You Have Fibromyalgia, And You’re a Personal Fitness Trainer, Too? YES, and YES!!!

Living with fibromyalgia means facing daily battles and all things unpredictable, that many people don’t see or can even begin to comprehend. The widespread pain, fatigue, brain fog, and numerous other obscure symptoms can often make even the simplest tasks feel overwhelming. It can make you hate your own body because you feel like it has betrayed you. And for so many people living with fibro, it can make you crawl in bed, never to resurface and live life again.

Some of of the above does not and hopefully will never apply to me, but let me back it up for a minute:

I started having unexplained symptoms in the fall of 2016. Morning stiffness, widespread pain that was in different locations at any given moment. Exhaustion, and just not feeling myself. I’m a natural born researcher, so it didn’t take long for me to start Googling my symptoms, researching them, then put the pieces together. I self diagnosed my fibro, and nothing could convince me otherwise.

It took me a full year to get an official diagnosis, and because my PCP was like so many others, he tested me for a lot of different like-conditions, but fibro was “merely a part of depression.” That’s quite common in the medical community. Fibromyalgia is not taken seriously. Why? You can’t see it, feel it, smell it, nothing. It’s not progressive and it won’t kill you. The body just HURTS for no apparent reason. The official diagnosis came from the unlikeliest of physicians…my OB/Gyn. That’s a different story for another time, but at least it was finally confirmed that knew that I knew what I knew!

Many people living with fibro crawl under a rock and for all intents and purposes, stop living and loving life. If they don’t do that, they allow doctors to put them on some of the most horrific pharmaceuticals. I researched quite a few of them, and it was an automatic NO for me! I lean more natural and homeopathic as it is, but nothing or no one was going to convince me to change my mind and go the Rx route. Those specific details also to come at another time.

I decided in the very beginning that I was never, ever, ever going to let fibromyalgia dictate my life nor slow me down. Yes, there were and still are plenty of times I feel my body works against me, but I will continue to refuse to let fibromyalgia take me over or take me down.

One of the weapons that I chose to use to fight back was movement and living my active life. Exercise, to be more specific became even more front and center than what it had already been!!!

I’ve been in the gym or some sort of exercise setting pretty much my entire adult life. But, becoming a personal trainer wasn’t just about fitness; it was about taking control of my own health and proving that fibromyalgia doesn’t define me. More importantly, I was compelled to want to train other women dealing with chronic pain conditions, as well as those on their menopause journey. It was about showing other women, especially those navigating chronic pain, that they don’t have to stop living. Strength isn’t just about lifting weights—it’s about resilience, about pushing through when your body tells you to stop, and about reclaiming the power you thought you lost.

Through Rose Gold Personal Training & Nutrition, I want to change the way women think about exercise, especially those who’ve been told to take it easy. Because the truth is, movement isn’t the enemy of pain—it’s part of the solution.

This blog is the beginning of that journey. I’ll be sharing my fibro and even menopausal experiences, fitness tips, including tips for managing pain, and strategies to help women over 40 feel strong, energized, and in control of their bodies.

This lifestyle blog will be a good, trusted resource…fibromyalgia and other chronic pain conditions education and awareness, fibro friendly fashion, healthy eating and living, life hacks, and a look into my world and how I live my best life despite having fibromyalgia…it is very possible to do!!!

Whether you’re dealing with fibromyalgia, other chronic pain conditions, or just want to stay fit as you age, you’re not alone. I will help and support you every step of the the way. You are stronger than you think, and I’m here to help you prove it...not only to others, but most importantly, to yourself.