It’s Hard To Love Your Body When You Don’t Trust It

As a personal trainer and health educator for people living with autoimmune disease and chronic illness, I talk to countless people who are struggling to redefine their body after their diagnosis. I have come to realize that one of the many side effects of autoimmune disease have nothing to do with the actual disease. Instead, these side effects have so much to do with our body image, our self-confidence, and our self-love. 

A woman I spoke with recently described it best: 

“I often feel betrayed by my body. I have so many hopes and dreams and things I want to accomplish, but I feel I can’t even hope and dream anymore, because I am no longer sure what my body can and cannot do. I have lost all predictability in my body, which means I have such disappointments when trying to plan for the rest of my life.”  

This resonated with me so deeply because I realized in that moment that it’s hard to love your body when you don’t trust it to serve and support you. This causes a severe domino effect in our lives. For example, how many times have I said “yes” to a commitment, like meeting up with a friend, or taking on an extra work project, and then when it came time to actually fulfill that commitment, I was too tired, too exhausted, too depleted, and I had to bail and cancel at the last minute? Not only did I feel terrible in my body, but on top of that, I felt terrible because of all of the people I disappointed in the aftermath. It’s a crappy feeling for sure. 

Often times, when talking about these moments, we talk about it as a negative thing- “I tried to do x, but I couldn’t. My body failed me.” We learn from these moments to stop saying yes to things, because we don’t ever know when our body will “fail” us again.And when we stop saying yes, we also stop being social, feeling confident, having fun. It becomes a downward spiral.   

So here I want to offer you a different perspective. What if your body really didn’t “fail” you at all? What if this is all about miscommunication between you and your body? 

I know, this sounds crazy. But hear me out. Your body has been struggling for long before you felt symptoms, most likely. Think about how long that is, that your body has been carrying the weight of the disease you live with? Our bodies speak through pain and exhaustion and other kinds of symptoms. But as humans, our brains and our bodies don’t always work together as a team. Our body says, “Hmmm, I am feeling a little tired today” and our brain says “But I have work to do and a house to clean and kids to take care of! Body, wake UP! You can’t be tired!!!!” And we push through. We push our bodies to do more. And that pushing, day after day and week after week, it compounds, until our bodies shut down as a drastic measure. 

The reason we can’t trust our bodies and we feel betrayed by our bodies is that we aren’t working WITH our bodies. Instead, we are so often telling our bodies what to do. And when they fight back and say enough is enough, we get frustrated. 

Now, here’s where the tricky part comes in. HOW do we get our bodies and our brains to work in sync with each other? 

The solution is not simply to do less and rest more. Because that doesn’t help solve the problem. We want to live our lives comfortably, not hide away at home.

The solution is that we need to practice the art of brain to body communication. This requires being conscious, being awake and aware of our actions and our bodies reactions. Not just the immediate reactions, but the long term reactions too. And the best way to do this? We need to practice in a controlled environment. 

That’s where exercise comes in. Exercise mimics real life movement. So, to practice brain to body communication, take these three steps: 

1. Pick an exercise and do it for a short period of time. 

2. Evaluate how you feel immediately afterwards. 

3. Evaluate how you feel at longer intervals afterwards- an hour, at the end of the day, and how you feel the next day. 

4. If you have pain, swelling, rashes, exhaustion- ANYTHING out of the ordinary- then perhaps that exercise was too much and you need to pull back in intensity, duration, or frequency.

Why does this work? Well, first, by doing this, we begin to open up the awareness of the body. When we pay attention to how our body feels, what works and doesn’t work with exercise, we begin to activate that brain to body connection, which then will carry on into everyday life. Second, by figuring out where our exercise tolerance capacity is, we find our exercise sweet spot, where we can move our body without pain. Over time, we can then build upon that, as our body adapts to the movements we can begin to handle more and more. And as we gain strength through exercise, we begin to trust our bodies again, and feel more confident in them. And finally, as we practice this, we begin to be aware of patterns of what works and doesn’t work, which allows us to be more predictable in our daily activities.

(It’s important to take your total amount of stress into account here too. If you are having a reaction from a little bit of exercise, but your day yesterday was crazy stressful and out of the ordinary, then the reaction probably wasn’t from the exercise, it was from the stress of the other stuff. Exercise doesn’t exist in a vacuum. Your life’s total stress combined is what leads to the possibility of a flare. You can read more about that here.)

So… my hope for you is that you can release yourself from the negative cycle of feeling mad, sad, betrayed and failed by your body. If you work WITH your body and practice true communication between body and brain, then you can build confidence about when to say yes to things, when you can push a little harder, and when you must say no. You can gain predictability in your life.  

A shining example of this is Autoimmune Strong member Pam, who shared how her exercise routine has helped her get back into the basic everyday routines she had been missing for years. 

“When I started practicing Autoimmune Strong exercises in January,  I couldn't be in the car longer than 30 min without pain. Let alone do a big grocery shop day. And butt pain!! Oh my gosh. Legs and butt were so painful from inactivity. We now take hours long drive, just to get out of house. I read or do crafts and enjoy it without pain or spasms. I even have been swimming and playing backgammon with my grandkids!” 

Bottom Line: with a little work and focus, you CAN reclaim your body… so you can live the life you want. 

Not ready to do this on your own and want some help? That’s what we teach in Autoimmune Strong! Let me show you step by step how to put this into practice. Click here to get started.  

Three Top Tips for Relieving Stress and Preventing Flare-Up in the time of the Coronavirus Pandemic

We are living in a worldwide pandemic, and it has affected us all in different ways. However, I do think that three things are consistent for all of us. 

1) This pandemic has affected us. Our lives are not the same as they were 5 months ago, no matter how much we want it to be.

2) The future is uncertain. We are not sure how long this will go on, or what this world will look like when it’s over.

3) This uncertainty and instability has increased our stress in multiple and new ways. 

This relates specifically to us, those of us living with autoimmune disease and chronic illness, because heightened stress leads to a higher potential for a flare-up. 

Here are three most important things you can be doing right now, to relieve stress as triggered by the pandemic and quarantine.

1. Breathe. I know this sounds silly, because we are always breathing, right? Well- the thing is that in times of stress, we tend to hold our breath and breathe shallow, while holding tension in our chest. And we often do that without even noticing. So, check in with yourself- are you experiencing chest tension? Are you holding your breath? Do this check-in periodically throughout the day and just noticing the tension will help you release it. Taking some deep breaths will help too.

2. Schedule times to read the news. If we are constantly checking in with the news all day, we are going to walk around with constant tension, whether we know it or not. So, give yourself a break from the constant news ticker. Maybe check in once a day, catch up on your news, and then put the phone down, or turn the tv off. 

3. Exercise. When we are living in constant stress, we are constantly thinking. Our brain is always on the move. So, it’s important to give our brain a break- and we can do that by moving our body. When we focus on our body, our mind gets a welcome rest.  

These are very simple but effective ways to handle to pressure we are all under right now. Give it a try and see how it feels? And if you want to exercise but don’t know where to start, Autoimmune Strong is here to help! 

Taking Care of You, So You Can Take Care Of Others

Most of us spend the majority of our days caring for others in some capacity or another. That’s because our most basic and natural human nature is to love one another, and care for them accordingly. That’s a beautiful thing.

However, our desire to love and care for others is taking over our desire to love and care for ourselves. We are exhausting ourselves in our mission to love the people we care most about. 

This week’s blog post is important. It’s all about how to take care of yourself… so that you can be better prepared to take care of others. We can be better helpers when our cups are full. 

I want to say this more clearly- if you are putting others first and always, you will collapse. This is not sustainable for the long term for anyone, but especially for people living with autoimmune disease. Rest and recovery is an important part of our lives. It takes energy to care for others, and so we need to make sure that our energy tanks are full- before we care for others. And then, after our energy output (ie, taking your sick mother to the doctor, or spending time with your children, or going to work if your job is one where you care for others)- you need to replenish that energy. I want you to put yourself first, so you can continue to help all these people in need. Remember that depletion and burnout helps nobody. That’s a lose lose situation. Think of it as a cell phone battery life. You need to start with a full battery, so you can use the phone all day without it shutting down. Your body is the same. 

Here are my tips on how to replenish yourself each and every day, so you can have the constant energy you need, in order to give to the people you love.  

