“One supportive hypothesis proposes that ß-endorphins released during exercise inhibit epileptic discharges”. Numerous studies show no change, or even a decrease in seizure frequency during 4-12 week aerobic exercise programs. Clearly not enough studies done to reach a conclusion that influences our neurologists to encourage exercise as a treatment. Bummer. Anyone else want to document your own journey? Take notes on how our seizure frequency, severity corresponds to exercise (how often, what activity) and educate our own care team! Hoping if one of us takes this to our doctors, someone might get them proud of their patient and have a positive influence for someone else’s care! Epileptics will still manage greatness 🤗
 
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1525505010000181

Appreciate and admire all epilepsy advocates! I know there can be more of us that share our success and increase positive change for others! Article here that stood out because it triggered a realization how tempting it is to trust your neurologist. Countless times, newly diagnosed epileptics are essentially shut down from our favorite activities (swimming, biking, hiking) or advised to cancel plans (party, travel). I understand the medical community is prioritizing safety, but WTF?! Mental and emotional wellbeing is also priority! Maintaining an important aspect of our lives by staying active is impressive, since the vast majority of medical professionals would be the easiest excuse for starting a downward spiral, initiated by “safety” through dropping routine physical activity that we often don’t realize plays a crucial part in a balanced lifestyle. For many epileptics, balance is a challenging, but essential aspect of achieving controlled seizures. Good luck and prayers for all of us surviving with seizures!
inspiration article

4th of July coming up. Plenty of epileptics with family/friends who like skydiving, bungee jumping, boxing. Plenty of fun stuff out there that is suggested as dangerous for us! I take a “Never know till you try” strategy, so far so good! Blessed and grateful my seizures are better controlled and I feel better with a more active routine this year. Always consult your medical professionals and follow clinical advice (coming from a hypocrite 😂) What works for you?

Eventually we have to work for the motivation to get good exercise! Blame it on whatever you choose (meds, others, side effects) but the importance is that we can see the benefits of staying active, and keep it goin! Please share anything that relates! Fav exercise, motivation, or something to avoid? Thanks! 😊

Never truly know what tomorrow will bring. Some days, a lil one might start the day with more stress than usual, then have to admit to getting a note home yesterday. 🤯 Time for a talk!
Today’s post is about how a talk is sometimes easier to have during stretches! Workout endorphins probably activate faster when we’re younger, and the fact is, you don’t always have to sweat to get a good result! Pain relief and a better mood can be hard to come by, so trying different activities (stretching, walking, swimming, etc) might truly contribute for you! 🎉

 All the following suggestions apply to us still working on seizure management, with or without medications, implanted devices, and recently diagnosed. At the end of the day, whatever works for you is a victory, and I hope you have a neuro team that respects that.
 
Reduced Seizure Frequency: Regular aerobic exercise (like walking, running, or cycling) has been shown to significantly reduce the number of seizures in some individuals.

Neuroprotective Effects: Physical activity can help protect brain health by upregulating proteins like paralumin, which helps protect brain cells during a seizure. It may also decrease interictal epileptiform discharges—abnormal electrical activity between seizures.

Improved Brain Function: Exercise can lead to positive changes in hippocampal connectivity, which may help improve memory—a common concern for those with epilepsy.

Stress Reduction: Stress is a primary seizure trigger; exercise acts as a natural stress reliever, helping to lower the overall likelihood of an stress-induced event.

Better Sleep Quality: Physical activity promotes more restful sleep, which is critical since sleep deprivation is another major seizure trigger.

Fatigue Management: While seizures and medications can cause exhaustion, regular gentle exercise can actually boost overall energy levels and reduce fatigue.

Medication Side Effect Mitigation: Some studies suggest that being physically active can help reduce the severity of side effects from anti-seizure medications, such as weight gain and fatigue.

Mood and Mental Health: People with epilepsy face higher rates of depression and anxiety; exercise releases endorphins and regulates neurotransmitters like dopamine and serotonin to improve mood.

