really light weights

hi! im really scared about posting this question because i think i am going to sound like an idiot, but please go easy on me if this is an incredibly stupid series of questions! 

im 17 year old female. i've got M.E./chronic fatigue syndrome, which basically is an illness that limits the amount of energy i have and therefore the amount of exercise i can do.

i wanted to start some exercise so i have started lifting 2KG weights and doing ab exercises and yoga. i lift weights this light because i dont have much strength at the moment and i also am not well enough to work out crazy amounts.. all this exercise is fairly light so that is why i am able to manage it..

3 days a week i probably do between 3 and 6 sets of 10 reps. usually this is spread throughout the day as if i do it all at once i can become exhausted. i also do about 3 sets of about 15 crunches.. and the same of leg drop thingies (i dunno what the exercise is called, my friend taught me it and it works your lower tummy and top of your legs). and a bit of yoga stretches.

i know it sounds like a really small amount of exercise which is why im scared and embarassed to post about it!

 anyway im not doing it to try and get all muscular or even to lose any weight, i just want to feel at least a little bit active, and this is all i can manage to do. my main question is, am i burning any calories through doing this small amount of exercise? and also, do i need to eat any more calories to assist the muscles repairing, or aren't i doing enough for them to be significantly damaged in the first place?

i havent been adding any extra calories to my day from doing this small amount of exercise because i basically thought it was such a small amount that i didnt need to, but i thought that CC was the place to double check.

 

PS im really incredibly sorry that i babble so much 

Lifting is really a personal thing. Does it feel like your muscles are getting a workout? If it's easy for you, then you probably should be doing more, but if you've never lifted before, you very well could be getting a good workout. I generally recommend doing sets of 6-10 reps, and you should be "struggling" to get that last rep (ideally, that means you couldn't get another rep if you tried, but as a beginner, a little lighter may be appropriate) The most important thing is to make sure that you have good form and you are doing the lifts correctly.

I don't know so much about whether you need extra calories, maybe a tiny bit, but I think with what you're doing, your diet could probably take care of any repairs, just be sure not to cut a lot of calories out, and make sure you are taking in a good balance of the macronutrients (fats, carbs, & protein)

I am a big fan of lots of reps at light weight.  It doesn't build a lot of muscle but it does wonders for your muscle tone.  I do 30 reps and 2-3 sets depending on how I'm feeling, and I do them pretty quickly so my muscles are working but not being maxed out.  It mostly depends on what your goals are with lifting

ok thanks! thats really helped. it does feel as though its working my muscles and i struggle with the 10th rep usually but i might try a slightly heavier weight just to see if it feels a bit better, admittedly i could probably 'struggle' a little more..

i watch myself in the mirror while im doing it to check that im performing the lifts correctly so i think im ok on that one :)  

& also that advice about calories sounds good to me. thankyoouuuuu :) 

 

i dunno if doing sets of 30 reps would be very good for me cause of my illness but ill give it a go too and see for few days, if the weights are light it might be ok. i guess i just need to try things out and listen to my body :)  

Actually 10 reps per set is right in the range for building muscle, 8-12 reps. But you want to work to fatigue, so that somewhere between the 8th and 12th rep you can't do anymore. One way to progress is to start with a weight where you can only do 8 reps; work at it until you can do 12, and once you can do 13, move up in weight to where you can only do 8 again. Lather, rinse, repeat.

However, this is advice for people who are generally healthy, not ones who suffer from chronic fatigue syndrome... so I don't know whether it applies or how it would be modified. Probably the best place to find out is your doctor?

I think it's great that you make an effort to work out, even with your illness. Tons people don't even work out, and they don't have a legit excuse. The important thing is that you feel like you're accomplishing something. Do you feel tired (not exhausted) and like you've worked your muscles? If so, I'd say you're doing fine. But you should definitely check with a doctor just to make sure.

i do feel as though i have worked my muscles but its quickly getting easier lifting the weights so i might try and progress on to slightly heavier ones now, and see how i get on. i've been doing this about 2 weeks now and dont feel any worse from it which is a reeeeeeally great sign !! :)

Being active even a little will burn calories.  Even just fidgeting, like twirling your hair, tapping your feet, bouncing your legs when sitting, etc, can burn up to 800 calories per day, so I think that you are definitely burning calories.  And like others have said, with your illness, you have to do what feels right to you.  You might also ask your doctor what he thinks about your workout routine.

Being even a little active is better than being totally sedentary.  Whether you need to adjust your calorie intake based on your level of activity, I couldn't say. 

There is a great article on the NYT about exercise and fatigue. Exercise helps but "researchers found that more intense exercise isn’t the best way to reduce fatigue. The low-intensity group reported a 65 percent drop in feelings of fatigue, compared to a 49 percent drop in the group doing more intense exercise."

So it sounds like you are doing the best thing by pushing yourself slowly, bugsylover. BTW, they didn't include people with chronic fatigue syndrome in the study. You should be proud of the effort you are making.

The article is at http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/02/29/the- cure-for-exhaustion-more-exercise/

I also have chronic fatigue. A really good book is from Fatigued to Fantastic. The author is also the medical director of the fibromyalgia and fatigue centers. I just started seeing the doctor there. The supplements in the book really work. I would not buy them from the centers because they mark up the price. you can buy the supplements online or at some supplement stores. One that is really interesting is D-ribose/ Covealen. Look into it. I noticed a difference in the first few days of taking it. I still cannot workout like I want to because it will set me back. But my day to day energy has improved.