How I live a complete life inspite of Fibromyalgia

After 8 long years of managing my own pain and through online research, I have arrived at following 6 steps that have made me fitter and stronger than ever before -  

1. Accept the situation - this pain is here to stay!!! You can increase it by fighting it mentally or you can manage it to such an extent that you won't even remember it most days (except seasonal or exertion/stress related flare ups)

 

2. Stretch and strength muscles through yoga, body weight exercises and free weights.

 

3. Feed your body natural food, natural water, natural light and natural sleep. Stop processed foods, stop soda, have lots of water, sleep on time & get up with sun rise.

 

4. Meditate to calm our hyperactive nerves down and reduce pain sensation.

 

5. Remove things that increase the pain - it can be wrong desk, wrong posture, wrong people, wrong habits. Anything

 

6. Don't indulge in self pity. We are not invalids. Millions of people have it...we are not alone in this pain. Join online support communities, reach out to others and learn about how they manage their pain.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Living in present

After completing Insanity I declared to the world (ok...my world on facebook :) ) that I have conquered fibromyalgia. And yes I did indeed feel like a conqueror even though I still suffered from the chronic pain. I had used my mind to conquer the physical pain and through hard work I had achieved my goal of being physically fit to complete an insane program. I lived with this euphoric feeling for a few months, still working out with similar intensity but also enjoying the luxuries of life in my fitter body. However, as all good things must come to end, this euphoria also died soon and I forgot my physical fitness accomplishments  and let the work stress take over my life once again.

I have always been a very driven person, as a student I excelled at academics, at work I always out performed and am pretty good at the hobbies/ fun activities that I undertake from time to time. One of the many important things I am not good at - feeling secure in my accomplishments. As I reach one goal, I start working towards the next one so much so that I have never allowed myself a true break in my life. On vacations also I would stay connected to work email, exercise twice a day to manage the increased calorie intake...basically I don't know how to truly relax. My mind is always active - counting steps as I walk alone, counting strokes as I swim, planning my day as I run, playing games on my phone while watching TV, reading while eating...the list is endless.

So it's little wonder that I was back to chasing another goal, of getting my professional life in line with my expectations, before my mind had the time to register and celebrate the hard earned accomplishment. As things continued to worsen on my work front, I sought solace in materialistic things - retail therapy, partying, salsa dancing...even though each of these things actually added to my stress levels. Salsa classes were held in mornings on Saturday and Sunday which meant that I had a pretty busy first half of the day (workout, drive to class, attend class, drive back home) on weekends as well. Partying was always accompanied by alcohol & late nights that wreaked havoc on my body. Retail therapy was always good until I would receive my credit card bill.

During this period I also made some big judgement errors, I allowed certain people to enter my life - both personal and professional, which (in hindsight) I shouldn't have! And by middle of 2014, I was at one of the lowest points in my life! There wasn't any serious professional crisis, I had all the material comforts in my personal life, health issues were there but nothing new. And yet I was unhappy and restless - there was no real reason to why I was feeling so low and hopeless. The strange thing was that my logical mind was aware of this but for some unknown reason my emotional mind wasn't accepting the reality. Action oriented personality that I am, I sought help but nothing seem to work.

In the midst of all this emotional chaos, I somehow ended up making plans with a bunch of friends to hike to Everest Base Camp. My family wasn't too happy about it as they felt that I wasn't in the correct frame of mind to undertake something as arduous as this. However, thanks to my stubborn nature (the other extreme of determination) I won the argument and I proceeded with the flight bookings and travel arrangements.

As the dates for the adventure drew close,  the things on all fronts suddenly seem to spiral out of control - including my employer classifying this planned and earned vacation as unpaid leave! Another friend cum colleague who I had loaned money and who had moved the repayment date multiple times started behaving like a lunatic as I pressured him to return the loan. Even when I was in Kathmandu I received emails that made me really upset. But I told myself that I will handle all this when I am back and I continued with the hike.

I had connectivity through wifi and cellphone in the beginning but by the 4th day of the trek, I lost all modes of connection to the outside world. All I had around me was the ethereal beauty of the Himalayas and my favorite songs on my mp3 player. I would walk alone most day as I was fastest in the group and also because I needed the solitude.

