I was just recently diagnosed with Chiari. I was just beginning to work out at the gym when the worse of the symptoms hit me (like a ton of bricks). What I want to know is if anybody can recommend exercises I would still be able to do. I would love to go back to the gym for the cardio and weights but I am a little scared about the results. Oh, I will be going in for the decompression surgery once my insurance has approved. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Nancy, the only thing I would say stay away from is inversion moves. Other than that I think you should be ok to do anything that doesn’t increase symptoms. If you have EDS I would stay away from any stretching- especially neck stretching. 
Jenn
Thank you Jenn. Not really sure what EDS is though.
Nancy, Ehlers Danlos Syndrome is a genetic, collagen elastin problem. It estimated that about 20% of chiarians have it. It causes soft tissues to be lax, including the ligaments that hold your spine in alignment. If your neck or cranio cervical joints are affected- you could have cranio cervical instability- this has the same symptoms as Chiari. Every person with Chiari should be evaluated for EDS. You can google the Brighton criteria. Since the test for EDS requires giving a tissue sample and is very pricey, the Brighton criteria is widely accepted a diagnostic test.
So, if you have EDS it wise to not stretch your soft tissues- they can become too lax and unstable, and fail to keep their structure and fail to do their job.
Hope this helps a little
Jenn
Hi Nancy,
The only thing that worked for me was riding on an exercise bike (the kind where your legs are in front of you, not under you) and yoga. If you go for yoga for elderly people (har-har, i know), it doesn't have quite the impact as other forms of yoga has. I can also swim, but only for a short period of time, swimming my arms to the side instead of over my head.
I wish you luck! It's hard finding what works for you.
I found out yesterday that I can do a "few" crunches (maybe 10 at a time); however, I also found out that leg lifts are definitely out of the question. Thank you everyone for your suggestions and input.