Lipedema and Kneeling Pain

After last week’s burpees post I have received numerous questions asking me how I can kneel (because Lipedema can make kneeling incredibly painful).

Over the years I’ve gotten better at being able to kneel, but when I started it was excruciating for me, too, and to help I would pull the cushions off the couch and kneel on those. I also used the sturdy furniture in the living room to help pull myself up.

Gradually it got more bearable, and I got stronger in my core and upper body,too, which helps a lot. Then I transitioned to the dojo and would use a crash pad or stacks of mats, until another dojo had to borrow them, and I moved to the floor (which is also covered in mats).

When we are outside I rely on a yoga mat. The thicker the better, and this one from @gaiam (called the essential) is the thickest one I can find. And you can fold it on itself for even more layers.

Other options I’ve seen, but haven’t tried are these silicone yoga jelly knee pads, and this exercise balance pad by @prosourcefit which can be used to make yoga poses more challenging, but also as a cushion for sitting, kneeling, etc.

Kneeling mats are everywhere, you can find them geared towards gardening, or even the auto garage! 

Some of these may still be too hard, so you might have to get creative. 

What these pads/mats/cushions all have in common is they help to dissipate the pain. Just like trying to use more of my shin when the pain gets to intense on the knee.

Do you use anything for cushioning when kneeling?

Burpee Breakdown: Lipedema Fitness

Coach wrote the Saturday workout post. It was one word. BURPEES.

Imagine getting almost no sleep, and waking up to the alarm to read the workout is burpees 😳 my body was so tired. 

The “we should stay home” thoughts were growing louder. 

I always break down the task when that voice starts chiming in… brush my teeth, couple of yoga poses, do the first ten minutes of vibration plate, do the second ten minutes of vibration plate, get your compression on. Do the warm up. Do the workout. 

And what a workout, we did Tabata burpees (3) 6 minute rounds, first slow, then faster, then even faster.

I did the first six minutes as prescribed, the slower pace let me be able to get down and up off the floor in time. The second and third rounds were on the plyo box. The plyo box has multiple sides, each a different height, so you can play around with intensity by adjusting the height.

I was glad I made it to the workout. I might still take a nap later, but very glad I made the effort, and breaking down the steps got me there.

Even if I couldn’t do the workout, getting through the warmup would have been good, or getting the self care in would have been good, etc. - only we know what we are capable of. 

Some days staying in bed and getting the much needed rest is the best thing we can do for ourselves. Other days we might need to break down the steps, and get through what we can, and other days we wake up ready to go.

Happy weekend!

#lipedemafitness 

Lipedema Fitness 2022 FDRS Presentation Replay

Thank you to FDRS for another amazing Lipedema conference (this time in Cleveland, OH), and for always sharing the presentations once edited, so everyone who could not attend can be part of the education and connection with our Lipedema Community…

If you have been patiently waiting, the replays are up on YouTube!

You can find every presentation, from every conference - from patient presentations, to the top medical professionals.

It was such an honor to be part of the 2022 event, and presenting on ways to find physical and emotional balance when navigating a chronic condition.  We are already looking forward to next year’s event. 

If you have a chance to participate in a future event, I highly recommend it! It is one of the best experiences and the friends you make are for a lifetime.

#lipedema #lipoedema #lipolymphedema #lipedemafitness #lipedematightrope #fdrs2022 #fdrs 

Feeling Strong with Lipedema

These are a few of my favorite things ♥️

What is your favorite way to feel strong when #lipedema tries its level best to make you feel it controls your life?

One of the ways I fight the fear of living with a chronic illness and the what ifs that can creep in, is with strength training. 

I learned early on that the training helped my body feel stronger, and helped me be able to move it, but I also learned that by taking action I felt better emotionally, too. 

Like I was taking back my life one tire flip, battle rope hit, sledge hammer swing, olympic lift at a time.

Living with Lipedema is all pretty overwhelming at times, but I can always can go back to moving (in any way I’m able) to regain some strength physically & emotionally. 

From tire flips to kitchen sink push-ups - it all counts! #allorsomething 

Fear is a Heavy Load

Lipedema is a very physical, and emotional journey. 

Fear can seep in, and when it does, I find I have to do my best to fight to not stay in that vulnerable place of fear, or it only grows and holds me captive.

It is not easy to validate what is causing the fear, and not letting it hold me. But it is a must.

I use all my tools - deep breathing, making art, meditation, singing, dancing, moving my body in a loving way, and above all being kind to myself.

Losing my mobility due to lipedema is an example of one of my fears. When I acknowledged it is a founded concern, and then went deeper about what I could do to offset that, I came to making my body stronger. 

That began my post diagnosis fitness training, and it continues ten plus years later. Even doing ten standing push-ups goes a long way to making my body feel strong. 

The physical aids the emotional, and vise verse.

Some days I am stronger physically, some days I am stronger emotionally, it is like a great relationship, it ebbs and flows as I need it to.