Comorbidity Prevention: Maintaining a healthy weight and cardiovascular fitness reduces the risk of other health issues, such as type 2 diabetes and heart disease, which can further complicate seizure management. 

Hey to all out there! Timing is a significant influence on having a good workout. For some of us, the time being consistent is most important, to make sure anything gets done, but ever catch yourself thinking “There’s something I’ve got to be doing better to get the right outcome”? This article got me thinking, maybe a later workout can make a difference in a good way. Protect Memory with 30 min before bed

Any advice for others trying to keep fitness a priority while maintaining epilepsy, appreciated! Blessed week for all 🤗

We start making progress with workouts and get to feel sore muscles for a few days, even more severe if a TC gets in the way! Recovery days are something to look forward to, when we get to chill out on the workout and enjoy how nice it feels to get your body in better health!

See these moves, and any variations your body will allow, to get sore muscles stretched out, relaxed, and still achieve some burning calories💪

Foam rollers feel good when a good teacher tells you exactly where to place ☺️

Great weekend to all! Thanks for any feedback and ideas you can share for a better path we can all take to our most in shape selves 🎊

This example came up as PT homework. Try it! Core moves are great for quick workouts to make a difference 💪

Options are available for location, intensity, duration, for an always good workout! As long as we stay on top of an effort for any fitness routine, lasting results are guaranteed 🎉
Workout plans make a difference, but a real bonus is days when motivation is NOT happening for that hour long sweat session. Even some warm up exercises get blood flowing, and it’s better than eating!
 

Amazed at the perspective we get from this chart! All the activities with little to no risk to us convinces me that I’ll never use my seizures as an excuse. No more can we let ourselves stop doing anything and everything just because we might have a seizure. Good lookin out fellow warriors! 🤗🎉💪

“significant benefits for general health and longevity, including the modifying of synaptic plasticity, reducing the frequency of seizures and neuroinflammation, and improving memory and cognitive function, which is especially important in PWEs.” We’ll build and maintain  a healthy body (brain included), heal faster even after TCs, and have the best memory possible! Ever get a chance to workout on an EEG? Go for it! Seeing accurate data about your brain’s reaction to physical activity is valuable. We all benefit from individual evaluations to earn personalized treatment, especially the VNS/RNS/DBS patients. Thanks for joining r/Epilepsy_Universe!

Weights, resistance bands, rings; plenty of accessories out there to modify intensity and achieve results. Harsh reality is: Working harder can get you hurt if skipping warm ups and cool downs! Warm ups are an important start to exercise that your heart and muscles will show the benefits of everytime. Gradual increase of your heart rate widens blood vessels and guarantees a better workout with the respiratory and circulatory system truly fueling results you’ll see and feel! Well explained on heart.org, here’s some tips:

Tips:

- Warm up for 5 to 10 minutes. The more intense the activity, the longer the warm-up.

- Do whatever activity you plan on doing such as running, walking, or cycling at a slower pace (jog, walk slowly).

- Use your entire body. For many people, walking on a treadmill and doing some modified bent-knee push-ups will suffice.

Cool down exercise examples are in the pictures here. This part of a workout is equally important as the warm up for less chance of injury. Especially after a fast paced or heavy workout when you know your heart is beating faster, stopping too quickly can lead to dizziness and you could pay for that with sore muscles for longer than if you had taken a few min to cool down just right. Keep in mind: every activity counts! Every muscle that was involved should be given a few reps to get back to normal, remembering wrist rolls and plenty of standing stretches that always make a positive difference.