1) Start your day off right. You need to set yourself up well for the day. Drink water, eat a nourishing breakfast, exercise, breathe, get outside. Practice slowing your heart rate down to create a sense of calm. Do something that gives you joy. Start your day loving you. And don’t let the anticipation of the day creep in.

Now, I know that with certain family situations, this can be difficult. However. It is essential for you to take care of you, so you can take care of them. So- set boundaries. Talk to your partner about needing to make space for yourself in the morning. Talk to the people in your household about what you need- even if they are small children. Incorporate them into these activities. For example, I start my day with some deep breaths and a short walk outside - and my kids do it with me. Every day (when possible). Communicating your needs is an important part of this- it helps you to not get (unintentionally) railroaded later. 

2) During the day, when things get crazy, try to stay calm. Work on your breath. Stay calm. Focus on those transition times, in between the busy-ness. Breathe, stretch, move, drink water, eat something healthy. Find something that makes you laugh. 

When you are in the thick of the busy-ness, consider this. We often give it “everything we’ve got”. I am encouraging you NOT to do this. Don’t give everything you’ve got. 75%, or even 50%  will be very effective. Take breaks, nourish yourself. Ask yourself, what do I need right now? That self-awareness is key. And if you can’t give yourself what you need at that moment, think about how you can give it to yourself a little later. 

3) At the end of the day, continue to take care of yourself. Think about it as a bookend. How do you start and end your day with a focus on YOU. What do you need? Rest, healthy food, hydration, exercise? A good book, some coloring or a walk outside? Alone time or connecting with a friend? This time before bed is important. It doesn’t have to be much. 15 minutes is a good start- and if you can get more “me” time in, then great. 

Where does exercise fit in this? Well, it’s essential. Because exercise, particularly strength training, helps to GIVE you a larger energy tank. As your strength builds, so does your energy levels… which means that you will have more to give to others- without depleting yourself in the process.

Don’t let caring for others be at the expense of caring for yourself. However- this is really hard for so many of us to put into practice. So- if you need help with this? We are here to coach you. That’s part of what Autoimmune Strong does- part exercise, part self care instruction. Let’s take care of you, so you can take care of the ones you love. 

The Autoimmune Strong Commitment to Inclusion

When we live with autoimmune disease, we live with pain that is very real, visible and tangible. Yet, we are so often told that our pain isn’t real and doesn’t matter. And that's what makes this community within Autoimmune Strong so special. What brings us all together is that we listen to each other's pain. We acknowledge that this pain is real, and we stand with our fellow sufferers in support.

I write this blog post in support of a different kind of pain. This is pain not related to autoimmune disease, but instead to systemic racism. I am listening to the pain of the Black community. I acknowledge that the pain is real, and I stand with the Black community in support.

Here are the action steps I will be taking as the leader of Autoimmune Strong, to continue to work to make Autoimmune Strong a safe and welcoming community for all who need it.

I will continue to educate myself by attending a variety of courses on how to coach and lead with inclusivity. Two courses I will be taking in the next coming weeks are Chrissy King’s course on Anti-Racism for Wellness Professionals and Dr. Jennifer Hutton’s course on Anti-Racism & Allyship for Rehab and Movement Professionals.

I will continue to educate myself with other books, workshops and educational opportunities not just now, but consistently over the course of the years. As a personal trainer, I am required to continue my education to keep my certification, and I will hold myself to the same process for inclusion education as well.

I will require that the Autoimmune Strong coaches receive same education and encourgage conversation within the Autoimmune Strong Coaching Team to make sure that we are always coaching with inclusivity in mind. 

As Autoimmune Strong grows, I will look for opportunities to build a diverse and inclusive team.

I will continue to learn more about the intersection of autoimmune disease and the BIPOC experience and I will use that information to inform my work. 

I invite any and all members of our community who are black or people of color to share their stories with me, so I can better understand how these diseases affect all people, not just people who look like me. Like with so much else related to autoimmune health, there is not much written on how the experience of autoimmune disease and race particularly as it relates to exercise, so hearing your personal stories would be helpful. Please, reach out to me if you would like, I am open to a frank and honest conversation.  

And I invite you to send me any and all resources that you think might help me on this journey. 

When I started Autoimmune Strong, my dream was for it to become a beacon of hope for people in pain. These steps are just a piece of an ongoing process to make sure that all people are represented here, and I look forward to building an even stronger, more supportive community for all people who need it.

With Love,

Andrea

Why No Pain No Gain Fitness is Hurting Us

“No Pain, No Gain.” This has been phrase has been used by countless personal trainers and fitness experts on TV, in magazines, all over the place. And we have come to internalize this message when it comes to exercise. We have come to believe that if we aren’t exercising with such intensity, then we are “lazy”. We have come to believe that exercise is not worth doing if it isn’t hard, sweaty, and soul crushing.

You are not alone. I have spent years and years working out like this, crushing myself to move a little harder, a little faster, a little sweatier. And here’s what I have learned. This idea of “No Pain No Gain” completely misses the mark.

I do understand and value the idea behind it- which is that we have to take on things that challenge us in order to see transformation. This concept has value. However- over time, this message has been lost, and the “no pain no gain” slogan has come to mean something entirely different. In practice, what it has come to mean for most of us is that if we feel pain or resistance from within our body, that we should ignore it and push on through. 

This pain we are experiencing, this resistance that our body is giving us- this is actually very important information. You see, our body doesn’t have an easy way to communicate to us. It cannot use words. What it can do is send messages, and those messages are sent through sensations. We have a variety of different sensations, and one of them is pain. 

Pain is the way our body tells us that something is wrong. If we ignore it and push through? There will be consequences. The pain signal is a warning sign, a flashing red light. Pain is usually the body’s last resort. First, comes soreness, cramps, tightness. Then comes exhaustion and fatigue. Then, things get worse from there. If you ignore these signals, they grow stronger and louder over time. And eventually, they go from a whisper to a scream.  What comes next is injury or setback. For people with autoimmune disease, the stakes are much higher- as with each moment of pushing past the pain puts us one step closer to an autoimmune disease symptom flare-up. 

As the personal trainer and coach behind Autoimmune Strong, I have now worked with thousands of people living with autoimmune disease who want to exercise, and I have come to realize that one of the things that all of these people have in common is that they have tried this “no pain no gain” style of fitness- and it hasn’t worked for them. They have experienced multiple exercise induced symptom flare-ups, resulting in exhaustion, fatigue, setback, and flare-up. Exercise becomes so uncomfortable that they can no longer participate in exercise of any kind. The result is that it becomes easier to sit on the couch than to get up and move around. These are not the kind of results we want. 

So the next time you try to “push through” an exercise program or routine? I encourage you to ask yourself “Am I feeling like this is too much? Am I feeling discomfort and/or pain and ignoring it? Is my “ego” pushing me harder than my body wants to go?” And then, if the answer is yes? I encourage you to slow down, back off, or stop altogether. This will be difficult to do, especially for those of you who have been accustomed to pushing through for a long time. There is ego involved, and we don’t often want to do less. We want to feel capable and strong and that drives us to push harder. BUT- it’s the slowing down, the backing off that is actually the sign of a stronger more capable person… and this is what is best for you over the long run. 

Bottom line- listen to your body. Don’t ignore those pain signals. Instead, ignore the urge to push through. Be kind to your body, show it love and respect. You will get more results that way than by doing anything else.  

This is the philosophy behind Autoimmune Strong. The entire exercise program is designed to help you learn to listen to your body, to cue into the internal pain signals, and to teach you how to exercise accordingly. So, if you are ready to experience an exercise program that does not adhere to the “no pain no gain” style of fitness? It’s time to give Autoimmune Strong a try.

Is My Step Counter Making Me Sick?

For the last few years, step counting has been a very popular way of measuring whether you are getting enough exercise on a daily basis. Step counting has been encouraged by doctors, insurance companies, and even places of employment offer their employees a chance to compete for prizes with step counter challenges to encourage people to get in their 10,000 steps. 

Now, let me be clear: I am a huge fan of exercise (I am a personal trainer after all) and I love that these step counters are getting people inspired to stand up and get moving. HOWEVER, as with all things, step counters are not inherently good for everyone, and not everyone should have the same 10,000 step goal. Each person and each body is different, and has different needs. There are nuances to step counter usage that we need to pay attention to, and these nuances are not often discussed, which means that most people who use step counters are under-educated about the healthy and proper ways to use them. And for people living with autoimmune disease, the misuse of the step counters can cause exhaustion, pain, injury and flare-up.