Fear will continue to show up, but finding tools to acknowledge it and finding things to offset it are key for me.

What do you find helpful when fear shows up?

Getting Grounded: Physically & Emotionally

Ten years ago I was at the lowest point of my life. 

Physically I lived in constant pain, I had been diagnosed with Lipedema in 2007 and followed all the advice given for self care, which sadly also included the warning that exercise could make our symptoms worse.

By listening to that advice and stopping my exercise routine out of fear, I got a lot worse. I could barely stand, let alone walk, and felt like I was watching my life slip away. I lived in constant pain and fear. I could not participate in my life, my husband’s life, my daughter’s life.

I became depressed, and in an effort to hold on to whatever sanity I had left while living with my diagnosis and progressing physical challenges, I started working on my emotional fitness.

I took writing classes, joined drumming circles, prayed, journaled, practiced meditation and even became a reiki master as a way to try to heal my body.

I figured if I struggled physically, and couldn’t take action in that way, I would become stronger emotionally.

Then my life took a major emotional hit, and I knew I couldn’t survive the physical and emotional challenges at the levels they were at, so in March 2013 I asked my husband (and CrossFit instructor) what the workout of the day was. I knew I needed to get stronger physically while the emotional side took a hit.

He asked me why I wanted to know, and I said I was tired of listening to nothing physically we could do, and I wanted to be able to get off the ground if I fell.

So many Lipedema friends had been posting about falling and needing to call 911 to get help getting up when they fell. I knew it was my future if I didn’t change something.

That was when my hubby became my CrossFit coach, and we began training to get me stronger so I could eventually get down to the ground safely, so I could then work on getting back up from the ground on my own.

Getting grounded saved my life. 

The interesting and life saving realization was that the physical training made me stronger physically, but it also made me stronger emotionally, because I was taking action. 

I was doing something, and by doing something I felt less helpless on the path I was on, in the fight against Lipedema.

Emotionally Grounded

When we look at the traditional meaning of “getting grounded”, we know it is more emotionally based, and typically means to get centered within yourself and figure out what is important to you, a grounded person is someone who is said to be mentally and emotionally stable.

When you live with a chronic illness, finding ways of staying grounded are key to your survival. The emotional side of chronic illness is equally as important, but less talked about.

Typical ways are doing things like staying connected with others (joining a support group), breaking big tasks (like all the self care needed) into smaller doable steps so you don’t get overwhelmed, focus on the one task at hand, practice gratitude, meditation, deep breathing, etc.

I found it fascinating that my getting on the ground physically was in fact grounding me emotionally.

It was one of the reasons I started Lipedema Fitness. I wanted to share that realization, I wanted to spread awareness of Lipedema, and the importance of staying active with it, I wanted to support other patients on a similar journey, and I really didn’t want anyone feeling as alone as I had.

2023 will be the 10 year anniversary of this blog, and the Facebook support group. This community of patients is changing how we are seen and treated, and now exercise is a big part of our self care, you do have to see what works for you, some forms can cause symptoms to spike, but by sharing what we are doing, what works, and what doesn't, we have learned Lipedema presents differently for each of us, and also our bodies respond differently to everything we try. 

We have to try things, see how they work, see how our bodies respond, and keep a journal if it helps, so you can remember what didn’t work, and what did. And please continue to share and spread awareness, by doing so you touch the lives of the patients and change the minds of the medical community. 

We have come so far in the last 10 years, just think how far we can go in the next 10!

WEDNESDAY WAKE UP CALL: Lipedema Fitness

Morning Routine - Before I get out of bed. 

Elevate your legs on pillows (should be above your heart for first three movements).

(10) Deep Belly breaths

(10) Toe Crunches - basically squeeze your toes and relax them

(10) Ankle Pumps - flex then point your toes

Remove pillows

(10) Leg Clamshell - knees bent, feet on bed, open and close your knees

(10) Knee Raises - bring bent knee up to chest and do (10) on each leg

(10) Glute Squeezes - clench your booty and then release 

(10) Bridges - keep knees bent, feet on the bed and then lift your hips up

(10) Trunk Rotations - I keep my bottom half flat on the bed and rotate the upper body slowly to one side then the other

(10) Groin Massages - tons of lymph nodes in there, this is a gentle touch,  MLD style, then I also use my fingertips spread out and rake up from thighs to abdomen, again this is not deep/painful, it is more gentle than that (trying to move lymph, not break up fibrotic tissue if that helps).

(10) Deep Breaths and then I massage around the belly button in expanding circles I go right to left. 

Then I get out of bed. I always feel better than if I get up before doing these movements.

You can modify anything, if you can’t do something then skip it, or do something similar, or do less than 10 reps. 

I don’t race through the movements, I like to do with intension, and they also don’t take very long.

This is my routine, what is yours?

#allorsomething  #wednesdaywakeupcall  #lipedemafitness