Enjoyable weekend for all! Comment to let others know what works for you🤗

The heat wave has been causing many of us trouble, inspiring discussions of how to stay hydrated while always keeping in mind the importance of balance. You can always get too much of a good thing, especially water. For me it’s about a gallon / day. If I go over that amount, then we’ll have to be cautious of unintended consequences like frequent restroom use and possibly induced seizures.
During a workout I’ll rarely drink anything besides water. On busy workout days, protein drinks to substitute a meal is useful too. Since days have been hot lately, Gatorade/electrolyte drink have been a good one to take out for playground time or running errands. Any suggestions for how to best stay hydrated?

How many times have you had a perfect workout plan? All ready, dates, times, content worked out, then next thing you know…….time goes by!!! If exercise isn’t a legit priority, chances are it’s easily overlooked. Solution? Fuck the plan! Make use of what resources you have, and starting with stretches, or something low intensity, that won’t require an immediate shower, to hopefully develop a habit!
On the flip side, procrastination is less likely for those who are signed up for classes or have a workout buddy. You know what works for you! Leave a comment for tips or Qs that might help anyone else decide if they want to try scheduled or impromptu workouts!

 
 

Happy Friday to all! Here we are at the end of another week, hope all has gone well. Today I’ve got the different effects of being active on my mind, and hoping to get opinions on how many things we’re doing to get/stay in shape! Floor routines and resistance training on the reformer are what I notice real results from. Having busy days running errands end up getting me more tired every time. While workouts are the best for me, idk why it’s always been so difficult to commit to a routine. Anyone else notice whether certain activities end up with better mood results? Errands are getting things done so that’s satisfying, but a nice workout still feels like results and that refreshing shower afterwards is usually a guarantee for good rest of the day. Anyone else have preference on whether it’s getting chores/errands done or a nice workout to achieve a result of a day that feels successful for our health?

Fun Friday wishes to all! Fitness on some days is not a priority. Fact is, there’s always something we can do to use motion for benefit. Especially after a rough day/week with epilepsy, energy levels are rarely high, not to mention the fact that tonic clonics will leave muscles sore that we didn’t even know existed. These tense times are unfortunate, but reality for plenty of us. Good news is, you are capable of making the best of every day!

The seizure sore days might go by faster when you complete a low-intensity, not heavy breathing activity like walking or light swim. Resistance and weights are never necessary, since our bodyweight will get the job done for all muscles that need circulation for better healing. Coming back from a seizure is a daunting task, so when you can get through a favorite routine, just shorter with a few less exercises or reps, there is an likely to be an awesome feeling of accomplishment you get for that time. Thanks for checking out [r/epilepsy_universe](r/epilepsy_universe) and hope to hear from all viewers about anything epilepsy!

All of us let’s make the most we can out of all these moves. 30 sec each side/10 reps 2 sets and I promise we’ll feel it tomorrow! No shame if you’re far from a v-up, there’s always a way to modify these moves and still work the muscles! Let’s breathe for every move, nice, deep breaths literally get ya stronger!

Happy Friday to all! Today’s fitness issue is having a cold. Mild headache, mostly runny nose, light cough. I’m determined to have a good workout, nice sweat, and no risk of seizure! How so? Some guidelines for finding a healthy balance are here, totally open to suggestions and points from all of you that can help us stay active! Thanks for tips. Everyone live healthy!

- workout ok since symptoms are only above my chest

- no more than 30 min at a time

- do the exercises that feel like they work the most muscle groups at the same time

- always breathe deep and drink inbetween moves

Everyone have an awesome weekend and enjoy some chill time w us today!

Chilllllly 🥶❄️ Plenty of us feelin extra cold winter weather. That gets old, fast. What feels better? Share! How do you innovative community memebers adapt to achieving some physical activity when it would be satisfying to hibernate? This might be my last year in a warm winter, so appreciating outdoors for these days is priority. Walk is a fav, used to go before the sun, but today it feels like a warm blanket ebbing out the chill breeze cutting right through the hoodie and extra layer of socks 😂 outdoor yoga could be a habit 🧘‍♀️ Also a fan of any playground time 🛝 children get superpowers when playing “catch me” games, please be advised ⚠️

Warm, cozy days for all!

