Strength Training For Fibromyalgia with Rachel Smith, MS, CPT
When Your Body Says No: Transforming Your Relationship with Exercise and Chronic Pain
This article examines key insights from Rachel Smith, MS, CPT, a personal trainer specializing in chronic illness. Her evidence-based approach to fibromyalgia management offers valuable perspectives on exercise adaptation for chronic pain conditions. Smith's professional journey from middle school teacher to fibromyalgia patient to specialized fitness expert provides a framework for understanding the intersection of chronic pain and physical activity.
The Diagnosis That Changed Everything
"I was diagnosed with fibromyalgia in 2010," Rachel shared. "This was way before I was even a certified personal trainer. I was actually a middle school teacher at the time."
That diagnosis sparked what she describes as her "self-discovery journey," ultimately leading to a master's degree in exercise science. For her thesis, she researched how exercise could be used to manage fibromyalgia symptoms – transforming her personal struggle into expertise that would eventually help hundreds of others.
Rachel now hesitantly shares: "My fibromyalgia has been in remission since 2014." Not an overnight miracle, but the result of years of consistent experimentation with exercise, stress reduction, improved sleep, and pacing techniques.
Beyond Labels: The Complex Reality of Chronic Conditions
Working with over 200 clients has given Rachel unique insights into how conditions overlap and intersect. She describes her own constellation of conditions with precision: fibromyalgia and hypermobility, but not EDS; allergies but not MCAS; fatigue but not at the level of ME/CFS. Recently diagnosed with ADHD and autism, she notes this neurodivergence is "extremely common among those with chronic illnesses."
This complexity resonates deeply with me.
I've been learning about neurological differences in autistic individuals – how autistic brains maintain more neural synapses rather than "pruning" them as neurotypical brains do. This heightened sensitivity might explain why our bodies remain on high alert, manifesting as pain, tenderness, and heightened reactions to stimuli. Personally, I wonder if bodies with chronic pain also see a reduction in neural synaptic pruning, keeping us on high alert to way too many stimuli.
The Perfectionist's Paradox
"People with fibromyalgia tend to be perfectionists. We tend to be all-or-nothing thinkers," Rachel explained. "We always want to just go, go, go, and do all of the things."
It’s ironic: the very personality traits that drive many with chronic illness – ambition, thoroughness, determination – collide catastrophically with physical limitations.
“When suddenly your body says, ‘No, you can’t’... it can be incredibly frustrating.”
We also talked about what some clinicians label "pathological demand avoidance" and the fact that PDA isn't some desire to be difficult; it's your body enforcing boundaries after being pushed beyond its limits for too long.
It's not avoidance by choice – it's your nervous system saying "enough."
Rethinking Energy Management: Beyond Spoon Theory
While many in chronic illness communities rely on "spoon theory" – carefully rationing limited energy reserves – Rachel offers a nuanced perspective based on research.
"A lot of people will kind of hoard their spoons or hoard their energy because they will say, 'Oh, I've got this really big event tonight, so I'm not going to do anything all day,'" she noted. "But the research shows the opposite – too little activity can also cause symptom flare-ups."
Instead, Rachel advocates what she calls "pause and pivot" – regularly shifting between different types of activities rather than maintaining one posture or task for extended periods.
"Whether you are working at your computer, heads down, focused, or you're up on your feet running errands... an hour in, two hours in, set an alarm and remind yourself to change what you're doing."
For those with ADHD (like both of us), this approach presents challenges. "Easier said than done," Rachel acknowledged with a laugh. The neural pathways etched deeper by years of hyperfocus make transitions difficult, but with practice, these pivots become more natural and protective against symptom flares.
The Strength Revolution: Why Lifting Changes Everything
Rachel's most transformative discovery came through strength training. After trying trendy exercise programs like Tone It Up and the notorious BBG (Bikini Body Guide), which left her exhausted and flaring, she found Jamie Eason's weightlifting program on Bodybuilding.com.
"I started weightlifting and I noticed a difference... it didn't make any sense at the time. Why can I lift weights and be decently okay, but I can't walk to the grocery store without causing insane amounts of fatigue?"
The contradiction puzzled her, but the results were undeniable. She fell in love with the practice and its effects on her body and symptoms.
"I will die on this hill. Everybody should strength train," she insisted, emphasizing that the approach varies dramatically based on individual needs and abilities.
For those with chronic pain and fibromyalgia, Rachel recommends starting with programs designed for seniors.
"Anybody who's ever looked at a weightlifting program designed for someone over the age of 65, that's going to look closer to the type of weightlifting that you should try when you are first starting out with exercising with chronic pain."
For Rachel, at just five feet tall, lifting offered psychological benefits beyond physical improvements: "There was something about going into the gym and picking up a 30-pound dumbbell and being able to pick it up that just sparked something in me... I'm way stronger than I give myself credit for."
This sentiment perfectly captures what many chronic pain patients need most: concrete evidence of their own capability amid circumstances that often make them feel powerless.
Breaking the All-or-Nothing Cycle
Perhaps the most important aspect of Rachel's approach is her challenge to perfectionism around exercise. "You don't have to finish a workout for it to count," she told me.
This simple permission slip counteracts the deeply ingrained belief that partial efforts are failures. "If you go to the gym and it doesn't feel right... if you're like, 'Okay, I'm going to do this for 10 minutes, 5 minutes'... and reevaluate – if you're still like, 'Nah, this isn't it,' just stop."
This approach teaches your body to trust you – that you're not going to push through pain warning signals. This trust becomes the foundation for sustainable progress.
Rachel's clients typically fall into two categories: those who abandoned exercise after diagnosis and those who stubbornly maintain pre-diagnosis routines despite the consequences. Both extremes present challenges.
"I've had some folks who continue their marathon training and run their marathon, which is amazing. But there are also folks who do the whole boom and bust cycle where they push, push, push for three weeks and then all of a sudden can't do anything for multiple weeks."
The middle path requires careful attention to individual responses and readiness to adjust – not throwing techniques at the wall to see what sticks, but systematically exploring what works for your unique body.
The Truth About Diet and Fibromyalgia
"The most common myth that I am busting is that fibromyalgia is caused by diet," Rachel stated firmly. While she acknowledges she's not a registered dietitian, her research findings are clear: there is no universal fibromyalgia diet that works for everyone.
"So anybody saying that the carnivore diet is going to heal you or paleo is going to heal you... it's all questionable."
Instead, Rachel advocates for individualized approaches that recognize potential sensitivities without extreme elimination protocols. "The only way to know for sure is through trial and error,” but it’s important to remember that most of us don’t know how to properly trial elimination-style diets. For more information on that, check out the post Why It's Not Just About Eliminating Foods: The Truth About IBS and Nutrition.
