Your body hurts but you cant let your muscles get in a complete downward spiral. When I was in the worst few years post-lyme infection, I bought a FitDesk.

My intention was to exercise at home, without subjecting myself to air pollution. I had also read some convincing personal accounts about how regular intense exercise helped some people heal from Lyme. Lyme doesn’t like high temperatures, so maybe that is why.

The intensity that you can exercise  may depend on what tick-borne co-infections you might have. But don’t stop using those muscles alltogether.

I did not have the energy to  “work out,” but I tried to keep some muscle. I pedaled really, really slowly on a super easy setting. For a long time it was the lowest setting.

While on the bike, I watched movies and masterpiece theater, or browsed the internet on my iPad. Usually, I also ate food and drank green tea!

With so many distractions, it was tricky not to overdo it.

My legs would feel weak and hurt when I got off, but during the ride I didn’t notice.  If I pedaled to hard, or too much, I’d end up limping with swollen legs. But circulating the blood helps filter the crap out. So it helps things like systemic inflammation.

Riding had a whole other affect on my head. The circulating of my blood also helped my brain somehow. As my head pressure built up each afternoon, I found myself craving the bike. Many days, the only time my head let up, what when I was pedaling.

I don’t recommend pushing yourself if you are ill. My Lyme doctor encouraged me to move, but said my muscles would not really increase till I was free of some infections. The normal ability to build or repair muscle was inhibited.

I still crave the bike now, when late afternoon head pressure hits. I also rely on it emotionally.

This illness has been hard. So many months I felt lost and confused by my treatment options. Often, I was not making any progress, and getting even sicker. Sometimes, the only positive thing I could think to do each day was ride my bike.

Riding was nearly the only time I didn’t feel like I was crying inside. It was often the only part of my day that felt like I was moving forward. Ridiculous, but the only time I could move forward, was on a stationary bike. The irony did not escape me.