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TMS and Exercise

S

soxfan3530

New Member
So i have had a multitude of problems the past 2 years from TMJ, to burning skin, to IBS, to carpal tunnel, to random nerve pains, headaches etc. etc. I am in the process of eliminating these by recognizing them as TMS.

But for a long time I have had a problem with exercise and pain. I cant run very far without getting pain in my calves. If its not my calves, its my back or feet or knees, etc. I also gets pains when lifting and cant lift as much as others. Anyway, I have always felt inferior in athletics and in the gym compared to my friends. They seem to be able to get off the couch, train for a month and run a marathon. Ive tried to train or 5ks and have struggled. At the gym i get embarassed/mad/frustrated when i see people older or out of shape being able to to do things I cant. I always wondered, why can't i do that? Or, im so lazy or cant handle the pain like those people. Then came the thought, well maybe something is wrong with me if I cant do these things.

When I lived with a buddy of mine, he wanted to get in shape with P90x. I thought to myself, thats way too hard and I cant do that, and guess what? I couldnt. My heart was racing through my chest, everything was in severe pain, I couldnt catch my breath. And i quit.

Basically, Im looking for affirmation that these problems are due to TMS. I think that I may have programmed my brain to anticipate pain when running, working out, etc. and as a result, the pain comes.

Does anyone else have this problem? Sorry for the long post, but just looking for suggestions/support.
Thanks!
 
Hello. I am sure a lot of this is due to TMS. I suggest starting with paying close attention to how you use exercise as a mirror to beat yourself up. When you notice yourself saying that you are lazy, can't handle the pain like other people, or can't do as much as older and more out of shape people can...stop. We can always find someone out there to compare ourselves to and help us to feel bad about ourselves. Likewise, I am sure you can find someone who can do less than you. Exercise is wonderful for our health and emotional well being, but it needs to be enjoyable and stress free. Practice being very, very kind to yourself. It is important for everyone to try and be kind to themselves but for those of us with TMS, it is essential. And learning to be kind to yourself can be much harder than lifting weights! I have been walking my dogs and riding my bike recently rather than going to the gym. It has the added benefit of getting me out into the fresh air with birds, clouds and nature to observe. So I can also use this exercise time as a time to relax and practice mindfulness, being present, non judgmental. All great places for a TMS mind to go to. And also try not to beat yourself up for beating yourself up. Alan Gordon has some great thoughts on this in his recovery program on internal bullying.
 
It is important to understand what purpose our symptoms are trying to serve. You mentioned that you feel inferior and embarrassed at the gym. What is causing these feelings? Our symptoms exist to prevent us from recognizing some unconscious truth. By exploring your emotions and why they developed you will be able to reduce the conditioned response.
 
Anne, I think you're doing great by getting your exercise outdoors by walking your dog and riding your bike rather than going to the gym.
You do get the added benefit of the outdoors and hopefully some sunshine. And it's free.

And there are other benefits... you don't have to be concerned if you think someone sees you and thinks you don't look like Ava Gardner.
And you can choose your own music on your headphones, or none at all.

I never go to a gym because I can't stand the loud music, most often rock and roll which I hate.

I also like dancing in my living room with some polkas and waltzes on my stereo.
 
Biking or dancing at home sound like great ideas. It might be important for you to find something FUN that also happens to get you some exercise. If you are the kind of TMS person I am, it is easy to get very driven and perfectionistic about the whole exercise thing. Any body in its right mind would rebel!
 
Finding fun is a key to healing. I'm convinced of that.

Fun can be funny or just a good movie or book. Anything that takes the mind off pain and even wondering when you'll heal.
 
I agree with the idea that it should be something fun and that weightlifting is not going to be that for you. Biking, walking, dancing as mentioned are great idea. Also playing a sport could be good.
 
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