Her research has found that gluten sensitivity is common among fibromyalgia patients. "Of the 200-something clients that I've had, only about five or six of them have not noticed a reaction to gluten."
Rather than overwhelming clients with massive dietary overhauls, she recommends testing one food at a time, starting with gluten and then potentially exploring dairy, artificial sweeteners, caffeine, or corn.
This measured approach prevents the post-restriction binges that often follow highly restrictive plans like Whole30. But again, I highly recommend you work on a diet with a Registered Dietitian, as they often understand the nuances that are important when it comes to determining which foods are actually necessary to cut out.
Her nutritional starting point is refreshingly simple: "Eat three meals a day." Each meal should include a fruit or vegetable and a protein source – a foundation that many with chronic illness struggle to maintain consistently.
The Power of Shared Experience
Central to Rachel's FibroFit Warriors program is the community element. Research demonstrates that "people with fibromyalgia do significantly better when they are in a group with other people who also have fibromyalgia," says Rachel.
This peer support creates a powerful environment where participants can witness others succeeding despite similar limitations.
"I see this a lot with... clients who join FibroFit Warriors and they're still petrified to work out. Having the few people who do jump right in and share in the community group like, 'Hey, I did this workout and it didn't flare me'... then I have the others go, 'Oh, okay, let me try it.' And then everybody's working out."
As a therapist, I appreciate how Rachel handles misinformation in her communities. She notes that because she's evidence-based, she tends to attract people who also value research. When questionable claims arise, she's ready with scientific studies to address them, which prevents people from falling down false hope and expensive rabbit holes.
A Path Forward
Rachel's upcoming free webinar, Fibromyalgia 101: What You Wish Your Doctors Had Told You, aims to address common questions and misconceptions. She'll cover why many physicians lack comprehensive fibromyalgia knowledge, diagnostic criteria, theories about causes, how to exercise in a way that doesn’t cause flare-ups and prevalent misinformation.
"For me, I'm now able to say, okay, I have fibromyalgia. I'm also hypermobile. I have many allergies, but I do not have MCAS. And I had fatigue, but not to the point of having ME/CFS."
This clarity – born from both personal experience and professional expertise – embodies what so many chronic pain patients seek: understanding, validation, and actionable paths forward.
What makes Rachel's approach so valuable is its foundation in both evidence and lived experience. She bridges the gap between research and real life, offering hope without hype and structure without rigidity.
For those struggling with chronic pain, her message is simple but profound: your body isn't your enemy. With patience, compassion, and the right support, you can transform your relationship with exercise from one of fear and frustration to one of empowerment and possibility.
Even when your body says no, there are still ways to move forward – just differently than you may have imagined.
If you're interested in learning more about Rachel Smith's approach to fibromyalgia management through exercise, you can follow her on Instagram @coachrachelsmith or sign up for her free webinar on March 20th, Fibromyalgia 101: What You Wish Your Doctors Had Told You.
Looking for more info about exercise with fibromyalgia? Join Rachel and I in our workshop together on March 29th - register here!
Want to listen to the podcast interview? Click here for Episode 85: Strength Training For Fibromyalgia w/ Rachel Smith MS, CPT.
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Episode transcribed with AI and will contain errors that are not representative of the actual word or meaning of the sentence.
Rachel Smith MS CPT
[00:00:00]
Destiny Davis LPC CRC: Hello! Hello. Nice to meet you. It's nice to meet you too. I'm looking forward to our chat today. Yes, I'm looking forward to sharing, um, kind of some of the work that you do. Um, I know you're a personal trainer and you work a lot. I must, do you have conditions yourself that you, that led you into this work of personal training with the chronically ill and pain
Rachel Smith MS CPT: population?
Yes. So I actually have fibromyalgia. I was diagnosed in 2010. And this was actually way before I, you know, was even a certified personal trainer. I was actually a middle school teacher at the time and got diagnosed with fibromyalgia in 2010. And that was kind of what sparked my whole self discovery journey.
That eventually led to my master's degree in 2016.
Destiny Davis LPC CRC: Okay. [00:01:00] Amazing.
Rachel Smith MS CPT: So what was your master's in? So my master's is an exercise science. Okay. And what I was really fortunate to do was for my master's thesis, I was allowed to pick any topic that I wanted to research. And so obviously I would want to pick a topic that was near and dear to me.
And, um, my thesis was researching how exercise can be used to manage fibromyalgia symptoms.
Destiny Davis LPC CRC: I love that. Tell me then what did you find like with in regard to and let me ask to with something like fibromyalgia, which I think there's a lot more understanding around it now than ever before.
But yes. Does it still feel like, to you, like, does, does fibromyalgia feel like it captures exactly what was happening for you? Do you ever wonder if there are other things happening too that maybe were misdiagnosed or undiagnosed?
Rachel Smith MS CPT: Yeah, so it's really interesting because I have this perspective [00:02:00] now. I've worked with over 200 clients now who have all come to me saying they've, that they're diagnosed with fibromyalgia.
And through working together, We start pulling like all of these pieces and like, well, that doesn't really match what the research says, or that symptom is a textbook fibromyalgia. Let's see what's going on. And I feel very fortunate. I think if it was just me, like if I was on my own, I would not see all of the different Um, patterns, I guess.
So for me, I'm now able to say, okay, uh, you know, I have fibromyalgia. I'm also hypermobile. Um, but I do not have EDS and, um, I have many allergies, but I do not have MCAS. Okay. And I had fatigue, but not to the point of [00:03:00] having MECFS. Um, so like I'm able to kind of see what the research says, what my clients are saying, what I'm personally experiencing, and, you know, being able to see all of those.
I will say, though, uh, I've been recently diagnosed with ADHD and autism. Okay. Which. Which. Uh, I'm learning is extremely common among those with chronic illnesses, so I am not surprised at all.
Destiny Davis LPC CRC: That makes perfect sense. Yeah, I've been learning a lot lately about, and I, I, I try, I hate talking about things that I don't really have a big understanding about, so anybody listening can correct me on this, but I have been learning lately about the way that our neurons even look and how many, like, extra kind of neurons we have, and I, my, My conceptualization of that is like, because we're known to be highly sensitive, we're known to like, up, it's funny, people say like autistic people [00:04:00] don't pick up social cues, my, my, um, thinking on that is more like we pick up so much at once that we almost just become like frozen and stuck.
