I have deression, PTSD, social phobia, generalized anxiety disorder and DID?

Hi heartsgrace! So nice to meet you!

I have pain every day so can empathize a bit with your situation. I'm unable to do exercise either & have gained a lot of weight in the past 3 years.

These are my suggestions, however, you may not be able to do them now. Please keep them in mind for future use.

A great exercise is walking. You don't need extra equipment & Vitamin D helps with pain & depression. Exercise creates endorphins which will help you to feel better, both physically & mentally.

Start out slowly at first. If you have a dog, bring her along. Try 10 or 5 minutes at a time & then gradually increase accordingly. Listen to your body but try to remember that the more that you can do today, the more you should be able to do tomorrow. If you have nice, serene scenery surrounding you, that's a bonus for your brain!

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Gentle stretching or Tai Chi or Yoga stretching exercises are good. Please remember, start slowly & then gradually increase. You'll be able to find some exercises to choose from on the internet or at the library. You can stretch indoors or out. Don't overdo it. Start small before you go big. :)

Skip rope or grab a hula hoop. The hoops are back in vogue again! LOL
We have a basketball net at the school across the street. It's a great place for dunking a few or playing 21. Do some weight lifting, again starting small. If you're not able to get manufactured weights, then improvise using large cans or bags of frozen veggies. Bags of sugar works too. Use what you have at hand & add some motion. Look around your home & start imagining.
Any extra movement will be considered by your body right now to be "exercise". While watching TV, add some movement. Jump up & down or run in one spot or do some reps of lifting. Leg lifts. Stretching. Dancing is great!

So, don't drive to the corner store, walk. Take the dog out for an extra walk or two, even if it's only for 10 or 15 extra minutes, it'll add up over time. Exercise can have cumulative effects if you can do about 20 or 30 minutes, 3 times weekly. If you live in an apartment, walk up the stairs. At work, don't use the elevator. At the subway, bypass the escalator. Ride your bike instead of using your car. Park at the far end of the mall to get in those precious extra footsteps when going shopping. Try to think of something fun & enjoyable that you like to do & then customize it to your situation. :)

I used to go swimming at a small pool here at a hotel. I signed up for 6 months. The majority of the time when I used the pool, I was the sole swimmer. It was available from 7 A.M. until 11 P.M. They even provided a towel service that was free. It was close to my home, & I could go either before or after work depending upon my schedule. Swimming is a fantastic exercise, especially if you have Fibromyalgia or Rheumatoid Arthritis or asthma. If you don't want to swim, then do some stretching & exercises in the pool. Floating is good too for gaining a sense of calmness.

pledge had a great suggestion about holding in his abdomen. So you can do that too, when you exercise. Just add it as you're doing exercises or even watching TV or on the bus. Move your tummy in & out. It won't know that it's not at a fancy gym! LOL

Please check with your doctor first before proceeding. He/she may even have some pamphlets & brochures for you to read as well as good advice.

heartsgrace, I guess I'm basically telling you that so many things can become exercises just by adding movements or stretches to the mix!

You have to start somewhere, someday so it might as well be today!
Your body will thank you & you WILL feel better after a while. It'll get even easier as you keep working out. Once things seem too easy, make them a bit harder or more complex until the next time that you change it up. Your body has many different muscles & sets of muscles. Make sure that you don't always do the same things over & over. Change it up, don't get stale. Make sure you do some light stretching for 10 minutes or so before your exercise regime. If you don't do exercise one day, ensure that you do it the next day. The more consistent the better! Make it enjoyable, not onerous.

Have fun! Take good care. All the best to you, heartsgrace!
from Wendy :)