When you have chronic pain, exercising safely may help with managing your pain. In fact, being inactive can sometimes lead to a cycle of more pain and loss of function. A few things to consider when starting exercise with chronic pain:
- Consider a combination of different exercises, focusing on endurance, strength, balance, and flexibility. Talk with a doctor about which exercises might be right for you.
- Listen to your body when participating in physical activities. If you have swelling or inflammation in a specific joint area, you may need to focus on exercising another area for a day or two.
- Seek medical advice right away if something doesn’t feel right or hurts.
Learn more about exercising with chronic pain on NIA’s website.