Um, so I guess that, that resonates to, yeah, like, you know, one of the, the things that I watched, um, recently it was, it was a tick tock video, but it was, it kind of explained the head, like pictures of the two different neurons. And she was like, basically like we all kind of are born with all these neurons and they then are pruned throughout as we grow and age, they're pruned.
We become less sensitive to stimuli as our brains kind of learn what's necessary to know and what we can just kind of throw out and for the autistic brain. And I would imagine people with chronic pain is like the same thing, whether you're autistic or not, because it just makes so much sense to me.
Maybe we are not in the, the video was saying how we just don't prune the same way we don't prune away so it doesn't become simplified and so we keep [00:05:00] all of these neurons that are picking up on all of these cues and like that in and of itself, it's a lot to it's a lot. And so our bodies are constantly bombarded with stimuli, which that's how I am conceptualizing like.
The MCAS symptoms and the chronic pain and the tenderness and the pain. Yeah, things like that.
Rachel Smith MS CPT: Yeah. Yeah. I'm kind of in the same boat. Like, I am. I know very little about how the brain works. Um, but just having you explain that, it given my lived experience and also what I'm seeing with my clients, that would make complete sense.
Um, so in, I actually, um, which we can talk about, uh, later if we want, but I, I have called FibroFit Warriors and one of the very first How to modules or lessons that we talk about are, um, kind of the research that shows that people with fibromyalgia tend to be perfectionists. We [00:06:00] tend to be all or nothing thinkers.
Um, you know, some folks will describe that as, um, you know, black and white thinking or something like that. But, uh, what I like to tell my clients is, you know, we are We always want to just go, go, go, go, and do all of the things. And I think that's also what makes having a chronic illness so hard for us, is our personalities want to do everything.
And I'm speaking from personal experience. And so, when suddenly your body says, No, you can't. Um, it can be incredibly frustrating.
Destiny Davis LPC CRC: Yeah, yeah, and I think one of the common things that I see and work with and hear about is pathological demand avoidance, and I'm like Is it like that that word that term has such like a it's your choice.
You're like being avoidant of demand. And I'm like, I feel like your body is giving you signals that it is too much. It has been yes for a while. And it is [00:07:00] saying no. Now, like, that's it.
Rachel Smith MS CPT: Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Like, uh, you know, something that I'm, I'm sure you're familiar with, like spoon theory. Um, and one of the things that I teach my clients, you know, is pacing, but I feel like with spoon theory, a lot of people will kind of hoard their spoons or hoard their energy because they will say like, Oh, I've got this really big event tonight, so I'm not going to do anything all day so that I can have. The energy and what I show them is actually the research says the opposite that, um, too, too little activity can also cause symptom flare ups.
Um, and so I, I'm still trying to come up with a cute name to make it catchy. Um, but it is currently pause and pivot.
Destiny Davis LPC CRC: Yeah. Hey, that works.
Rachel Smith MS CPT: Right. Right. Or I'm just like, whether you are working at your [00:08:00] computer, you know, heads down, focused, or you're up on your feet running errands or walking around Disney World, you know, like an hour in, two hours in, set an alarm, you know, and remind yourself to change what you're doing.
So if you're walking, sit down for a minute. If you're sitting at your computer, get up and go get a glass of water. And obviously, easier said than done. I have ADHD. Yeah, but it's a skill.
Destiny Davis LPC CRC: That's the thing. Like, it's a skill. And I think personally, because of the way, again, I'm, I'm visualizing this kind of neuron where it has all of these different neurons that the way that I see it is like, okay, because we have so much muscle memory for a certain thing, staying focused or like, um, sitting down or like the muscle memory or the neuronal memory around it is so much more intense.
It's. so much [00:09:00] harder to pivot. And again, like that's all that means is we need extra repetitions and more practice with pivoting so that it becomes easier, but it's not going to be easy when you first start trying it.
Rachel Smith MS CPT: Exactly, exactly. And you know, that's something that I, I tell clients as well. Um, so kind of the thing that I'm kind of coming out.
With, um, which I used to be very quiet about this, is that my fibromyalgia had been in remission since 2014.
Destiny Davis LPC CRC: Mm.
Rachel Smith MS CPT: And I had briefly mentioned it. Um, on socials, etc. And decided, you know what, that's my personal journey. I'm not going to say it. Um, because I don't want anyone to compare their journey to mine or think that I'm promising anything because I'm not.
Um, but recently I've decided, you know what, I'm going to start sharing this. [00:10:00] And The thing that I tell folks is it didn't happen overnight. It's not like I woke up one day and suddenly, Oh my gosh, it's all gone. It does not happen. This happened from I was diagnosed in 2010. It was 2014. By the time I went to the doctor and went I don't remember the last time I had, like, a really bad flare up.
Yeah. And it was the constant experimentation and practicing of the different things. So, um, you know, exercise, obviously, is the one that I preach, but reducing stress, improving my sleep, learning how to pace my activity levels. You know, those took many years for me to finally get the hang of it. Um, and then eventually it did work for me.
Destiny Davis LPC CRC: Yes, that's been my experience too. It's just like constantly coming back and trying to [00:11:00] learn whatever habit you've been trying to learn, whether it's sleep hygiene or working out or eating breakfast, you know, just food in three times a day or more. Like, yeah, it's. It's all really hard to do, especially the more supports you need and the lower supports you have.
And so we just give a lot of grace for that. Right. And then we come back and it's funny because as you, you were talking about pausing and pivoting kind of away from like a hyper focus kind of situation to do something else. Like I often help clients. Pivot back to like, I use that same kind of analogy of pivoting back to focusing.
So like you catch yourself and then you come back to center and you catch yourself again and you come back to center and it's so, yeah, but it gets easier the more you practice. Oh my gosh, that,
Rachel Smith MS CPT: oh, that could be a whole other thing we could talk about with discovering because it's funny I, I was diagnosed with ADHD and, you know, looking back at my school experience it, it obviously makes so much sense [00:12:00] now.
And, and that whole, you know, getting distracted. Is something that I'm very familiar with.
Destiny Davis LPC CRC: Yeah, yeah. And of course for girls, it often goes so, you know, missed because we get distracted in our heads more often. Yeah, daydreaming. Yeah, exactly. Yeah, but I was always the one with like, I had to make sure I was behind a seat that had a basket in front of it so my legs could be up and I could be like shaking or like tapping my feet or yeah.
Rachel Smith MS CPT: I had to be in the front row. of all of my classes. If I'm not in the front row, I will watch every other student in the classroom and it's over. Yeah, it's like, yeah,
Destiny Davis LPC CRC: that makes sense. So tell me, how did exercise come into play for you? And was it hard or was that? Was that getting into it easy for you?
