Chronic pain severely impacts the quality of life of millions around the world. Conditions like arthritis, sciatica, and fibromyalgia greatly limit mobility even when managed with appropriate medication.
Long-term relief is possible though, with many people finding respite from their pain through low-impact exercises. Careful strategies for physical activity not only address current pain, but help to decrease the chance of symptoms getting worse over time.
The Connection Between Movement and Physical Pain
Physical activity has many health benefits, including improved mobility. What’s more, studies have shown how regular exercise helps to alleviate pain specifically.
However, not all types of exercise are created equal in the eyes of those with chronic pain. There are some, like high-impact workouts, that could cause even more discomfort.
Exercises to Avoid in Cases of Chronic Pain
Movements that place extra strain on your muscles, joints, and nerves can cause added inflammation in those areas. More inflammation means more pain, so it’s best to steer clear of the following:
- Lifting Heavy Weights Weights place focused stress and pressure on sensitive areas, like your back and joints.
- Lunges and Squats Repetitive strain is harmful to your knees and back.
- High-Impact Cardio As with lunges, repeated pressure from running or skipping increases discomfort in the spine and leg joints.
Forbes reported that a national health survey showed just over 20% of the U.S. population experiences chronic pain. This underscores the importance of building strength and improving mobility in healthy ways.
Why Low-Impact Routines Are Effective for Pain Relief
Gentle exercise comes highly recommended as a safe and impactful way to address chronic pain. This is because routines with lower intensity involve three important factors:
- Core stability
- Controlled motion
- Flexibility
These factors work together to best enhance the joint and muscle support needed to reduce pain and inflammation in problem areas. At the same time, they ensure that one stays comfortable without pushing oneself too hard.
Now that you know why it works, let’s look at some of the most effective low-impact options to consider:
- Swimming and aquarobics Exercising in water allows full-body motion while greatly reducing impact on joints.
- Yoga This is a gentle way to improve flexibility and strength. It’s also accessible to people of all fitness levels and all ages.
- Tai Chi Regular practice helps with balance and coordination.
- Pilates Improves posture and flexibility, and stabilizes the core.
Harvard Health Publishing recommends regular exercise to enhance the production of the body’s natural painkilling chemicals. In this way, you not only relieve pain in the moment but lower the chances of ongoing inflammation moving forward.
When looking at chronic back pain in particular, Pilates is a favored approach among many medical professionals.
Pilates and Lower Back Pain
Of all the options for low-intensity workouts, Pilates offers one of the most effective treatments for chronic back pain.
According to The Pilates Circuit, that’s because it doesn’t just focus on one muscle group—it deals with your core and everything around it too. It’s this specific and gentle targeting of nerves related to back pain that makes Pilates as effective as it is safe.
For example, Pilates for sciatica pain relief will always include:
- Strengthening core muscles that support your lower back
- Improving the stability of your spine
- Enhancing flexibility in your hamstrings and hips to alleviate pressure on the sciatic nerve
- Using gentle, controlled movements to decrease the risk of injury
While it’s true that Pilates is often associated with sciatica relief and other chronic back issues, the benefits don’t end there. It’s effective in improving joint mobility in cases of arthritis, and exercise without fatigue for those with fibromyalgia.
Key Pain Reduction Exercises
When doing Pilates, your aim should be to gradually build flexibility and strength through movements that don’t place excessive strain on your body.
Effective exercises in this category include:
- Pelvic Tilts to support the alignment of the spine and strengthen the core.
- Seated Spinal Twist improves flexibility through gentle, controlled movements.
- Knees-to-Chest Stretch gently stretches your back as well as hamstrings.
- Cat Cow is a flowing movement engaging your back and core for increased spinal mobility.
- Child’s Pose releases tension in the back and stretches the hips through a position of rest.
Low-Impact for High Efficacy
The key to effectively managing chronic pain lies in intentional, consistent exercise to complement any medicinal pain relief measures. By strengthening your body to better support the areas of pain, you will achieve long-term relief and an enhanced quality of life.