The goal of this blog is to provide the information that you need to know in order to use your step counter safely and effectively, to protect your body.

Ultimately, the biggest problem with the way many people use step counters is that they get fixed on a step goal, and they attempt to reach that goal, regardless of how their bodies feel. They ignore the internal cues that the body is sending, like soreness, exhaustion, fatigue, and pain. It is this idea that we have to push ourselves to achieve a certain number of steps each day, regardless of how our bodies feel, is problematic.

When most people think of a healthy daily step goal, the first number they think of is 10,000 steps. That number has been popularized for some reason, despite the fact that it’s a TON of steps, and that not all bodies are capable of achieving 10,000 steps comfortably. We have become obsessed with this number, and for those of us who try to attain that number and cannot do so, we feel like we failed. OR, even worse, we end up in a lot of pain, because the steps we did take were more than our bodies could handle, and we end up with injury or autoimmune symptom flare-up.  

Additionally, walking as a method of exercise is not the best method of exercise for everyone. You see, many of us have postural issues, like weak glutes and hamstrings from sitting too much, or tight shoulders from typing and texting and driving. And these postural issues have caused pain, like back pain, neck pain, shoulder pain, hip pain, knee pain- you name it. So, we carry around these postural issues which lead to pain… and then we walk, which means that we are putting even more stress and strain on this unstable physical structure, which can cause even more pain and injury. And then, when we push ourselves to hit a certain number of steps, we are pushing ourselves through this pain, past our physical limits, and instead of achieving the health benefits we were promised, we have more problems than successes.   

So, does this mean that we should not use a step counter? Nope. In fact, step counters, if used properly, can be a great way to measure your fitness. Here are the 5 Autoimmune Strong tips to using a step counter safely and successfully, so that your exercise is healthy and beneficial: 

1. Evaluate your body before you begin your step counter journey. Are you struggling with an injury or pain? Do you have postural issues like tight hips and a weak core? Are you experiencing exhaustion and fatigue just from your day to day activities? Are you having autoimmune disease symptom flare-ups, chronic migraines, GI symptoms or other issues? If the answer is yes, then using a step counter to begin a walking program is not what is best for you at this moment. Instead, I recommend starting a basic strengthening and stretching routine to help fix those postural issues to prevent further pain and damage to the joints and to decrease your flare symptoms. Cardio, even walking, can make those symptoms worse rather than better. Once your body begins to feel better and those weaker muscles get a little stronger, then you can begin your walking protocol. (Don’t know where to find a good strengthening and stretching program? Check out the Autoimmune Strong exercise program, it’s is a great gentle way to start!)

2. If you have evaluated your body and you don’t have any pain or injury, then you can begin your walking program. The first place to start is measure your current activity level. Use the step counter to see how many steps you take in your current routine. Measure how many steps you take over the course of a week. Then, take that average. That is your baseline, and where you begin. 

3. Now, take that number, and add a little to it. For example, say you realized that you average 3,000 steps per day. A jump from 3,000 to 10,000 immediately is a huge jump and puts you in danger of exhaustion, flare-up, pain, and injury. A better way is to select a smaller step number to increase by. This will be less taxing on your body, and will feel way more doable. For example, add another 500 steps in the next week. 

4. Then, evaluate again. How do you feel? Does that extra 500 feel too hard? Too easy? Are you having any problems? If the answer is yes? Then drop down to an extra 250. If the answer is no, stay at the extra 500 for a week, and then if you are still feeling good, you can increase it by another 500. 

5. Compliment your walking with a well-rounded self care routine. Drink water, eat healthy foods. AND… you MUST incorporate stretching into your walking routine. Stretching before and after will help keep your muscles flexible and limber so that you can walk with more ease and less chance of injury. (Autoimmune Strong teaches the perfect stretching routines to pair with this walking challenge). 

When used in this way, the step counter can actually be very useful, and can help you build up endurance over time! 

I hope this helps you as you get back to walking. However, while I do think that walking can be great exercise, I do encourage you to incorporate strength exercises to your weekly exercise routine along with the walking. It is the best way to keep those muscles, bones, and connective tissue strong, healthy, and flare-up free! Check out Autoimmune Strong to learn more!

My Journey with Coronavirus & Autoimmune Disease

On March 7th, my husband returned from a work trip to Australia. Before he left for the trip, there was hardly any news about the virus. But by the time he returned? The world was preparing for a shutdown. 

When he came home and the news of the virus became more and more prevalent, we both knew, given my past experience with the flu, that if he had been exposed to the virus, the chances were very good that I would get it. I have multiple autoimmune diseases, and I get sick often. When the flu is around? My husband and kids are fine, but I always get it. When there is a GI bug going around? Each and every time, I get it. I feel like I catch every single virus that comes through this house.

At that time in early March when Matt was traveling to and from Australia, there was so much we didn’t know. He should have been quarantined by himself immediately when he returned home. He should have worn a mask on the airplane. There are so many things we could have done to try and prevent him from spreading it to me, but hindsight is 20/20. We simply did not know.

And then it began. I wasn’t feeling well. I was exhausted. I had a sore throat and a headache. But I didn’t have a fever. It kept getting worse, so on Thursday March 12th I called the doctor. I told him that Matt had been on an international flight exactly 2 weeks ago. I also told him I had had an exposure to someone who had tested positive for the virus, at an event I went to on March 9th. I told him of my symptoms. My lungs were tight and breathing was hard. I had a sore throat and a headache, I had the chills and was exhausted. I was having intense diarrhea. However, I did not have a cough, nor did I have a fever, which at the time, were the only symptoms they were looking for as possible Coronavirus indicators.

I asked to be tested. I was told no, they weren’t available to me, despite my history of a weakened immune system. I didn’t fit any of the criteria. I hadn’t been to China or Italy. I wasn’t over 65. I didn’t have a fever or a cough. I didn’t have cancer or diabetes or a heart condition. And I didn’t require hospitalization. So they refused to test me, and I was told to stay home and rest. There was no treatment available. 

By Monday March 16th, I was having difficulty breathing. So much so, that I woke up that night in a panic because I couldn’t breathe. We called the doctor, and he told me that it was most likely a panic attack. Now, as a frequent panic attack sufferer, I knew that wasn’t true. This was a lack of air getting into my lungs. 

Things proceeded to get worse. The next day, I couldn’t breathe when climbing my stairs. I collapsed to the floor and it took me almost 3 hours for my breath to return as normal. 

I called the doctor and he still wouldn’t test me (not his fault, I still didn’t fit the testing requirements as defined by the government due to a limited supply of tests). But he did give me an Xray, which came back clean. He started me on a round of steroids (prednisone) to reduce the inflammation in my lungs to help me breathe. 

For the 5 days on the steroid, I felt better. I thought I was on the upswing. And once the steroid was over, I tried to go back to living life as normal. I played basketball with my kids (gently, but still) and tried to go back to work. Big mistake, I learned later, because 2 more days later, I couldn’t breathe again. Actually, let me rephrase that. I could breathe, but it felt like no air was getting in my lungs. No matter how many breaths I took, I still felt like I was suffocating. 

The doctor decided that I needed to be seen in person. So, I went to the hospital. They had all the proper PPEs and precautions in place, and I felt like I was walking onto a movie set. But after listening to my lungs, this new doctor determined that I did indeed have Coronavirus and in addition, bronchitis. She told me that my lungs were a wreck.

More medicine. A z pack antibiotic and a steroid inhaler. More rest and recovery. And again, I felt good while on the steroid inhaler, but once that was over, things got worse AGAIN. Talking was hard. In fact, after participating in a zoom call with the Autoimmune Strong member community, the amount of talking had me so exhausted that I couldn’t breathe and it was so scary, I went to the ER. I had intense chills and was sweating so profusely it soaked through my clothes. Couldn’t breathe. Still no fever. 

The ER was quiet, and I was seen immediately. The doctor listened to my story and confirmed that he also believed that I did in fact have a moderate case of Coronavirus. He defined mild as feeling limited symptoms and severe as requiring overnight hospitalization, so I fit somewhere in the moderate middle. But unfortunately, he sent me home with no answers except that I needed to rest and wait it out. They did test me, finally. I was the first person in my local area to use the rapid response corona test. And it came back negative. 