Rachel Smith MS CPT: Yeah. Okay. So, um, diagnosed in 2010 and I want to say [00:13:00] it was like 2011 ish. I was at a party, um, with just some friends and they, they had a friend that I had met for the first time and I was talking to her about, Oh yeah, I just got recently diagnosed with fibromyalgia, et cetera, et cetera. And she goes, Oh, I have that.
But I, I exercise and change my diet and I feel better. And I was like, wait, what? That's an option. Right? And so I was like, okay. But back in 2011 There, there wasn't nothing that I could just Google
Destiny Davis LPC CRC: and
Rachel Smith MS CPT: be like, how to exercise with fibromyalgia. That's not going to happen.
Destiny Davis LPC CRC: Yeah.
Rachel Smith MS CPT: So, um, 2011, 2012, um, if we think back then, things that were super popular were pale, the paleo diet, the whole, the whole 30,
Destiny Davis LPC CRC: both,
Rachel Smith MS CPT: um, and exercise programs were the tone it up girls.
Haley. It's seen as bikini body guide. And [00:14:00] I did all of them. I did, like, I fell down the fad diet and exercise rabbit hole. And I, it was such a struggle, um, because one, like those workouts are not meant for people with chronic illness. Um, but I was so determined because I was like, no, this is supposed to work.
And of course, also there was, you know, the diet culture piece of it. Like I was starting to gain weight because. you know, of being sedentary, um, which made me feel very uncomfortable. And so I was also very desperate to lose weight at the time and would Kind of like push myself to do those really high intensity interval trainings, all of the cardio that the Tone It Up girls wanted, et cetera.
Um, and it really wasn't until I [00:15:00] discovered, um, this is very niche, um, but there's on bodybuilding. com, there's a woman called Jamie Eason.
Destiny Davis LPC CRC: Okay.
Rachel Smith MS CPT: And she had a free weightlifting program that you could download and I started weightlifting and I noticed a difference where I was like, okay, this is, this feels different.
And it didn't make any sense at the time because I was like, why am I being, why can't I lift weights? And be decently okay, but I can't walk to the grocery store without causing like insane amounts of fatigue and, and everything. And I just, I was like, okay, well, I found something that works, so let me just continue doing it.
And I absolutely fell in love with weightlifting. I am, um, like strength training. I, I say this all the time. I will die on this hill. Everybody [00:16:00] should, should strength train everybody. And, um, the levels and like how much you're doing and all of that changes, but exactly, exactly. And I think that's what some people misunderstand because when, especially when they see, you know, my Instagram account and they see me, you know, dead lifting 200 pounds.
I actually, to fix this, I went and I looked through my camera roll from 2012 so that I have footage of me deadlifting 20 pounds. Yes. Because I was like, I think people need to see that I didn't just suddenly deadlift 200 pounds one day. Um, you know, it really, it took time to kind of adjust and modify.
And the same way, you know, I, um, part of my master's degree, I did a lot of research on lifting weights with the elderly. [00:17:00] And, um, that's another thing I'm extremely passionate about. I think anybody. Over the age of 65, especially should weightlift and anybody who's ever looked at a weightlifting program designed for someone over the age of 65, that's going to look closer to the type of weightlifting that you should try when you are first starting out with exercising with chronic pain.
Um, and then slowly over time, you will see that you can do more and more.
Destiny Davis LPC CRC: Yeah. That was my experience a hundred percent. My, my husband has the same degree that you do, so Yay. How cool. Yes. And most of his clients are over 60, so . Yes. Yeah, it is. And he's always trying to get me to do what he wants me to do, which is fair 'cause he's right.
But it's still a little hard for me. Hmm. So,
Rachel Smith MS CPT: yeah, it's, it, it is hard and. I think what, what got me to personally fall in [00:18:00] love with weightlifting was I'm only five foot tall. So I, I'm a very petite woman. And, um, I, I don't want to say I've always felt weaker, but you know, I didn't always feel as strong and capable as I did.
And there was something about going into the gym and picking up a 30 pound dumbbell and being able to pick it up that just, it just sparked something in me that was like, Oh my gosh, like I'm Way stronger than I give myself credit for, and that kind of, I don't want to call it chasing the high, but similar of like that, that high that you get when you do something that you didn't think was possible, and you just did it, um, that's something that keeps me going to the gym, you know, every week.
Destiny Davis LPC CRC: Yeah, it builds up that confidence and a [00:19:00] little bit of, um, specific to you, the insecurity that you had it, it touched that very specifically. It sounds like, yeah, yeah, exactly. Which is why, again, it's also personalized and individual because it's not just about. Your muscles and your body. It's also like how your brain interprets what's happening in your body and all of that.
Yeah.
Rachel Smith MS CPT: Yeah, exactly. Exactly. And, you know, one of the things that I, um, I teach my clients is, you know, motivation to exercise will always come and go, right? Like, um, it's not like, Oh man, I can't wait to go work out today. Like, no, even me and, and I, for someone who loves weightlifting hair, There are days where I cannot be bothered to go.
Like, that is the last thing I want to do. And so, um, one of the techniques that I teach is to remember what it feels like After [00:20:00] you finish a workout.
Destiny Davis LPC CRC: Yeah.
Rachel Smith MS CPT: Um, and you know, sometimes I have them like when they start their program, I have them message me that they did their workout and how they feel. And I said, you know, screenshot this message about how great you feel and how accomplished you feel, because there are going to be days when you don't want to go.
And so if you can remember, oh right, but every time I finish a workout, I just, I feel so capable and strong and proud of myself. That'll get you in the door.
Destiny Davis LPC CRC: Yeah. Yeah. Yes. And I think also for people who maybe like the other piece of that is like, You can also expose yourself to not feeling good and like knowing I'm not going to, and, and, you know, some workouts feel as good at the end.
Um, but my experience anyway, and so that's when the, all of these tools are important to work together. Right. Cause that's when the other tools of like, okay, but this is [00:21:00] important to me. And I know that the overall benefit, like if there's more benefit, way more benefit than harm, the only harm here is like, just not feeling like it, you know?
Um, Yeah, things like that. Yeah.
Rachel Smith MS CPT: Yeah. And actually, I'm glad that you bring that up because that's something else that I teach is that, um, I don't need, I don't know who needs this permission, but like, you don't have to finish a workout for it to like count. And I, I feel like, I don't know if it's a society thing or our perfectionism or something, but one of the very first things that I teach is like, if you go to the gym and it's not, You do not feel right.
