The aim of the present study was to determine the reliability and feasibility of physical fitness tests in female fibromyalgia patients. 100 female fibromyalgia patients (aged 50.6±8.6 years) performed the following tests twice (7 days interval test-retest): chair sit and reach, back scratch, handgrip strength, arm curl, chair stand, 8 feet up and go, and 6-min walk. Significant differences between test and retest were found in the arm curl (mean difference: 1.25±2.16 repetitions, Cohen d=0.251), chair stand (0.99±1.7 repetitions, Cohen d=0.254) and 8 feet up and go (-0.38±1.09 s, Cohen d=0.111) tests. Intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC) range from 0.92 in the arm curl test to 0.96 in the back scratch test. The feasibility of the tests (patients able to complete the test) ranged from 89% in the arm curl test to 100% in the handgrip strength test. Therefore, the reliability and feasibility of the physical fitness tests examined is acceptable for female fibromyalgia patients.

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We examined the association of objectively measured sedentary time (ST) and physical activity (PA) levels with pain, fatigue, and the impact of the disease in women with fibromyalgia. Four hundred and nineteen (mean age ± SD = 51.7 ± 7.6 years old) women with fibromyalgia participated. ST and PA levels (light, moderate, and moderate-to-vigorous [MVPA]) were measured with triaxial accelerometry. We assessed experimental pain with algometry and clinical pain, fatigue, and impact of fibromyalgia with a number of questionnaires. The association of ST and light PA with most of the pain- and fatigue-related outcomes and impact of fibromyalgia (all, P ≤ 0.019) was independent of moderate and vigorous PA. Furthermore, the association of vigorous PA with general and physical fatigue was independent of ST and light and moderate PA (all, P < 0.001). In conclusion, lower levels of ST or higher levels of light PA are associated with lower pain, fatigue, and the overall impact of the disease independent of moderate and vigorous PA in women with fibromyalgia. Interestingly, higher vigorous PA is independently associated with lower general and physical fatigue. These results are significant for future ST and PA intervention studies in this population.

The m-2010c, with the same cut-off points as the original version, are a valid tool for the diagnosis of FM in our population. Whenever possible, the combination of the 1990c and m-2010c is recommended (patients have to meet one of the two criteria to be diagnosed), since this approach showed the best diagnostic characteristics.

Objective. To characterize the levels of objectively measured time spent in sedentary activities (sedentary time) and physical activities in female patients with fibromyalgia and compare them with the levels in agematched healthy control women.Methods. The study comprised 413 female patients with fibromyalgia (mean 6 SD age 51.9 6 7.4 years) and 188 female control subjects (age 50.9 6 7.5 years). Sedentary time, the amount of time spent engaged in physical activity, and step counts were measured using triaxial accelerometry. The amounts of time (minutes/day) during which the participants were engaged in sedentary behaviors as well as in physical activity of different intensities (light, moderate, and moderate-to-vigorous) and the step counts were calculated.Results. The amount of time spent in sedentary behavior was longer in patients with fibromyalgia compared with controls (estimated mean 6 SEM difference 39 6 8 minutes/day; P < 0.001). The patients with fibromyalgia spent less time than controls engaged in light physical activity (mean 6 SEM difference 221 6 7 minutes/ day; P 5 0.005), moderate physical activity (mean 6 SEM difference 217 6 3 minutes/day; P < 0.001), and moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (mean 6 SEM difference 219 6 3 minutes/day; P < 0.001). The patients with fibromyalgia took fewer steps/day compared with the control subjects (mean 6 SEM difference 21,881 6 262 steps/ day; P < 0.001). Only 20.6% of the patients with fibromyalgia and 46.3% of the control subjects fulfilled the recommendation for 150 minutes/week of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity in bouts of at least 10 minutes/bout (x 2 5 41.8, P < 0.001). Similarly, only 16.0% of the patients fulfilled the recommendation for ‡10,000 steps/ day compared with 44.7% of the control subjects (x 2 5 56.8, P < 0.001). Both the patients and the control subjects were more active (physical activity of all intensities and numbers of steps) on weekdays than on weekend days (all P £ 0.001).Conclusion. Female patients with fibromyalgia spent more time in sedentary behaviors and were less physically active than age-matched controls. The low proportions of female patients with fibromyalgia and control subjects who met the physical activity and step count recommendations is worrisome.