The next day, I received a call from the ER doctor who told me that the false negative rate on that test was very high, and that according to my symptoms, I should assume it was a false negative. Apparently, as I have been told, the false negative rate on the COVID-19 tests is 30%- which is quite high. This means that 30% of the people who take the test are actually positive, but their tests come back as negative. And he felt strongly that I fit into this category. But again, nothing to do but self-quarantine, rest and recover. 

So that brings me to where I am today. It’s been over a week since that hospital visit, and I am breathing better. I am exhausted and sleeping all the time and I can’t do anything that gets my heart rate up because my breath gets tougher… but as long as I lay very low, I am okay. 

I will keep you up to date as I continue to heal. Thank you all for your kind messages of love and support throughout all of this, it has been the light in a very dark tunnel.

With Love,

Andrea

A Tip For Stress Relief While Social Distancing: The Importance of a Daily Schedule

This past weekend, when we realized that we would be home together as a family for a long long while, my kids asked for a schedule so they knew what they would be doing and what to expect. They have a schedule at school, and they like knowing what's coming next. My husband and I realized that we needed to make a schedule too, so we could figure out our work times and our family times.

Over the last few days, that schedule has now become such a stress reliever- not just for the kids but for me too. I know what I am doing hour by hour all day. And each hour, I am doing something different, which breaks up the boredom and keeps my mind focused and busy (and away from the panic inducing media obsession).

So- for those of you who aren’t using a schedule or a routine during this wide open time- I highly recommend it. Even (or especially) if you are home without kids to keep you busy. This social isolation will get long and boring, and routine and predictability can be a big stress reliever. This could go on for awhile and it's best to be prepared.

Here are my recommendations:

• Set a specific wake-up time

• Set a specific time for breakfast, getting dressed and morning chores.

• If you are working, I recommend getting some morning movement happening before the work begins. I also recommend setting specific times for getting up and walking around and a longer break for going outside.

• If you aren’t working, set up tasks, along with specific time frames, and what happens next. Schedule rest and breaks in there too.

• Schedule a media break (especially before bed)

• And set a regularly scheduled bedtime, doing some stretches to calm down before bed.

Additionally, it is essential to build exercise time into the day. Each day, I try to mix it up between doing something outside in nature and doing my Autoimmune Strong exercises inside on my mat. Because while being stuck at home it's really easy to get stuck on the couch, and it's essential that we keep our bodies moving and give our brains a break. Exercise is a great stress reliever. And getting outside right now is the only way out of the house for so many of us practicing social distancing.

And for those of you trying to do this while balancing work and kids? I feel you, it’s tough right now. It won’t look perfect (it certainly isn’t perfect in my house)- but I recommend picking out what you can from this list and trying to do something. And try to get your kids involved in the movement portion of the day, they need to move their bodies now more than ever. Mine give me a hard time each day about going outside- and then they love it.

Give a routine a try and tell me what you think. Good luck, stay safe and be well!

Why Simple Errands Are Not So Simple When You Live With Autoimmune Disease

When my kids were little, I lived in Providence, RI. It’s a very small city, and everything is close and easy to get to. At this time, I was in deep with my autoimmune disease. I had been diagnosed with hashimotos and fibromyalgia, but hadn’t yet been diagnosed with celiac or mixed connective tissue disease yet. My flare-ups were constant, and I was living day to day, just trying to get off the couch and participate in life. I was so exhausted and in pain that I quit my job… and during the days, since I was at home- one of my most important tasks each week was to go grocery shopping.

The grocery store where I lived was around the corner from me, which was great because I didn’t have to drive far. But that is where the convenience part ends. Every time I went to the grocery store, I would have to walk through the giant parking lot, up and down the aisles, reaching and bending for the things I wanted. And then, I would head to the checkout line, pay and leave with all my bags. I would have to wheel the cart to my car, unload the bags into my trunk, walk back through the parking lot to return the cart, and then drive home and carry all of the bags inside, and unload them into the fridge. It doesn’t seem like much- but for me it was more exhausting than running a marathon. And that comes from someone who used to be a long distance runner!

I would DREAD this errand. This was before step counters, but I am sure it was a lot of steps. And it would totally exhaust me. Not just that day, but it would take me days after to recover. By the time I recovered, it was time to go do it again.

I tell this story in detail for an important reason.

If you are struggling with any errand that seems simple, basic or routine, you are not alone.

If housework is exhausting for you, you are not alone.

You are not lazy.

You are dealing with exercise intolerance, which is a common side effect of autoimmune disease, and it’s not limited to exercise in the gym. It can affect you during any kind of physical activity.

Exercise intolerance means that we have a lower tolerance than “normal” to handle the requirements of physical activity, and as a result, if we do more than we can tolerate, we have an exercise induced symptom flare-up. This means that over-doing it physically can be linked to many uncomfortable side effects like exhaustion, fatigue, muscular pain or discomfort, insomnia, anxiety, panic attacks, nausea, GI issues- the list goes on.

So, the next time you feel mad at yourself for struggling to complete a so-called “simple errand” remember this- your body is trying to tell you that you are overdoing it. Rest and recovery is essential. If you don’t take the proper rest and recovery time your body needs? The symptoms will only grow worse. So it’s best to take proper precautions early, so that things don’t get worse later on.

AND… also know this. It doesn’t have to be this way forever. Our levels of exercise intolerance can be increased over time, with practice. You can train your body to be able to handle grocery shopping in the same way an athlete trains for a big game. Want to know more about this? Read this blog about training your body for everyday life.

Overcoming The Stages of Grief To Find Self-Love & Hope

Last week, I wrote about coping with your diagnosis. It can be so difficult to find joy outside of the diagnosis. Many people feel trapped by their bodies, trapped by their diagnosis- this is a universal experience of people living with autoimmune disease. 

And just because I am an autoimmune disease expert does not mean that I am immune to this experience. On the contrary! After my diagnosis, I was a mess. There were many nights that I spent crying on the couch because I was too exhausted to make it out for an event (like date night with my husband or game night with my girlfriends) and I had to cancel last minute. Or crying because I said yes to doing something when I was too exhausted- and then I was even more depleted and exhausted than I was before! 

I have gone through the various stages of grief- denying that I had to change the way I was living in order to take care of my sick body, then pain and guilt- because I had ignored my body’s needs and pushed too hard and was left in a puddle of pain and exhaustion. Then anger- angry at my body, angry at my doctors, angry at myself for not being “better” at pushing through. Next comes the worst part- depression. The feeling of hopelessness and helplessness, that I will never get better, I will always feel like this, and that my life had no more meaning because I was “lazy” and “useless”. Each stage felt darker than the next. 

And then, somehow, it turned around for me. I remember this day clearly. I had just gotten back from the doctors office, and I was feeling so down in the dumps because the doctor had given me little concrete information or support when I had expressed how exhausted and in pain I was. And that day I realized- if things were going to change, I was going to have to figure it out myself. Because I couldn’t live my life on the couch, watching life pass me by. I had to find a way. 

This was the beginning of me finding my way back to the light. My stages of grief turned to stages of renewal. I found reconstruction, followed by acceptance, followed by hope. 

In this blog, I am going to detail out the steps I took to lead me from the darkness of the first stages and into the light of renewal. You don’t have to be limited by your disease- it does not define you. These steps will help you gain control back over your body and kickstart a mindset shift that will lead you into the phase of hope.     

1.Eat Healthy Food. 

You don’t have to overhaul your entire diet in order to help you to feel better (although if you want to, there are great programs out there like Autoimmune Wellness and The Paleo Mom that will help support you through it.)

The key to feeling better in your body is to reduce inflammation. And we can do this by eliminating the toxic chemicals we put in our bodies and replace them with fresh food- like vegetables and fruit. These types of foods have fiber (which keep us full), water (essential for hydration) and powerful vitamins, minerals and antioxidants that our bodies need to work properly. 

So… step 1 is to start swapping this for that. Try switching something that comes in a package with something that comes from the produce aisle. This little swap will start making a big difference in how you feel. 

2.Drink Water. 

This is a simple but powerful habit to create and cultivate. The majority of Americans are chronically dehydrated- which means that we haven’t drank enough water over the course of our lifetime to keep us healthy. Dehydration can have lots of nasty side effects, like muscular pain, migraines, dry skin, rapid heartbeats, brain fog, and mood swings, among others. So, it’s time to start making a change and replenishing our water intake. 

Step 2 is to start increasing the amount of water you drink each week. Start with just a little bit- try adding 1 cup of water a day. After a few days I promise you will feel more alert and awake than ever before. 

3.Move Your Body. 

