Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
About this page
Putting a healthy spin on life
Some times admitting our limitations can help us climb to recovery. Ann Bolch had to learn that the hard way; through her battle with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
This article first appeared in Ride On August-September 2006 issue
I’ve just clocked up 4500 kilometres on my bike – not bad, I’ve only had it two years – though I haven’t gone anywhere (and it was on 3000 when I bought it).
You see it’s an exercise bike. I jump on whenever I like and pedal away for as long as I want to. It was not always thus.
For many years I resisted buying an exercise bike even though I couldn’t ride my regular bike. My snobbery extended to an aversion to putting my regular bike in the boot to drive somewhere for a flat, easy ride.
I had been a fit and healthy commuting cyclist. Exercise bikes and bikes-in-boots were for Nancys. It didn’t matter that a disabling chronic illness severely restricted my abilities. I stuck to the perfectionist attitude: if I couldn’t do it my way, I wouldn’t do it at all.
I eventually got wise; realised I wouldn’t get back on my bike if I didn’t start small; that the steep Dandenong Ranges I call home were not the ideal setting for rehabilitation riding.
I checked the Trading Post; saw a bike for fifty bucks in a nearby town; drove over; paid for it; brought it home. (At this stage of my illness, driving 20 minutes there, and 20 minutes back, and lifting the bike into and out of the car, set my health back about three days. I had only just advanced past being bed-ridden.)
Since then my health has improved immeasurably, partly because of the exercise bike.
The advantage is that I can ride a very short distance if I’m not feeling well, or cut laps around the balcony if I feel good. This is important because overdoing either physical or mental activity exacerbates Myalgic Encephalopathy/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS) symptoms. Correct management is paramount as there is no proven treatment and no known cure.
Determining safe levels of exercise for people suffering ME/CFS is the subject of much study. For people at the severe end, exercise means moving from bed to toilet and back again. Personal hygiene is hard work, let alone feeding yourself, cooking for yourself or maintaining any structured exercise routine.
As people recover, Dr Michael Oldmeadow, ME/CFS & Diabetes Specialist, suggests using only about 75% of the energy available to you. I’ve made many mistakes trying to work out how much energy I have before working out how much I should use! Exercise tolerance varies daily, and also between individuals, so you need to start slowly and stop before the body gets tired. You must always listen to your body, even if the answer you get disappoints you time after depressing time.
Dario Fredrick, Exercise Physiologist with www.cyclingnews.com believes it’s important to minimise intense cycle training during ME/CFS recovery. The goal is to keep a good track of recovery and minimise stress overall to allow your body it’s best chance of restoration during rest. Reducing the prevalence of symptoms and avoiding relapse should always be the priority. He recommends plenty of sleep, proper hydration and nutrition.
Sounds easy, but even with six years experience I still have to carefully pace the amount of energy I use.
I have become used to setting small goals and being genuinely proud of achieving them. When I first bought my exercise bike I rode one kilometre when I felt well enough. Now I can ride 4–5 kilometers even on a bad day. I recently dismantled my real bike, put it in the boot and enjoyed a sunny hour’s cycling along the Warburton Trail at Woori Yallock: my first real bike-ride for four years.