As I walked alone, listening to the sounds of nature, waving to the local kids and exchanging greetings with complete strangers en-route to EBC or coming back from it, a strange sense of calm started to descend on me. At first, I was focused on the happenings outside - I would notice people, hear the river, listen to songs, interact with folks. Then I started thinking - introspecting - what did I do wrong, where did I go wrong, what could have I done better and so on...slowly these thoughts also died. I then became focused on getting to my destination. And as I stood there at the base camp - on a glacier, in absolute silence, amidst the grandeur of the white peaks around me - I felt at peace. The feeling was so strange to me that at first I couldn't understand what was happening to me. The world seemed to move in slow motion. I could hear the glacier melting, a feeling of warmth started to spread all over me and I just stood transfixed for some time till my guide called out that it was time to leave.

As I walked back to Lukla over next 3 days, mostly alone, I realized that I had stopped thinking about the destination or the future or the past. I was just enjoying the walk - if I felt tired I rested, if I felt thirsty I had water, if I felt  hungry I ate and if I lost the way, I just waited for the porters to catch up with me. At one point I sat alone for more than an hour by the roadside waiting for others to show up - just enjoying the mid morning sun and watching people do their daily chores. All this was new to me, doing nothing and waiting - if nothing else I would play games on my phone but I didn't do that either. And as I just sat there doing nothing, I started to understand what being in present really means!

What Insanity taught me...

9 weeks of Insanity were truly 9 weeks of torture for me. Undertaking such a workout routine while dealing with chronic pain isn't easy and on top of that I managed to twist my ankle middle of the program. Plus a 5 day vacation planned months in advance also happened to coincide with week 7. In summary, I had enough reasons to take a break from the program - usual fibromyalgia pain that had flared up due to this tough routine, twisted ankle and the first vacation of the year that I was so looking forward to. But I did not take a break - not one day - I even worked out (ran or swam) on the rest days prescribed by the calendar.

One can call is sheer stupidity or one can call it sheer will power - I will simply call it discipline. I had signed up for the program knowing that it might aggravate my pain, knowing that it will clash with my vacation and twisted ankle was manageable with kinesiology tape. There was no true hurdle standing in my way of completing it. So I stayed at it and finished it in time. What this program taught me was two things:

One...things will go wrong (not always but mostly) and what defines us is how we choose to deal with those hurdles. If you give up once, you will give up even more easily the next time. So giving up is not an option...you stay at it...may be not with same intensity...may be not with all your energy...but you don't give up

Two...the key to building physical endurance is mental endurance. One cannot build the former without the latter. When I gave up in the middle of Fit Test that I undertook in 2012 wasn't just because I was physically weak. I was weak mentally as well. Half way through the test, I told myself - this is too tough for me, I am not ready for it, it will increase my pain and that is why gave up.

When I took the same test in 2013, I didn't think about completing it, I didn't think whether I would be able to do it or not - I basically didn't think about the goal or the end. I just decided to take the test and see how it goes and lo & behold I performed as good or better than the two participants on video. Even when I decided to do the entire program, I just took it one day at a time. I never made my self sick thinking about 9 long weeks - the next day of workout was scary enough for me. I would go to bed every night a bit scared of how will my pain ridden body manage another intense workout next day. But come next day, I would tell myself - lets start, lets do the warm up at least, lets do one set, lets do second set and so on...I once told someone that while doing the workout, I would think only of the 30 second breaks. 

I hated yet enjoyed every moment of this crazy, insane workout. I reveled in the physical pain brought on by it because that told me how much tougher I was getting mentally. Completing this workout was symbolic of me conquering fibromyalgia and helped me remove mental blocks that I had created ever since I was diagnosed with it. This program also made me physically & mentally ready for the hike to Everest Base Camp that I undertook a year later!

Insanity Month2

Week 5 has only one workout (Core Cardio & Balance) to be done all 6 days of the week. The workout is not tough and can be considered kind of a recovery period between Month1 and Month2

Week 6 begins with Fit Test and Max Interval Circuit - both to be done on the same day. Since I would preview the video before I did it the first time, I knew that there was no way I would be able to do both the test and the workout in one day. So I did the Fit Test on the rest day and started week 6 with Max Interval Circuit.

This circuit changed my definition of "tough workout". Except for how I felt while climbing towards Gorakshep at the height of 16,900 ft, for me this is the most torturous physical activity undertaken by me till date. Let me elaborate why...

The warmup is now 8 moves done for 30 seconds each, repeated once for 30 seconds each and repeated second time for 15 seconds each - 10 minutes in all. The moves are different and tougher than first 4 weeks of warm up routine. The stretch routine is more or less the same. The intervals are longer - 4 work outs for 45 seconds each - 3 minute interval followed by 30 second rest. AND there are 3 such sets!!! Extra minute of additional moves done after 1st and 2nd set, takes the workout time (sans breaks and stretches) to 39 minutes! 39 minutes of such high intensity training - with my petite size 4 frame (no I won't mention my weight :)) - I burn 600+ calories during this one hour workout. Imagine the burn for a 170 pound 6 ft man!