When we live with autoimmune disease, our bodies hurt so much we often don’t want to move because it’s too painful. But this gets us into a dangerous cycle of no movement at all. Because the less you move, the more pain, soreness and discomfort you will feel. Movement is essential for reducing pain and increasing energy! 

Step 3 is to get your body moving, even if it’s just for a few minutes a day. The key is to do the right kind of exercises in order to train our bodies to handle the demands of everyday life. So, instead of hitting the treadmill for 20 minutes, I prefer to do strengthening exercises that help us get stronger and more capable of performing our daily tasks. Most strengthening programs can be super overwhelming and can kickstart a flare-up- which is why I designed Autoimmune Strong- the first and only online exercise program specifically designed to get you stronger, more mobile and more flexible- without kickstarting a flare-up. You can learn more about it here: 

4.Change Your Mindset. 

It’s very easy to fall down in the dumps when you live with autoimmune disease. This is why it is extra essential to think positive, loving thoughts. And when that seems impossible? Surround yourself with other people who are talking about inspiring, positive, life affirming things. I find inspiration in podcasts- like The Start Today Podcast by Rachel Hollis or Super Soul Conversations by Oprah Winfrey. I also recommend books like Girl Wash Your Face by Rachel Hollis, Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert, and the Gift Of Imperfection by Brene Brown.

These tips are simple- and they key to success is to start with just a little teeny tiny bit at a time. Pick 1 thing, 1 place to start. Drink an extra glass of water each day. Switch out 1 snack with a vegetable. Stand on one leg for 10 seconds each day. These small changes start to rewire your brain and have you believe that things are possible. New options are available for you. And as you begin to feel better about yourself, your body and your health, you will want to do them more often. THIS is how new habits are formed, and mindset shifts are made!

Each product featured here has been selected by Andrea. If you make a purchase using the links included, we may earn commission.

How To Cope with Your Diagnosis When You Feel Like Giving Up

There is a universal experience when living with autoimmune disease and chronic illness. At some point or another, it will all feel overwhelming. Because let’s be honest here, these invisible illnesses, they are a lot to handle. Not only do we feel exhausted and in pain, but there is so much frustration and despair that goes hand in hand with the journey. Our doctors don’t understand what we are going through and we get bounced around from specialist to specialist. It’s tough to get a proper diagnosis, and if and when we do, there is often no cure or solution. Our exhaustion takes its toll and we become isolated from our friends and family. There are times when it can feel incredibly difficult to find the joy in life. 

I know this firsthand, because I experience it too. It can be a terribly frustrating experience to watch people around you do all the things- while it feels like we are watching from the sidelines, limited by our disease. 

Recently, I was asked about this by someone who was struggling. She wrote to me and asked, “How do you get out of the rut of “poor me”? Sometimes it just feels like I don’t have it in me to do it anymore.” 

I wanted to share my answer with you, in the hopes that it might help you too, get out of that rut and into a better, more joyful place. 

Dear Alice*, 

First, let me tell you that you are not alone in feeling this way. There have been many nights that I have spent in tears, wishing and praying that this would all just go away. I have wallowed in the depths of despair, and I can tell you from experience- it is not a happy place to be. However- from the darkness comes the light. During those darkest times, where I truly hated what my body and my life had become, where my soul was laid bare on the floor, I had to make a decision. I had to decide how I was going to live. I had to decide, do I stay here, in my misery? Or do I pick myself up and find a way? 

You see, people who live with autoimmune disease- we are fighters. We are warriors. We have to work twice as hard as everyone else to live our lives. But I wouldn’t have it any way. Because through it all, I have learned the art of self-love. I have learned how to put myself first. I have learned how to make the hard choices, the ones that protect my body first and foremost. 

Because self-love is the key to living in the light. We MUST love our body, through thick and thin, no matter what we look like or how we feel in our skin. I know this sounds silly- but this is what keeps me out of the depths of despair. This is what keeps me moving forward and feeling like there is more life out there to live. 

So, I challenge you to make this your goal- to discover your own love for your own body. I know this may seem overwhelming and difficult. But I promise, it’s amazing what happens when you set the power of “focus” on something. Just by thinking about loving yourself, or even thinking about how to make this happen, you begin to shine the light on the process, and it starts to become clear. It won’t happen overnight, but baby steps are key, and they will take you far. So put one foot in front of the other and ask yourself- What is one thing I can do TODAY that can help me find a way to love myself? The answer may not be clear to you at this moment, but keep looking inward, and you will find it. 

With Love, 
Andrea 

In the next series of blogs posts, I am going to break down the steps I took in order to find my own self-love. It didn’t come quickly or easily, and I often had to take the steps first, crossing my fingers and hoping and praying that these steps would help me find the meaning and joy I was looking for. It is not a simple or an easy path, but through the hard work and commitment to myself and my health, I am finding out who I am, deep down inside. And I love her. That’s what keeps me going, each and every day. The feeling that there is more for me out there, that I have just scratched the surface of what I am capable of. It started with baby steps, and if I can get there, so can you. 

I believe in you. It’s time for you to believe in you too.

*name changed for privacy purposes

The Top 3 Tips For The Holidays

The holiday season is a joyous one, but also one that can be busy, stressful and both emotionally and physically taxing. So… here are the top three tips that I use to get through this complicated season. My goal is to enjoy it to the fullest, and by incorporating these three elements into my life, I have been able to keep my stress and anxiety in check. My goal for you? Is to enjoy the holiday season as much as you can. So give these tips a try and tell me what you think!

1. BREATHE! When things feel busy, emotional or overwhelming? We forget to breathe. Our breathe becomes shallow, and our upper body- our chest, our shoulders, our neck- becomes tight with tension. I know this sounds silly, but it’s true! I recommend starting your day off with three deep breaths. See if you can breathe in so deeply that your whole body feels full with air. Then breathe out fully. Close your eyes, and take your time with it. This will start your day off with the reminder to breathe. Then- check in throughout the day and take a few extra deep breaths. I promise you that this will go a long way in helping you de-stress. 

1. FIND JOY IN YOUR DAY. Be honest with yourself- are you doing things because you love them? Or because you feel a responsibility to someone else? During the holiday season, we often worry so much about pleasing others that we forget to please ourselves. Make sure you do some things that truly bring you joy. Because when you feel joy and happiness, it will radiate to the others around you, and they will benefit from your spirit. 

1. MOVE YOUR BODY: I don’t just mean move around in our day to day life. That is movement, for sure- but it is not necessarily “nourishing” movement. Stretch, foam roll,practice your core work, your balance work… and these things will help you feel better, stronger, and happier throughout the day. 15 minutes of exercise goes a long way… so make sure you get it in every day. And if you don’t know what to do or how to get started with your exercise? Autoimmune Strong can help!  

So do some deep breathing, find your joy, and get your body moving! I hope these tips help you make this holiday season the best one yet. Happy Holidays! 

The Five Essential Tips To Celebrating Thanksgiving Flare-Up Free (Part 2)

In Part 1 of this two part Thanksgiving series, I gave you the highlights of the challenges we face during the Thanksgiving season, living with autoimmune disease. (Missed Part 1? You can read it here)

Now, I know that it can feel like the holidays are what they are… but I am here to offer a few simple healthy habits that can help your body stay on track this Thanksgiving. My goal for you (and for myself too) is to make it through the Thanksgiving push feeling energized, happy and flare-up free.

1. Drink a little more water each day. When we get busy and stressed, we often forget to drink water. Dehydration causes a cascade of other issues such as an increase in pain, anxiety, joint stiffness and exhaustion. Our bodies are 60% water and maintaining proper hydration is truly key. Aim for drinking just one more cup of water a day. Find a way to make it easier or more enjoyable for you to drink water. Get a bottle or cup that you like looking at and enjoy bringing around with you. You can set calendar reminders to check in on your water intake or remind you to drink some (there are also specific apps you can use). Make it a family affair! Involve your partner or children, most people are not drinking enough water so plan to achieve this goal together. (And a note: I am talking about water, not about flavored drinks or soda or even tea. Unfortunately, they don’t count.)

2. Try to eat a little less sugar. I know this sounds impossible with all of the holiday treats. But sugar causes inflammation in the body and one of the biggest sources of a symptom flare is increased inflammation. In addition to the fun temptation of sweet treats our body may also be craving sugar due to exhaustion and stress. Sugar provides the quick energy boost but will always lead to a crash later. Think of what else you can do to combat exhaustion that will better serve your body. I will be honest, cutting sugar can be very tough at first because you may actually feel worse before you feel better--but stick with and I promise you will be happy you did!

