth the read!

If you don't want to read it all I'll sum up:

~Listen to your body! You know when too much is too much!
~The body has two energy systems. Rather like a hybrid car. The car has an electric motor (anaerobic system) and a fuel motor (aerobic system).
The anaerobic system runs for two minutes, before the aerobic system fires up. The anaerobic system is the bit we need to operate within as CFS patients. Our aerobic system doesn't work well. I have personally thought of it as 'adrenalin is bad', but this 'aerobic system not working' really makes sense.
~Monitoring heart-rate is a way to stay below the Anaerobic Threshold (AT).

Personally, this makes sense of why I go so well with pilates or slow walking, but any sweating activity is too much.

from weheartit.com

Anyone know where to get a heart-rate monitor?

~Stretchy Princess xx

Rose: my pilates class is awesome. Enables me to do excercise & get stronger without reaching the AT without even knowing it! =)

Spoonie Spouses

Jamee @ A New Kind of Normal 's husband has written a fantastic article about being a spoonie spouse. 

I think it must be a very difficult job. I know I don't just get sick & not be able to do things, but I get upset & grumpy coz I'm sick! I'm lucky the Prince is very understanding, but it hasn't always been an easy road by any means!

check it out here:
http://www.anewkindofnormal.com/2010/10/identity-crisis-being-a-spoonie-spouse-part-1/

~Stretchy Princess (needing more spoons today!)

More Spoons please!

I've been meaning to write about my Chronic Fatigue Syndrome / M.E. But what to say? It's been an 11 year journey for me. Filled with lots of ups, downs and couches. Several important lessons learnt (what's important in life? What does a true friend look like?) but also many many tears.

Honestly, the best way to describe it is with the Spoon Theory. Take a minute to check it out. (Then come back! ;)

Seriously, if you're sufferer of a long-term illness, do yourself a favour & check out the whole website here. The author, Christine, is also on twitter.

If you're not a sufferer check out the spoon theory. It's so brilliantly written & has given the Prince & I a new language to describe how I'm doing. Today I have a few spoons, probably enough if I space them out.

I'm a spoonie!

Anyway, I know this is quite rambly and brainfoggy, but that's the CFS way, and if there's anything I've learnt from CBT (more about that later) it's if something is worth doing, it's worth doing badly! ;)

~Princess CJ xx