You, um, you know, physically, obviously, but even just mentally, if you're like, okay, I'm going to do this for 10 minutes, 5 minutes, or even if it's a home workout, I'm going to do this for 5 minutes at home, and re evaluate, if you're still like, nah, nah, this [00:22:00] isn't, this isn't, I was like, just, Just stop. Yep.
Like you don't have to be miserable. Um, and you, hey, you did five minutes already. So yes,
Destiny Davis LPC CRC: that's great. Yeah. And then you're teaching your body to trust it because when you say no, you're going to listen and then your body is like, oh, we're not pushing ourselves into major pain every time. And you're nervous.
It's
Rachel Smith MS CPT: to trust your body a little more. Absolutely. And it's really interesting because I feel like, so I have clients that fall into two buckets. So I have the clients who, um, stopped exercising when they got diagnosed, um, or had tried, had um, It had been a disaster and was like, I'm never doing that again.
Um, and so a lot of the work that I do with them is getting them to, um, trust their body again, to, um, slowly work into it, to learn [00:23:00] how to kind of modify exercise for them. Um, but I also have the clients on the opposite who, um, are very, um, you know, go, go, go. And I was exercising this way before fibromyalgia.
I refuse to let this, um, you know, stop me, etcetera. And, you know, even though I say, Hey, you know, for a couple of weeks, can you pull back on your marathon training? Can you pull back on your hit workouts? You know, let's Let's calm your nervous system down just a little bit and then we can add all those things back and it's very hard for them to let go of those things because they have this mentality of like, you know, no, I'm fine.
I can do this. And for some, yes, they can. I've had some folks who continue their training. And I said, [00:24:00] okay, you know, I'm here, um, to help support you, whatever you need, keep going. And they were able to continue their marathon training and run their marathon, which is amazing. But there are also folks who then do the whole boom and bust cycle where they push, push, push, push for three weeks.
And then all of a sudden can't do anything for multiple weeks at a time. And that's when we have those discussions of like, okay, now you see What happens? Are you willing to try it my way? Um, and you know, that's when, when we can start making changes.
Destiny Davis LPC CRC: Yeah. And that's exactly to the point of like, it just has to be trial and error, but like with, right.
Not just throwing spaghetti at the wall, but like with someone who understands there's individualization with all of this and that we do have to kind of do some trial and error to figure out your unique needs. But again, that doesn't mean we are just. Throwing things at the wall, not knowing what we're doing.
There's still kind of a [00:25:00] rhyme and a reason for why we're making these choices. Yes, yes,
Rachel Smith MS CPT: exactly. The individual, um, kind of learning what works for you is incredibly important. And that's one of the things, so FibroFit Warriors, my program, is technically a group program. So, um, everybody at the beginning receives the same workouts.
And, um, there's a community aspect to it. And that is related to a lot of the research around, um, when people with fibromyalgia want to start exercising, um, they do significantly better when they are in a group with other people who also have fibromyalgia, um, to, to help support them. And there are multiple studies that show this.
And so, you know, it was very important to me that it stays as a group program. But one of the things that I tell all my clients is that, but you also have one on one with me. [00:26:00] So, um, through the community group, they can message me with individual questions. Um, if we need to modify their workouts, we can.
take them down. If they have certain injuries, we can modify them. And then I do have some folks who actually need more advanced workouts and I have those available for them too. Um, but I find that you really need those both pieces. Me there to help support you and make it individual, but then also have that community aspect.
Destiny Davis LPC CRC: Yeah. Yeah. I think there's so much to be said about community work. Do you find that some people move from, like, being helped a lot to then the helper role in the group?
Rachel Smith MS CPT: Absolutely, yes. So, um, and thankfully, a lot of folks who do become the helper, like, one of the things that I'm always worried about is, um, misinformation.
Right spread. Right. Um, and [00:27:00] so, you know, occasionally with a community group, I will have folks that come to me and we'll share, um, you know, something pseudosciencey and, um. Thankfully, that does not happen that often because I find that because I'm so evidence based, I tend to attract people who are also very evidence based.
Um, but, you know, every once in a while, they'll say, Oh, I heard something on the Internet. Can you tell me if this is true or not? Um, and then the research of me comes out and I'm like, well, here are 17 scientific studies saying why that's BS. Um, but, and so that's, you know, something I'm always worried about, but what is really nice is I find more often than not, once people actually.
get things working for them, they have nothing but great suggestions for the other folks. Um, I see this, yeah, I see this a lot with, um, [00:28:00] sometimes some of my clients will join FibroFit Warriors and they're still petrified to work out, which, um, I completely empathize with. Like, obviously, it's going to be very, very scary when all your past attempts have probably been uncomfortable.
Destiny Davis LPC CRC: And
Rachel Smith MS CPT: so having the few people who do jump right in and share in the community group. Like, Hey, I did this workout and it didn't flare me. And, you know, it actually went a lot better than I thought. Then I have the others go, Oh, Oh, okay. Let me try it. And
Destiny Davis LPC CRC: then
Rachel Smith MS CPT: everybody's working out.
Destiny Davis LPC CRC: I love that. Yeah. And so, so, and I'm glad you are kind of filtering out that misinformation.
That was a big part of why I got online years ago as a therapist. I like was diagnosed with Lyme and I found myself in all these Lyme groups and like, it was, I, they made me think I was going to die in a week. Oh my gosh.
Rachel Smith MS CPT: Oh my gosh. Yes. [00:29:00] We have had very similar. Go for it. Yeah. Oh, no, I was just gonna say, uh, the fibromyalgia groups on Facebook are very similar.
Yeah. And I actually tell my clients to leave those groups. Um, because I said, I don't. Uh, and I, I have, I have a lot of empathy for the people who share in those groups, they are very scared, and very upset, and they typically don't have support, support systems, but it can negatively affect your own. Mental health.
Yes, especially in the very
Destiny Davis LPC CRC: beginning. Yeah. I mean, I, I left them for like a couple of years and then I had, I had gone back in when I felt like I was stronger and what I knew and what I felt was right for me and my body because yeah, you, if you're looking for influence, you have to be careful what environment you're in.[00:30:00]
Yes. Yeah. Um, and you know, it's not to say that evidence based like doesn't doesn't forget or doesn't, um, it's often can leave out a lot of lived experience and I get that and I empathize with that. That was, I think that's a big reason why people are so kind of sometimes anti evidence based. Um, but I think there's enough of us out there now that like, I think in the past, like, lived experience just didn't, if you had any kind of disability or pain or whatever, we didn't make it into grad school, we didn't make it into becoming a doctor, we didn't, and now there's a lot more of us with lived experience also doing research and working in the fields, and so I think it's becoming a lot more balanced.