3. Carve out a quiet moment for yourself everyday. Maybe this is a time to exercise or meditate. Or maybe it’s just a time to quietly read a book or take a few deep breaths. Whatever it is, make sure to get some alone time to help you stay calm and reset during the craziness of the weekend.

4. Do something that feels indulgent (that’s not eating pie or drinking wine). Maybe it’s doing a face mask or taking a bath. Maybe it’s getting the massage you have been putting off. When we are stressed, THIS is the time to do more self-care, not less.

5. Exercise every day. I believe that above all, exercise is the thing that will keep you healthy, flare-free and pain free during the holiday season. It doesn’t have to be a lot, it doesn’t have to be hard, and it doesn’t have to be sweaty. Just make a point to move with purpose for just a few minutes a day. I recommend aiming for about 15 minutes but you will benefit from even two or three minutes if that’s all you have time for. A little bit is better than nothing. If you’re struggling to fit it into your day try starting your day with a few stretches or foam rolling or multitasking while you accomplish other tasks (I love practicing balance standing on one foot while I do dishes). If you find you’ve gotten to the end of your day and haven’t fit any exercise in take just 30 seconds or a minute to do a forward fold before bed. But perhaps this is overwhelming to do on your own and you don’t know where to start? The Autoimmune Strong exercise program is perfect to help you get moving a little bit every day, in a way that is healthy and nourishing to your body. This will help you remain feeling good and flare-up free.

These are the 5 tips I am going to be following this holiday season. I know I am feeling better prepared this holiday season and now I hope you are too! Happy Thanksgiving!!!!

The Challenges of Celebrating Thanksgiving while Living With an Autoimmune Disease (Part 1)

The holidays can truly be “the most wonderful time” but if we’re being honest, they can be hard on our bodies. As people living with autoimmune disease and chronic illness, stress has an enormous impact on us and our disease symptoms. And while Thanksgiving is a lovely time to get together with family and friends, it can be also be incredibly stressful on the body.

My goal this Thanksgiving is to make it through, not only flare-up free, but with the energy and joy to truly enjoy the holiday and make the most out of the time spent with my family. So I wanted to share with you what I’m thinking about this year as we prepare for the holiday season.

There is so much information to share that this blog is a two part series. First, in Part 1, I’m going to share the holiday hurdles that we face, that can cause challenges for us and our health. Then- in Part 2- I am going to share the essential tips and tricks I use to overcome these challenges and stay healthy and happy.

1. The calendar is working against us. Thanksgiving comes as the seasons begin to transition to from fall to winter. When the seasons change and the temperature changes, our bodies struggle to handle the change due to shifts in barometric pressure, putting us at a higher risk of a symptom flare-up. 1 2 3 Depending on where you live, temperatures may be dropping making it harder to wake up, harder to move, and cause aching joints. We drink less water and want to eat more food, and generally go into hibernation mode.

2. We are more likely to struggle with Seasonal Affective Disorder. As the days get shorter and the dark hours get longer, we begin to miss the sunlight. This can lead to Seasonal Affective Disorder, which contributes to health issues like anxiety, depression, problems sleeping, lack of energy, brain fog, and many others. Not only does this hinder our healing, but it can trigger an activation of autoimmune activity.1

3. We are more likely to take on the emotional and physical stress of caregiving, which limits our ability to put our own needs first. The holidays can make it even more challenging to put our needs first. We often sacrifice our own self care in order to make others happy and that is heightened in the holiday season. We put additional stress on ourselves to do the gifting, cooking, hosting and decorating. We run ourselves into the ground making sure the holidays are “perfect”- but we don’t manage our own energy output very well. And when we use up too much of our energy reserves, our body goes into flare-up mode, otherwise known as the battery crash (not familiar with this term? I wrote about it here).

4. We are more likely to worry about financial stress. Gifting is a huge part of the holidays and it starts on Thanksgiving weekend, with the crush of Black Friday and Cyber Monday. Just as we often put the happiness of others before our self care, we oftentimes manage our finances in the same way. We can’t afford everything, and during the holiday season especially, we have to make choices. We are most likely to sacrifice things that seem like “excess”- and often those are related to self care. So it’s a double whammy, we often cut back on the time we spend on ourselves because we are busy caring for others, and we cut back on the money we spend on ourselves, because we are busy gifting it to others.

5. All of this stress takes a toll on our bodies and our most common physical response is to indulge ourselves with sugar. It happens to me year after year. The stress of the holidays build up, and I get more and more tired, and my body feels depleted. And I find myself struggling with heightened sugar cravings. And then I tell myself, “Look, I’m exhausted, it’s not a problem if I indulge this Thanksgiving. I’ll just get back on track when the holiday is over”. And because there are so many sweets and pies and wine around, it’s easy to indulge. The result is that I feel more sluggish, more tired, and more swollen, inflamed and uncomfortable than I did before.

So… tell me, do any of these hurdles resonate with you? Are you reading this blog and nodding along and saying, “Yep, that’s me!”

The first and most important step is to recognize that you are up against these hurdles. Because we cannot change things if we are not aware that they are problems in the first place. And I know what you are thinking… well, there is nothing I can do about this. The weather change is what it is. There’s nothing I can do about the days getting dark. I have to cook and clean for the big Thanksgiving dinner. And what am I going to do- not buy gifts for my family??

In Part 2 I am going to share the very simple and easy ways you can overcome these hurdles. They don’t require big changes, just a few teeny tiny tweaks to your day, and you will find your energy to be increased and your body to be feeling better, which means you are more likely to enjoy the holiday season and remain flare-up free!

The Key to Living Healthy With Autoimmune Disease

What I am about to share with you is important for all people- but it’s a critical tool for folks who live with autoimmune disease.  

The most important lesson when living with autoimmune disease is this: you have to learn how to listen to your body’s cues. Because if you don’t and you push your body too far? That’s when a symptom flare-up happens.

Ok- let’s think about it this way. Your cell phone has a battery, right? And when the battery is full, the phone works quickly. You can surf the web, you can text with your friends, you can make long calls. Over time, that battery gets used up. And as the battery gets low, the phone starts to be less functional- it moves slowly and has glitches. Then you get the little notice saying “low battery”... so you rush around to try to plug it in so it can recharge. Sometimes you find the recharging station in time, and sometimes you are too late, and the phone shuts off. And even once you plug it in, it takes a bit to come back to life. And if you take it away too soon from the charging station, it will shut down again. 

Well, our bodies go through the same stages! You see, when we live with autoimmune disease, our bodies are extremely sensitive to stress. All kinds of stress, caused by all kinds of things. Things like weather changes, or too much walking, or dealing with an emotional situation, or sitting in traffic… any of these things can heighten our stress load and cause internal inflammation, which raises the change of activated autoimmune activity. 1, 2, 3

When the autoimmune activity is activated, our system goes into panic mode to try to calm it down. And if we can’t calm it down? Then our systems go into a flare-up, where our autoimmune symptoms are aggravated and “flare” like a distress signal. These symptoms can take such forms as exhaustion, fatigue, discomfort, pain, muscle aches, flu-like symptoms, gastrointestinal distress, rashes, migraines, insomnia, and much more. 

This is where it becomes essential to listen to our bodies. You see- we are just like that phone. In the beginning, we have the first warnings. When our battery starts to get a little low, we might feel the teeniest hint of symptoms. We feel tired at the end of the day, we have trouble sleeping, we have a minor headache. So what do we do?? Well, many of us just keep going. Maybe we pop some over the counter anti-inflammatory medicine to help dampen these symptoms so we can keep going on as normal with our lives. 

And as we continue to use up our battery without recharging it, our bodies start having more and more symptoms, and the symptoms increase in intensity. Our tired becomes exhausted. Our discomfort becomes pain. And soon, we have nothing left to do but sit down on the couch and stay there, sometimes for days or weeks, until these symptoms subside.

Our bodies have been trying to tell us all along that this was happening. When we push through, we are choosing to ignore our bodies messages, which cause us to shut down and rest until we can be restored enough to begin again. But what often happens, even at that point, is that we are so depleted that when we get moving again, we are only starting with a half battery life. So it;s more and more likely that this flare-up pattern will happen again and again. 