As compared to 28 minutes to workout time in Plyometric Cardio, 39 minutes may not look much longer numerically but the tougher moves and longer intervals (3 min as against 2 min) make Max Interval Circuit exponentially tougher.

Second day of week 6 is Max Interval Plyo that starts with the same brutal warm up routine introduced in Max Interval Circuit followed by stretches. The intervals are again 3 minutes long (4 moves - 45 seconds each) and as before first and second sets are followed by some additional moves. The last circuit/set is different - there is no repetition of the moves. There are 4 moves - each done only once. The workout time (without counting breaks and stretches) is about 33 minutes.

Fourth day of week 6 is Max Cardio Conditioning (third day is recovery workout). I don't find this one very tough and quite enjoy doing it. It has one similarity to Pure Cardio of Month1, that is, there is no repetition of moves (except during warm up) but the key difference is that there are breaks between moves - so its nowhere close to the 15 minutes of non-stop madness of Pure Cardio. The first two rounds of warm up are same as other two Month2 workouts. The last round consists of 5 (of the 7) Month1 warm up moves done for 15 seconds each. Post stretching you go through 21 different moves - the workout out time including warm up is 33 minutes.

Overall, the 3 key workouts of Month1 are replaced with longer, tougher versions in Month2. The add on workout (Cardio Abs done with Pure Cardio) is replaced with Insane Abs (to be done along with Max Cardio Conditioning) and recovery workout is also different. Lastly Core Cardio & Balance (week 5 workout) is also included in weeks 6 through 9. If you notice, the workout calendar mentions to substitute CC&B with Max Sports Interval Training (assuming you have the upgraded insanity package that includes the latter).  The warm up for this fun (yes!) workout is a little light compared to the other warm ups and it is filled with fun exercises that move at a pretty decent pace. The program itself is made up of four circuits from five different sports: Boxing, Football, Basketball, Track and Gymnastics. Each circuit has different exercises but all of the circuits target your core, your legs and your chest. However, they do it in different ways that are fun and challenging without being murderous.

In hindsight, you will realise, that Month1 is truly a preparation for Month2. Month2 is where Shaun T pushes you to your limit. So if you really want to take your fitness to next level you must do this program!

Cardio Power & Resistance and Pure Cardio

Second workout of week 1 is Cardio Power & Resistance. There are a couple of different moves in this warm up compared to Plyometric Cardio because workout focuses on power. However the overall warm up routine stays the same - 7 moves 30 seconds each, repeated twice - 10.5 minutes in all followed by 6-7 minutes of stretching

Then its time for interval training - 4 moves, 30 seconds each, repeated twice with 30 seconds breaks in between. Two such sets, plus some additional workouts at end of each set. Total workout time minus breaks and stretches is 26 minutes.

Overall the workout is not that different from Plyometric Cardio circuit with respect to interval and rest periods. The breaks help bring heart rate down a bit (just like Plyometric Cardio) but the moves involve more power so some people may find it bit harder.

The third tough workout of the week 1 is Pure Cardio...am glad that first time it falls AFTER the recovery workout. This workout has exact same 10.5 minute warm up routine as Plyometric Cardio followed by stretches. However, what follows is not truly an interval training with rest periods in between. After stretches, one is expected to perform 15 different cardio moves for one minute each - NON STOP! With no water/rest periods in between.

I have to admit that even today this workout scares me - if you can make it through this workout, first time, without taking a break, then you MUST be in phenomenal shape!  First time I had to pause the video 5 times during this 15 minute window, just to bring my heart rate down. Second time (week 2) I paused it three times and thereafter I needed no break. The only good thing about this work out  is that it goes by so fast that before you know it, you are done!

By the time you reach third incidence of this workout, the schedule asks for two workouts in the same day - Pure Cardio AND Cardio Abs. The latter on its own is not a tough workout but to do it after 15 minutes of non-stop jumping, squatting, and running, requires a lot of will power.

To summarize the weeks 1 through 4 comprise of three tough workouts with workout time ranging from 25-28 minutes (not counting the stretches and breaks), one add-on workout (cardio abs) and one recovery workout. 

Insanity Plyometric Cardio

Weeks 1 through 4 have a standard warm up routine - seven 30 second exercises repeated twice, without break - total 10.5 minutes of warm up. First 3.5 minutes is truly the warm up, then you start to pick up pace second time and by third time you are expected to do exercises the fastest you can. After this long warm up is about  6-7 minutes stretching routine and then the fun begins!