Rachel Smith MS CPT: Yeah, I, I think that's a really, really good observation, um, because, you know, that's something that I, I have thought of when, um, you know, I'm on Instagram looking to connect with others with chronic illness. And I noticed [00:31:00] that those who are in a good place. Or who have managed their symptoms, are feeling better.
Um, they don't put chronic illness in their Instagram bio. They don't talk about it.
Destiny Davis LPC CRC: Yeah.
Rachel Smith MS CPT: Um, and that was actually a confession that I even made on my Instagram. I don't, I don't tell my friends that I have fibromyalgia. When I, when I meet new people, I don't mention it.
Destiny Davis LPC CRC: Yeah.
Rachel Smith MS CPT: Um, because I, I don't know. Like I, I have.
I've sort of not moved on with my life, but it's doesn't, it's not all consuming anymore. Yeah,
Destiny Davis LPC CRC: it doesn't make up who you are, whereas when you, when you're first learning it, like, yeah, you know, you are a little bit consumed by it and you kind of have to be. You're learning a new thing and there's a lot to learn.
Yeah. You know, but then at some point, yeah, like, you have to remember that there are so many other parts to you and. You know, especially, especially if you are ADHD or autistic and it then kind of becomes a little bit of a special interest [00:32:00] and then you get really kind of hurt by people who aren't as interested in it as you are and I get that, but, um, there's like, we have, that's another kind of piece of the, uh, journey, the self development journey on all of this.
Like, it's okay to be, have a special interest, but you, if people don't get just as amped as you, it doesn't mean they don't care. Sometimes, sure. Yes.
Rachel Smith MS CPT: Yes. Absolutely.
Yeah. Uh. Uh. Yeah. It's funny you mentioned special interest because when I shared my autistic, um, diagnosis with my Instagram, someone actually said, Oh, now I trust what you're saying about fibromyalgia even more.
Destiny Davis LPC CRC: Yeah,
Rachel Smith MS CPT: because it's obvious that that's your special interest.
Destiny Davis LPC CRC: Yeah, right. Because you, you've really done the research on it. Yeah. Yes. Um, Yeah, that just brought me to the, just the idea of the lived experience plus the evidence based information again, [00:33:00] like if we know like if someone has lived experience, then it's important to them, right? They're going to pay more attention to it.
That's just human nature. And human behavior. So it does build some trust there.
, yeah, definitely. Um, let me think what, what's another kind of important thing, um, that people cut when they come into your program is like maybe a common myth or a common thing that you have to kind of work on with people before you can really get to the other stuff. Yes.
Rachel Smith MS CPT: Okay. So the most common myth that I am busting is that fibromyalgia is caused by diet.
And I will preface everything that I'm about to say in that I'm not a registered dietitian. I stay in my lane. Um, but I do have a certification in nutrition and I have done extensive reading about Um, you know, the diet and fibromyalgia and what I have [00:34:00] found is that like the systematic reviews have shown that there is no one particular diet for people with fibromyalgia.
So anybody saying that the carnivore diet is going to heal you or paleo is going to heal you or anything like that. It's like there. It's all done
Destiny Davis LPC CRC: and it shows there is no. Yeah, exactly. And exactly. Do you find that there's, um, like a diet approach individualistically, like each person, somebody can find benefit when they change their diet in a way that works for them, which again is through trial and error.
Is that something that happens, or is diet pretty like a small part of it? That is. Okay.
Rachel Smith MS CPT: So, yes. So, what I tell clients is that just like any other food allergy, food aversion, uh, [00:35:00] food sensitivity, it's going to be very unique to you. And we do have research that shows that gluten seems to be a very common, I would say, like, irritant to folks.
Um, so it's called non celiac gluten sensitivity. And the overlap between those with fibromyalgia and those with non celiac gluten sensitivity is pretty high. Um, I'm personally one of them. And I would say of like the 200 something clients that I've had, only about five or six of them have not reacted to gluten.
Okay. Um, so that's a very common one, but, um, really the only way to know for sure is. through trial and error. And something that I teach, I do not teach to, um, doing extreme elimination diets. So you will not see me say, oh, you have to cut out 12 [00:36:00] foods. You know, I don't do that. So instead, I personally teach cutting out one at a time and then reintroducing it and seeing how you feel.
Because I said, You know, you might not feel a difference the three weeks that you cut it out because there's so many other things going on that would be causing flare ups. But as soon as you eat it again, that's when you'll start noticing kind of an increase in symptoms. Um, And so I have folks start with gluten.
A lot of people are now coming to me already gluten free.
Destiny Davis LPC CRC: Um,
Rachel Smith MS CPT: because they've noticed it themselves. And so then we talk about, okay, do you want to try dairy? Do you want to try artificial sweeteners? Uh, caffeine. Um, corn is apparently another one that some people are sensitive to, although it's not very common.
Um, but it's very much trial and error. Yeah,
Destiny Davis LPC CRC: yeah, [00:37:00] yeah. And I think, you know, I think sometimes you can get into this kind of phase or this this period in your chronic illness journey where, um, it feels like you want to try everything. You really do want to throw everything at the wall. Because you have no, like, it, it feels so hard to figure out what to do next.
So I think sometimes people want, they come in, especially with something like fibromyalgia where there are so many people talking about diet and exercise and other things, supplements, cannabis, um, whatever, like all of the things, right.
And so you, like you said, 10 years ago, there was not so much on the internet. Now there's a lot. And so with Google search, you can get 20 different things to try and people want us to try all the things. Yeah. I think that gets us in a lot of trouble too. So one thing at a time, even if it's just the exercise, and it has to be to psychologically, you have to be [00:38:00] ready to cut that thing out.
Rachel Smith MS CPT: Exactly, exactly. And that's why, you know, in 2016, if you had asked me, I would say, Oh, do the whole 30. Do it, you know, like you're eating school foods, you're cutting out the common. Foods that, you know, are irritating to people with fibromyalgia. You get it done in 30, 30 days, great. But what I kept noticing was how many people binged after they completed, including myself.
Like, I, I, because when, when you go through something that restrictive, sure, maybe it worked, but did it? Because I would get so frustrated because I would see people do whole thirties four or five times in a row because they didn't know how to eat. Yeah. And then they think, well, I didn't do it right. So I've got to try it.
Yes. Yeah, exactly. Exactly. Um, [00:39:00] and you know, now I'm finding, I was like, okay, with my clients, we're doing one at a time. Because, um, you know, and the other thing as well, you know, you mentioned eating breakfast like that's another when people come to me and they say, Well, Rachel, what are your like, what's your nutrition plan?