This is why the key to our health lies within listening to our bodies. If we can learn to listen to our bodies in those first whispers, those first indications, then we have a better chance of avoiding the flare-ups all together. 

Through exercise, Autoimmune Strong teaches you how to read the cues of your body. By practicing teeny tiny exercises, you begin to tune into what your body can and can’t do. You start to develop that brain and body connection that has been lost for so long. And your body begins to tell you what it needs. We need to stop thinking that we can “push through” the pain, exhaustion and stress, and learn to use those signals as a guide to helping us rest, recover, work and grow. To learn more about Autoimmune Strong and the exercises it provides (and to try the first 7 days for free) click here.

Myth: Autoimmune Disease Can Be Cured…

I was chatting with a new friend of mine and she asked me how long it took for me to cure my autoimmune disease. 

I said, “Oh! I’m not cured. And I never will be.” 

She was surprised and said, “But you seem like you are cured! You are so healthy.”

I have to tell you, I was flattered that she thought so! It’s most certainly validating to hear these words, since I work so hard to make healthy choices in my life to help me life happily. 

But it’s simply not true. I am not cured, and I never will be. 

So I responded with honesty. “That’s because I spend a ton of time, effort and money in managing my health. I give my body the best chance possible to be as healthy as possible. I do the work to keep my inflammation down, so that my autoimmune disease can remain under control. Basically, I spent a huge amount of energy simply managing my life so that my autoimmune diseases don’t wreck me. ”

I have said this before and I will say this again. 

Autoimmune diseases cannot be cured through lifestyle. 

However, things like proper exercise,  healthy food, plenty of water, sleep, sunshine and  stress management can most certainly keep our autoimmune diseases under control, so we may appear like we are cured. 

But I will never be cured. I will always have an autoimmune disease. And the minute I forget that, I promise that my body will remind me. 

Let me tell you a story about that. 

The year leading up to last year, I had made so many lifestyle changes for so long that I started to feel good consistently, everyday, for 9 months. Can you believe that? 9 months of feeling good- no flares! Sure, I had moments here and there of exhaustion and some other symptoms, but they were really quite manageable. 

So I started to lighten up on my vigilance. I let some of the things I used to say no to creep in. I started getting tempted by the things that people do- like eating pizza with cheese, skipping my exercises, staying up late, or having 3 drinks, or cookies! (All GF, of course. I am celiac and I don’t mess around with that). 

But I got a little taste of what a more relaxed, more “fun” lifestyle felt like, and I wanted more and more. I had said no for so long that once I said yes, the floodgates opened. 

And when my body started fighting back- I ignored it. I didn’t want to believe it. I wanted to go on pretending that this more relaxed lifestyle was working for me. Until the symptoms started piling up. That “fun” me wasn’t really fun at all. My flares came back, my anxiety increased, my panic attacks returned, my skin exploded like a teenager, and I was exhausted and had no energy. That doesn’t sound like fun, does it? 

I realized that this isn’t me. It can never be me. To feel good and whole and vibrant in my skin, I must stay vigilant. So I am back at it. Doing the things that make me feel good. 

And I have to tell you, I feel great. I hope you do too.

The Four Factors You Need To Consider When Exercising With Autoimmune Disease

Finding the right type of exercise for your body is a nuanced and evolving process as we heal our autoimmune disease. As previously discussed exercise is a stressor on our bodies that we must manage alongside other physical and emotional stressors, including our chronic illness. 

People living with autoimmune disease need to approach exercise differently than “the standard american way”. We can not approach exercise with a “no pain no gain” mindset. Our mindset has to be flipped on its head: if there is pain, there is no gain. 

If we push our body past its limits we can experience an exercise induced symptom flare and the exercise progress and strength we built may be set back as we heal. These types of flares may not manifest directly after exercise so we must pay special attention and track activities, stressors and symptoms to determine the cause of a flare.

So how do we find the right exercise when facing exercise intolerance leading to symptom flare ups? As with many things in our healing journeys this is not one size fits all. There are four main factors to consider when approaching exercise:

1. Intensity

2. Duration

3. Frequency

4. Type

1. FREQUENCY
This refers to how often you exercise. Exercise doesn’t work when you do it sporadically, or if you do a lot of it in a one week period and then stop. 

In order to reap the optimal benefits of exercise, you must exercise consistently over time. Ideally, this should look like daily exercise with rest days incorporated- but if this is too much, in the beginning, you can work up to it. The most important thing is to be consistent, so if that means that you exercise one day and then take two days of rest, then you need to make sure you get back to exercise and repeat.

2. DURATION
This refers to how long each exercise session should be. If you are consistent with your exercise, it doesn’t need to be that long. Frequency is more important than duration when it comes to managing autoimmune symptoms, and exercising without flare-up. A lengthy workout session has more of a chance of overstimulating cortisol, so keeping it short is best. However, how you define short depends on your level of fitness. If you are someone who is newly diagnosed, or new to a fitness regiment, short should mean 10 to 15 minutes per session at the most. And many people need to start with even less, at 1 to 5 minutes. Remember- everyone needs to start somewhere. You need to start with what works for your body. 

3. INTENSITY
This refers to how hard your workout is for you. This means how much you push your body, how heavy your weights are, how far you run, how sweaty you get, how fast your heart beats, and how quickly you get out of breathe. 

Typically, when we think of exercise, we think we want it to be intense. But this does not hold true for people with autoimmune disease. Generally, the rule of thumb is that people living with autoimmune disease should keep the intensity low to moderate, especially when starting out. Exercise should not exhaust or deplete you- you should have enough gas left in the tank to be able to still get through your day. 

The right kind of exercise is one that is progressive, and builds in intensity just a little bit, slowly, over a long period of time. This slow building process of intensity helps our body adapt to the challenge without freaking out and shutting down with a flare-up. 

4. TYPE
This refers to the style of exercise. Generally, any style of exercise can be adapted to follow the rules listed above. However, a note of caution: exercises that really ramp up cortisol, such as HIIT training, spin class, and Crossfit WODs, as well as any kind of cardio such as running or elliptical should be done with extreme caution. These types of activities are significantly more likely to stimulate an exercise-induced flare-up.

We know autoimmune disease symptoms improve with exercise so with these factors in mind the approach to exercise, while different for every person, starts slowly. My recommended approach to use gentle strength training combined with flexibility and mobility training. Start with low-intensity and low duration and after a few successful weeks of consistency without flare-up, you can build intensity and duration over time. Cardio, such as walking, can use this same approach for building to a level you are comfortable with while staying healthy.

The Autoimmune Strong exercise program is built around these four factors- and is designed to help you exercise in a safe and effective way, without flare-up. So, if you are ready to start exercising in a way that works best for your body, but don’t know where to start, check out the Autoimmune Strong website

Top Five Tips To Help You Increase Your Energy Through Exercise

When living with autoimmune disease, exercise should not be considered in a vacuum- we need to think of our overall stress health and then figure out where exercise fits into that big picture. We must start thinking about our overall balance of stress and connect it to how our bodies ebb and flow with our autoimmune disease symptoms, it can help us to understand the full scope of our bodies’ needs, which leads to creating a better balance in our entire picture of health.

When we hear the word “stress” it instantly has a negative connotation in our minds. However, some stress can have a positive effect and, of course, some negative stress is unavoidable. As people living with autoimmune disease we have to understand individual stressors and their cumulative effect on our healing. So- what could possibly be a positive stressor? Exercise! Exercise puts stress on the body to create change--change we are seeking from exercise like increased mobility and strength!

Exercise has also shown to elevate mood, reduce anxiety and depression, improve blood flow, and boost heart and lung health. Benefits of exercise continue by improving posture and balance which is very important as we age. The symptoms of autoimmune disease have been proven to improve with exercise when done properly.  

This is the key- exercise must be done properly in order for us to reap the benefits. Here it  comes back to exercise as a stressor. If we push too hard and subscribe to the “no pain no gain” exercise philosophy we often hear our symptoms will actually get worse. If we continue to push we may even end up in an exercise induced symptom flare. We must consider all forms of stress in our lives--physical and emotional--then approach how much exercise we can handle. I encourage you to start slow, slower than you think you need to and slower than you probably want to. This is where we will truly feel the benefits of exercise; slowly build strength and mobility and soon you’ll feel energized, not exhausted, by exercise. It is not one size fits all, and it is not a linear path forward; we must keep a close eye on our stress, fatigue and disease symptoms and constantly adjust both exercise and other stressors as possible.