Plyometric Cardio is the first workout after Fit Test. After warm up and stretching, you start with interval workouts. Each interval is 2 minutes long and comprises of 4 exercises done for 30 seconds each time and after each interval is a 30 second break (you really earn it!) You repeat each interval twice - so total 6 minutes in each set  and there are 2 such sets. Adding another 1.5-2 minutes of workout done at the end of each set, the main workout time is 28 minutes. Rest is stretching and 30 second water/ rest  breaks. 

Just to give you an idea of what kind of exercises these intervals involve, let me detail the sequences here:

You start first interval with Suicide Drills, (You run to the side, touch the floor, run back to the opposite side, touch the floor, etc.) Then come Power Jacks -- essentially jumping jacks with deep squats thrown in. Mountain Climbers are next, and then Ski Jumps. Only then do you get a 30-second water break. You repeat the sequence again, but faster. And then again, and faster still. The first round ends with a few additional moves: Switch Feet and Football Sprints.

Next interval has Basketball Jumps, Level 1 Drills (which involve dropping down into plank position, doing push ups, cranking out some plank runs, and then jumping back up), Ski Abs (stay in plank position, and jump your feet together up to the left side, then back, then to the right side), and In-Out Abs (same as Ski Abs, but jump forward while keeping your hands planted in plank position). This circuit is also repeated three times, with some additional moves at the end: Jabs, Cross-Jacks, Uppercuts, and something called "Attack". 

After this you move into a series of stretches to finish the workout.

First time you do this workout, you will wonder if you are truly insane, especially if you haven't done any kind of interval training before. But the 30 second breaks are extremely helpful and help you get through without throwing the towel in the middle of it. And trust me when I say it, the workout does get easier with time and you start to push yourself more. This happens to be the first workout of the first week and can truly shock you. But as you get through the week, the shock and the soreness starts to wear off and you start getting used to Shaun T's crazy workouts!

Lets get insane!

Insanity workout, as I already shared, runs over 9 weeks. Each week has six workout days and one rest day. Of the six workout days, one day is reserved for what is called a "recovery' workout - which as the names suggests is to give some reprieve to muscles through stretching.

In the first 4 weeks, there are 3 workouts that get repeated in a predetermined order (Insanity Workout Schedule) - Plyometric Cardio, Cardio Power & Resistance and Pure Cardio. Week 5 is a rest week where you do Core Cardio & Balance for all 6 days. Weeks 6-9 are similar to Weeks 1-4 except that workouts are much longer - again 3 workouts (Max Interval Plyo, Max Cardio Conditioning and Max Interval Circuit) are repeated with a recovery workout done once a week and one rest day.

If you google, you will find various reviews of the workout, so instead of boring you with what is already out there on the internet, I would like to share my learnings from this program:

• The workouts have lots of jumping/ plyometrics, so you should have good pair of shoes with ample cushioning. In addition, its advisable to do it on wooden flooring or invest in protection mats. I bought 6 interlocking protection mat tiles of 2'*2' after my knees and ankles started to hurt couple of weeks into the program. 6 tiles give you a total area of 6'*4' and this is enough for the workout. In addition to protecting your joints, these mats also come handy when doing push ups and various other plank exercises during the workout.
• Most people say that a tough workout is more of a mental push than physical push. I would normally agree with those folks but I found that the best thing while doing any of the Insanity workouts is to not think at all and tell yourself to hang in there till the next 30 second break. Till date when I do any of these workouts, I just think of the upcoming break and make it through the 2-3 minutes high intensity interval.
• Its imperative that you do NOT pause the video. Take a short 5-10 second break during the high intensity interval if needed but if you pause the workout, chances are you won't press play again - yes the workouts are really tough!!!
• Hydrate - you would sweat like you have never done before in life. So keep a litre of water handy. You would get to consume it in 30 second rest breaks. I still need two towels - one to wipe myself and one to wipe the floor!
• Ventilation - do not attempt the workouts in rooms that aren't ventilated properly. I have heard of people who almost fainted as the body couldn't cool down due to lack of air circulation. If you live in humid environment, it wouldn't hurt to do it with air-conditioning on.
• Do not attempt these workouts on a full stomach, you will definitely throw up! It's ok to have  a light bite for an energy boost but not a real meal. I always did the workout on empty stomach though.
• On rest days, do not be bed-ridden whole day - the idea is to take it easy but not to vegetate. Go for a slow walk, a leisurely swim or do gentle yoga. If you don't do anything on the rest day, next day your muscles will be quite stiff.  

In the next post I will share the structure of 6 key workouts of the program and how to get through each one.