And I'm like, Eat three meals a day.
Destiny Davis LPC CRC: Yes. That's my nutrition plan. Exactly. People really, and then especially with intermittent fasting, um, being so trendy and, and I learned this from my functional medicine doctor. Like if you're going to fast, like you really should not be fasting in the morning. That's what I say too.
Good. Okay. Good. I am so frustrated. Like I just saw it again. past week. And I'm like, there's so much misinformation out here. And the girl was like, you know, if you think about it, you went to bed at eight, you woke up at seven. That's just three more hours you have to do before. Like, and I'm like, before your, your 14 hour fat, I might've just did the math wrong, but like, she was [00:40:00] basically saying like, if you just go another two hours, you've done your 14 hour fast.
And I'm like, No, why? Why is this still being perpetuated?
Rachel Smith MS CPT: Yeah, and I have, I have some folks who are adamant about wanting to do intermittent fasting. And I was like, okay, if this is what you want to do, then I want you to eat breakfast and I want you to eat dinner early and start your fast early. Yep. But there's just, there's so much research now, especially among women, that You know, with how stressed we are in the morning, et cetera, you know, fasting is only going to make it worse.
It only does some weird things to our hormones. Um, and not to mention, if you are a coffee drinker at all, Yeah, you should absolutely be eating food.
Destiny Davis LPC CRC: Yes. Yes. Yeah. Uh, it's so, it's so odd to like [00:41:00] be coming back to the basics over and over and over again because you're like, if it's this easy, why isn't everyone just doing it?
Or if it's this simple, why is there so much information? And I don't know the answer to that. Yeah.
Rachel Smith MS CPT: You know, something that I, I started thinking about because in the fibromyalgia community, um, I've noticed a lot of people are drawn to extremes. Which makes sense. We're all perfectionists. We're all all or nothing thinkers, right?
So we want to look for these challenges, like the 75 hard is a really big one right now. And, um, and I was thinking about it and I was like, oh, it's because we like following rules. Yeah. Yeah. You know, telling someone, hey, eat your vegetables does not sound super sexy. And it's not, it doesn't, yeah.
Destiny Davis LPC CRC: It, it is a rule and at the same time it's, yeah, it's not the sexy rule.
It's not the mm-hmm. If you do this, [00:42:00] like, yeah. I don't know really what the difference is in, in that. Yeah.
Rachel Smith MS CPT: Yeah. I feel like, um, you know, it's one of the things that I, I say is, you know, one, I'm not a registered dietician, so I will not give you a meal plan. And anybody who does is doing so illegally. Yes.
Um. But I will help you create meals. And so I will say like, Hey, every meal I want to have a fruit or vegetable and every meal needs to have a source of protein, whether it's meat or plant based, either one.
Destiny Davis LPC CRC: Yeah.
Rachel Smith MS CPT: Um, and so I teach folks how to kind of put together these well rounded plates, um, and eat those three meals a day.
Um, and you know, that's about as like, really, I get. But it's interesting that there are still people who say, Well, okay, I want you to tell me, like, eat strawberries for breakfast and eat green beans for [00:43:00] lunch.
Destiny Davis LPC CRC: And it's
Rachel Smith MS CPT: like, well, what if you
Destiny Davis LPC CRC: don't like strawberries? Yeah. Yeah, that's I mean, I think that that I don't know.
I see that a lot with in the neurodivergent community too. We're just very like rules and there was safety and rules because if we didn't follow like societal structures, then we got in trouble for that. Yes. There's a lot of like, I need you to give me the rules. But then we, if we really do some self reflection, we know we're not going to follow it anyway.
That was my experience. Oh, so true. Yeah. My husband probably hates me by now because of how many times I'd just be like, give me the workout. He needs you to give me the workout. And he, in his mind is like, you're not going to do the workout. Like,
Rachel Smith MS CPT: stop.
Destiny Davis LPC CRC: I have
Rachel Smith MS CPT: my, my husband has ADHD and I've had similar experiences with him where I'm like, No, I'm sorry.
On our
Destiny Davis LPC CRC: behalf, it's hard. It's hard, but community is [00:44:00] important. Um, that's what did end up getting me really consistent. There was a really good, um, there's a really good functional medicine clinic here that has a like boutique gym in it. And so it's very nice fitness group person. It's all like all of the, um, training is done by, uh, well, the program is done by.
Physical therapist and then the like implement that and that was really great to have in person um, but the scheduling got really hard and so now i'm like trying to do Home and and but I because I built like I never would have been able to work out at home five ten years ago But because I felt so much like confidence and I think like pruning like we were talking about earlier with the neurons With just pure exposure, exposure mixed with support.
Now I feel like I can, and I do do stuff at home now, but man, it took a long time to get there. Yeah,
Rachel Smith MS CPT: that, that does not surprise me. And, um, you know, I've, I've always thought like, Oh, well, what would it be like if I had opened a gym? you know, in person and bringing people in. [00:45:00] And the reason that I don't, the reason that my program is all virtual, um, is because I want it to be accessible to folks who might not be able to come to a gym.
Destiny Davis LPC CRC: Yeah.
Rachel Smith MS CPT: Um, and one of the things that I, I've noticed is, you know, if you have a appointment with a trainer and you suddenly get extreme fatigue or your symptoms flare up and you have to cancel, um, that can be really hard. And so with the way that I work with my clients is I give them their workouts and they can do them through my app whenever.
It works for them. And, and that way, if something should come up, then they can kind of adjust.
Destiny Davis LPC CRC: Yeah, I think the access, the accessibility and the flexibility is so important. And I do think at certain times, like, especially with ADHD, you know, we need that, that urgency and the deadline and that we need a thing starting right now.
And I'm never going to do it if it's not [00:46:00] like, somebody's not holding me accountable. But at the same time, like we already talked about. Um, that's not a long term solution. Like, we do end up backfiring against that. And so, I do think, like, the flexibility and the accommodations is always going to win over the rigid.
Um, yeah, but sometimes I think, you know, you do need it for a minute to, like, kind of, um, you know, maybe do something for you mentally, like, psychologically, and then we've got to, we've got to find ways to be flexible again, because that's really the only sustainable option.
Rachel Smith MS CPT: Yes,
Destiny Davis LPC CRC: yes,
Rachel Smith MS CPT: definitely. Um, and, you know, it's a really good point about kind of needing that, how do I put it?
That push at the beginning. Um, and I think that, that is also why my program is like an eight week program. So there's a start and a stop date.