But where to start? How to put this into action? 

Here are the Autoimmune Strong Top Tips for Exercising Safely When Living With Autoimmune Disease: 

Step 1: Brain Dump For Stress Awareness
Start by writing down all of the things that you know cause your body stress. Some typical ones are: lack of sleep, emotional relationships, a messy house, long demanding workdays, sitting in traffic, money issues, etc… Just making a list of everything that causes you stress can bring awareness to the reality of the situation. And while this may seem overwhelming and daunting, if you continue to take the steps forward that I am recommending, you will begin to see a reduction of stress over time, which will increase your health AND your ability to exercise! 

Step 2:  Make A Commitment To Exercise
Now that you have visibility of your stressors, the next step is to make a commitment to yourself to begin a consistent exercise routine- even if it’s just for a few minutes (or a few seconds) a day. This means that no matter what stressors life brings you- no matter what is on your brain dump list- that you are making a commitment to yourself to do something every day. This is habit building, and it will stay with you for life. 

Step 3: Keep A Daily Journal
At the top, write out your commitment. For example- I will practice my abdominal bracing technique (a foundation of the Autoimmune Strong program) for 1 minute today. Then, journal about the successes or challenges you faced to accomplish this goal. Did you do it? Then celebrate it! Or did something stop you from doing it? Try to figure out what that thing is that’s getting in the way, and see what you can do to change it. 

Step 4: Modify Your Exercise Routines Based on Stress Levels
Your body can only handle so much stress. Stress is the thing that aggravates autoimmune disease symptoms, so we must keep our stress in check! Exercise is a form of stress on the body, so you need to figure out where exercise fits in the big picture of your entire stress load. Having high stress in your life? Reduce your exercise. Keep doing it, but do less. One minute of standing on one leg (even if you are holding onto a wall) is still way more effective than doing nothing! And if it’s a lower stress time period for you, that’s great! You can incorporate a little more exercise into your life. It will fluctuate over time, and that’s okay.   

Step 5: Make Sure to Include Rest and Recovery Days!   
In order to keep your stress levels low, you need to incorporate rest days into your training. This will help your body recover faster and build the energy for those daily tasks. However, rest days can be a slippery slope. Some people take a rest day, and it becomes two rest days, then three, and then all of a sudden a week has gone by. So be intentional with your rest days. Make a plan for the next day, so you know you will return to your exercise. The rest days are an important part of your schedule- so consider them as part of your exercise routine and you will be less likely to let your exercise slide away…  

Autoimmune Strong is built with this approach in mind. We work slowly through movements and progress through several levels of programming, built for bodies just like yours. But here I will reiterate again-this is not a linear path-exercise is a stressor on our bodies. Take time each day to consider the stress you’re experiencing and the level of stress a particular exercise will add. With these two factors in mind you can decide what you can handle for that day. Don’t get discouraged if the answer is the exercise you had planned is too much. Just scale back! Do part of a video or stick to some gentle movements you are familiar with. Even doing a few minutes (or seconds!) will serve your healing by continuing to build strength without experiencing an exercise induced flare. 

Want to know even more? You can check out my previous posts on exercise intolerance here and exercise induced flare ups here. Also- check out the Autoimmune Strong website to get started with an exercise program designed for you and your body.

My Favorite Exercise to Relieve Neck Pain

Many of us live with neck and back pain. This is often due to the fact that our lifestyles are not conducive to correct posture. We sit all day, we type of the computer, we text often, we drive while holding onto the steering wheel, and these things cause postural distortions that that look like this: 

• Our necks jut forward

• Our shoulders curl forward

• Our upper back rounds

All of these posture issues combined propels our body to bend forward, so our spine doesn’t line up in one straight line. And this is what causes pain- when our spine is misaligned, our muscles are out of balance. Due to activities like computer work, driving and texting, our chest muscles (called pectorals) are overused and our upper back muscles are underused, too weak to counterbalance the overworked pectoral muscles… and our body doesn’t like it, so it sends pain signals to our brain. 

If you are experiencing this kind of pain (or even if you aren’t), try this exercise and let me know how it feels. It’s very simple, anyone can do it, and it feels oh so good. 

Training Your Body To Handle The Demands of Everyday Life

There is this really deep misunderstanding that people living with autoimmune disease have about exercise. They truly believe that exercise is not good for them, and that their life will be better without exercise. They believe that a sedentary life is the best option for them, in order to control their pain. They believe that not moving is the ONLY option.

Examples of things I have heard?

“I learned not to push myself physically ‘cause I end up in bed for 3 days paying for it”

“I feel better when I don’t exercise”

“I no longer work or do anything because any and all activity causes me fatigue and pain”.

Is this you??? If so, I totally get it, I understand 100% what it feels like to be in pain, exhausted all the time, where any little bit of movement causes disastrous effects. And I can totally understand how it seems easier to stay home on the couch, because the risk of movement causing pain is so high. I get it, because I have been there. 8 years ago, this was me. Stuck on the couch, exhausted, in pain, watching life pass me by.

But what if I told you that there was a way to transition off that couch? And that it involves exercise? And that it involves an exercise training schedule- just like an athlete has? I know you will think I’m crazy… but keep reading.

Athletes use their time in the gym to train for their sport, right? An NFL player trains and practices before a game. An ice skater spends time on the ice, practicing her routines, building up her skill set so she can accomplish a beautiful feat.

Well- I urge you to think of yourself as an athlete. But instead of training for a game, a match, or a race… you are training for life! You are training to go to the market, to climb the stairs, to go to a bbq. You are training to have the energy, strength, and mobility to do the things you want to do, everyday.

An athlete doesn’t just wake up and do something spectacular on the field. And the same goes for you- you can’t just wake up and expect your body to do more than it’s capable of. You have to train it! And that requires a change in perspective.

1. Set your goals

What is it that you are training for? To play with your kids in the park? To be able to walk through Walmart? To be able to go out to dinner with your friends after a long day at work? To be able to travel with your spouse? To hike? To dance? Well, whatever you want to do, think of it as your “game day”.

2. Identify your limits.

This is the hard part. Be honest with yourself- how far of a reach is that goal? If it’s a really big goal, like if you want to go on a 10 mile hike but it’s hard for you to walk down your driveway right now- then you need to set smaller goals that build up to the big goal. The key is to pick goals that are achievable, so you get some wins along the way. A goal that’s too big will feel frustrating if you don’t have smaller goals along the way. The more honest you can be with yourself, the better you can train. Remember, these are your current limitations. If you train yourself like an athlete, these won’t be your limitations for much longer. The bar will be raised.

3. Define the type of training will achieve this goal

Now, you need to decide the how. How are you going to train for this?? Some people like to walk, others like to swim, others like yoga or zumba. Personally, I recommend going through the Autoimmune Strong program, because it is designed specifically to get your body in shape and adapted to exercise without causing a flare-up. Often, even these “gentle” types of exercise like walking, swimming, water aerobics, zumba and yoga can cause pain and flare-up, because your muscles aren’t prepared properly. That’s what Autoimmune Strong does- it meets you where you are and builds strength slowly through simple, at home exercises, to get you ready for “game day”. Building strength, mobility and flexibility in teeny tiny steps that are accomplishable in 5 minutes or less? That’s Autoimmune Strong’s specialty.

4. Commit to your goal--and how you will get there.

Finally, whatever exercise you select, you need to make a commitment to the process. Your mindset is important! Showing up and doing this work is hard, especially when you are in the midst of a flare-up cycle. You don’t need to do lots of exercise for exercise to be effective. Consistency is the key. The length of time spent every day is less important- in fact, 5 minutes might even be too long for you, depending on your level of exercise intolerance. So even if you can only handle 5 seconds of movement- start there, and do it consistently. Every day, or every other day, or even every three days- it doesn’t matter- as long as you don’t give it up. These things take time, change doesn’t happen quickly.

Follow these steps, and I promise that you will be ready for your game day. You will be prepared to show up and conquer that goal of dancing at your daughter’s wedding, or walking down the street to get a coffee, or simply walking up and down your stairs. You don’t need to live life on the couch. Life doesn’t have to pass you by. Train for it- and you will be surprised at what happens next.

Autoimmune Strong is an online exercise program designed specifically FOR people living with chronic illness, BY a personal trainer who lives with multiple autoimmune diseases herself. If you are ready to train like an athlete but don’t know where to start, click here to check out Autoimmune Strong.