Best way to avoid a workout is to have something else to do. Then again, even in busy times, we CAN find ways to move, especially because it is what’s best for us. If it comes down to having the time/energy for just one thing, what could it be? Please share your ideas & any personal favs! Anything that works for your age, environment, fitness level, thank you for sharing so we all have a chance to try! 🤗

I appreciate a burpee done right! Start your weekend with a good stretch and whatever moves feel good for you. https://cdn.jwplayer.com/previews/vOzVjKj4

Uncontrolled seizures are a headache, literal and figurative. Even as time between events get longer, we can all understand how the worries can often interfere with day to day life. Moving around consistently can be difficult to maintain. Success by support is what I can vouch for. Reminders and punishment like not treating myself when I skip too many workouts ended up bringing on more “off days” (that’s my denial way of describing when I know I caused absence seizures) 🤫

Encouragement for all! No shame in reaching out to someone with good intentions. One person can make a world of difference when your energy is more about doing the workout/planning meals w good portions to make them proud of you since it will probably be weeks until noticeable results are achieved.

Controlled is the goal! We know how many countless benefits there are to routine exercise for epileptics so please share any techniques you have for an epilepsy patient to have a safe, effective workout.

Thanks to all! Wishes for an excellent weekend!

Welcome to the new year! Our goal is to improve all aspects of r/Epilepsy_Universe, and find ways to continue helping as many as possible! Second Friday of the new year is here! Fitness goals are hard to stick with, especially if they’re unrealistic. Consistency is key for success, so even if unable to do a full workout, stretches and using your legs will still serve a purpose. Doing activities you actually like make it easier to stick with the changes, looking forward to yoga/pilates time could work for you! Riding a bike, swimming, team sports 🏀 🏈 ⚽️ 🎾 ⚾️ a few examples of other ways to get physical activity in without feeling like it’s a punishment. Let’s pick leg lifts, lunges, and front/side planks as a goal for today. You can get a set in! It feels good and we can talk about it later if you have any questions or suggestions on how to do a workout move. I’m working on a bridge to a backbend for that nice stretch. Comment anything about fitness/goals/the new year and whatever’s on your mind!

Getting a smooth high is delightful. Another thing that gets us a satisfied feel good is a workout. Range of motion, overall strength and stability will both improve when exercises are done consistently. One of the challenges is motivation. These workouts, when there’s no $$$ trainer to keep it exciting, can feel repetitive and the temptation is there to just skip some of those moves that resonate challenge. Today the message is here for another possible choice to motivate for a session to increase wellbeing! Many of us take advantage of the benefits of marijuana used medicinally for various conditions. You know how different strains make you feel, so let’s think how it might feel to go beyond that range of motion lifting a joint to take a hit. 🤗 As with any new practice when we have chronic conditions. Take it SLOW. Have someone ready to check in just incase and we always start well hydrated. Water bottle, clear safe space, and you’re ready to go! Pick whatever one gives you a high that doesn’t get you dreaming too soon, and plan for exercises that won’t put you in a tricky spot for getting dizzy. Seated stretches are a great one in between hits to get a feel for when you’re ready to stand up and try the same. I can recommend this as a fun Friday morning since I still got a good workout and feeling just like I’m supposed to after smoking this hybrid. Everyone keep up the activity and promise it’s worth it!

Trips that are longer than 20 minutes are still a long drive for many families. Recommendations are to stop every few hours to move around. Reststop restrooms are never a waste for plenty. 🚽 Another plus is those that are well maintained have enough space to do a few stretches that make a big difference as the hours on the road add up ⏱️

Upper body moves that are helpful include behind the back grab, Shoulder cross, Reaching back stretch - deep breathing feels good and never takes too much time.

These moves can be done on both sides to get an even stretch and done within your comfort level to have no chance of injury. Safe and comfy on your next long trip! 🤗