Destiny Davis LPC CRC: Yeah.
Rachel Smith MS CPT: Um, because what I find is when folks sign up that first couple of weeks, they are like, ready to go. Um, and then of course, like, [00:47:00] like anything, oh, you know, over the next course, the weeks, it gets a little harder to work out, et cetera.
Um, but at the end of the program, they get PDF copies of all of the workouts. So that way, even after the program ends, they lose access to my app, et cetera. Um, like you said, Once you've done it a couple of times, they can then take the PDF and go, okay, I've done this before I can, I can do this again on my own.
Destiny Davis LPC CRC: Yes. Yeah. So it ends at eight weeks. I was going to ask if you did like an alumni group or anything like that. I do. I do.
Rachel Smith MS CPT: So, um, you know, the alumni group is completely optional. Um, but what I found was. After going through FibroFit Warriors, people were asking for, you know, more advanced workouts. But I think most importantly, they really liked the community aspect of it.
Um, and they didn't want to lose that. And so my alumni program, it's month to month, they can cancel or join [00:48:00] at any time. And, um, they'll be able to get. new workouts, they can continue to ask me questions. They have the community. Um, and then also most importantly, you know, most folks who come to me are all, like I said, researchers, evidence based folks, they want to keep learning.
Uh, and so every month I will share, um, you know, mini training of, you know, some new research that I found or, um, you know, I bring in guests is another thing, um, as people who are outside my scope, who have something that they can teach my clients.
Destiny Davis LPC CRC: Yes. I love that. Um, yeah, you have a a webinar coming up on March 20th, uh, 2020.
Rachel Smith MS CPT: Do you want to tell me about that one? Yeah. So, um, one of the things that I really wanted to do was kind of make what I learned more accessible. So obviously like I, I do charge for my [00:49:00] program, um, you know, because of my time, but I wanted to do something because I have a lot of folks that come to me, they might be on disability or just I think all of us are kind of strapped for cash right now.
Um, and so my coaching isn't in the budget. And one of the questions that I kind of routinely get in my DMs is I've just been diagnosed. Now what? Like, I don't even know. where to start. Um, and so I, I'm kind of calling this, um, you know, webinar or class, uh, like Faber Ragel 101, uh, what your, what you wish your doctors had told you.
Yeah. And what I want to really cover is, you know, one, why do a lot of doctors not know that much about fibromyalgia. So I'll, I'm going to share a lot of the research around that, about how it's, it's not really taught. So if your doctor knows anything about fibromyalgia, it's [00:50:00] because they actually went out and learned it on their own.
Um, but also talk about, you know, how do you get diagnosed? What are the different theories on what causes it? What are the different medications you can ask your doctor for? And, um, You know, why do people say that it's not real and that a lot of I'm hoping to address some of the more prevalent misinformation.
So, um, one of the actually, I just got this question today on my Instagram DMs. Someone asked me about a blood test that you can take to get tested for fibromyalgia. And I said. know that like that doesn't exist yet there it's it's they're researching it but it doesn't exist yet and they said oh well there's this company called epigenetics and they're they're going around and i was like you should google epigenetics lawsuit yes um [00:51:00] yes and so i'm hoping to kind of address that as well and just kind of get ahead of any possible misinformation that they will find on their journey of learning about fibromyalgia.
Destiny Davis LPC CRC: So important. Yeah. Yeah. So people can say, and those are free. The classes are free. Yes. Yeah.
Rachel Smith MS CPT: So this, it's going to be one class. Um, I'll have it recorded and, you know, obviously at the end I will talk about my program, but. You know, they can always close out if they're not interested.
Destiny Davis LPC CRC: It's not like just a sales pitch.
It's you're teaching something. And then if you want more of this, I'm available, but yeah, we all deserve to be paid for our time. And I think, you know, yeah, I think, well, hopefully there are not many people still doing the webinars that are like, you're going to learn this. And then it's really just a sales pitch, but gosh, it drives me nuts.
It
Rachel Smith MS CPT: drives me nuts. Yeah. And, um, yeah, so they, they were. It's a real [00:52:00] class where you learn real things. Um, and, you know, I will, um, kind of consent to be sold to is really big for me. So when I do get ready to start talking about my services, I will let everybody know, Okay, this is the end of the class.
You're welcome to leave. Um, you know, if you want to hear more about it, you can continue. But it'll be very clear of where the class ends. You know, where I start talking. Um, but yeah, it'll be completely free. And so, starting March 8th, right, that's Monday, uh, starting March 8th, I will start posting the sign up sheet for folks who are interested in coming to this class.
Got it. Yeah, this
Destiny Davis LPC CRC: will air, I'm gonna try to get this out. By the 14th. I don't hold me to it, but that's what I'm looking for. Yeah. Perfect. Perfect. Yes. Good. Anything else that you feel like we maybe didn't touch on today that you, you wanted to share?
Rachel Smith MS CPT: [00:53:00] I, I think we really. We really covered, like, all of the things that I, um, am very passionate about, but, my DMs are always open, so anybody listening to this podcast, um, you know, like, feel free to message me with questions, to introduce yourself, um, you know, I I started my social media because I felt so alone and felt like I didn't belong in a lot of those.
Facebook groups. Um, and so it's incredibly important to me to be able to be a resource for people who might be feeling the same way. Um, so great.
Destiny Davis LPC CRC: I love that. Thank you so much for sharing your story and the research and for doing all of it. It's, it's, um, really refreshing. Yeah. Awesome. Thank you so much.
I had a lot of fun. This was great. Awesome.
Listen to Rachel’s interview with me, Destiny, on Episode 85: Strength Training For Fibromyalgia w/ Rachel Smith MS, CPT.
Rachel Smith, MS, CPT, diagnosed with fibromyalgia in 2010, refused to accept that her life would be defined by the condition. She made it her mission to discover how to manage it, dedicating years to research and experimentation—until she found the answer. Now, through Fibro Fit Warriors, she empowers others to take control of their health through movement, lifestyle changes, and evidence-based strategies. With a Master’s in Exercise Science and multiple certifications, Rachel is committed to helping others with fibromyalgia build strength and live a pain-free life!
Meet Destiny - The host of The Chronic Illness Therapist Podcast and a licensed mental health therapist in the states of Georgia and Florida. Destiny offers traditional 50-minute therapy sessions as well as therapy intensives and monthly online workshops for the chronic illness community.
Destiny Davis, LPC CRC, is solely responsible for the content of this document. The views expressed herein may or may not necessarily reflect the opinions of Rachel Smith, MS, CPT.