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Kettlebell training for M.E / Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

It might seem a strange recomendation for people who suffer from almost constant exhaustion to start 'pumping iron', but for some people it could improve their energy and reduce anxiety.

Over the last 15 years I have learnt various forms of tai-chi and qi-qong, exercises which should promote good health. Qi-Qong literally means "energy exercise". So having invested several years learning these exercises it was doubly frustrating to get ME/CFS - the tai-chi and qi-qong should have insured me against this ever happening!

However as my illness progressed and I began practicing the exercises again I noticed something unexpected. Small doses of the hard qi-qong, which involves tensing the muscles for maximum effort, gave me more energy than the slow gentle exercises of soft qi-qong. The conventional wisdom for treating ME/CFS is to gradually increase the duration of gentle exercise. But I found gentle exercise, the soft qi-qong, the most tiring. It seemed a short burst of more intense exercise was far better than a longer, or even the same duration of gentle exercise.

Then I read about kettlebells and tried them precisely because they are a demanding form of exercise that would place only limited demands on the legs - and within a couple of weeks I was feeling much better. Kettlebells did not in fact cure my Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, (this did!) but definitely led to an improvement and stabilisation of my condition.

The Nervous System in M.E / Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

I believe a major contributing factor to the rise of M.E / Chronic Fatigue Syndrome is our sedentary lifestyle, packed with little stresses we often feel powerless to control. It is not just that we don't get enough exercise - I'll bet the proportion of people with ME/CFS who used to exercise regularly is higher than in the general population because M.E people feel the a need to 'keep going' - but we don't get enough exercise to properly strengthen the spine, which carries the communications network for the whole body - the nervous system.

Illness of the internal organs and immune system can compress the vertebrae, creating a vicious circle where the body is unable to recover or rest properly because both the spine and the internal organs are placing the sympathetic nervous system under stress.

What are Kettlebells?

Kettlebells are an ancient form of exercise (even Pythagorus worked out with them!) which the West forgot about. In Russia they have long been a popular form of physical training, and were one of the main reasons Russian Olympic athletes were so dominant in the post-war years. Now they are being discovered here too, as a powerful way to get fit, burn off fat, and train for all round strength.

Because they involve so many muscles at a time they seem to cause far less injuries than other forms of weight training and can even help people with back problems.Stan Pike, a blacksmith who makes kettlebells at his Northumberland forge in the UK is a prime example of this. After falling 30ft onto concrete, (and hitting a scaffolding pole halfway down!), he was classified as disabled with seven damaged vertebrae. He credits strength training, particularly training with kettlebells as leading his recovery. left: a kettlebell - like a kettle, like a dumbell. So just where did they get the name?

So if you are ready to start exercising, consider getting yourself a kettlebell or two, and training your muscles and nervous system back to health. But take note, I am not promoting running, cycling, aerobics, step-classes or swimming here. Until your muscular and nervous system are strong enough such aerobic exericise will only drain your strength.

Not everyone with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome will benefit from weight training, so consider whether you are ready for such training, on are weights for you?

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