Chronic pain can be incredibly distressing, impacting every part of life. Likewise, every part of life can also impact pain. Factors such as poor sleep, low mood, anxiety, worry, and stress can all exacerbate pain. In other words, although pain is an unpleasant sensation felt in the body, it is influenced by a combination of biological, psychological, and social factors, all pulling on the “pain volume knob”.
This makes pain complex and confusing, which is why adding exercise to the mix isn’t always straight forward.
Valid questions often arise:
Why are doctors telling me to exercise?
What is the best exercise to do?
Why are doctors telling me to exercise?
Exercise can help manage pain
Exercise can play an important role in managing and potentially recovering from chronic pain.
Exercise improves your general health
Physical activity is just as important for individuals with chronic pain as it is for everyone else, providing benefits such as:
- Prevention and management of various health conditions such as heart disease, diabetes, lung conditions, osteoporosis, some cancers and brain health
- Maintaining the fitness needed for independence in everyday activities
- Building fitness to enjoy recreational activities
What is the best exercise to do?
There is no “one size fits all” exercise for people with pain.
Exercise for pain relief
Many people find stretching and mobility exercises help to relax the tension of the muscle.
Other beneficial exercises may include walking, walking in water, or swimming. These types of movements, especially if they involve the painful area, improve blood flow and oxygen supply, which can help calm down the nerves, promoting pain relief.
Aerobic exercise can be powerful as it releases certain neurotransmitters and hormones—often referred to as "happy chemicals"—that act as natural pain relievers. Strength exercises can also help reduce pain by redirecting muscle tension and boosting confidence.
It is important to remember that pain relief from exercise alone may be temporary. However, combining exercise with emotional and cognitive pain management strategies helps with long-term improvement.
For pain recovery
It can be easy to get stuck in the pain-relief loop. Stretching to relieve pain is not enough for full recovery from persistent pain. Recovery from persisting pain takes time.
Cognitive strategies, such as challenging unhelpful beliefs about pain—especially fear and avoidance of movement—are essential for downregulating the nervous system's pain response. Movement and exercise play an important part in recovery by increasing blood flow, which delivers nutrients and natural healing chemicals to painful body parts. Exercise helps build muscle strength and flexibility, while also reducing inflammation, muscle fatigue, and pain sensitivity.
Exercise should be specific to activity-based goals. This approach not only takes the focus away from pain; it also provides direction, motivation, improved confidence, and greater physical tolerance to get back to normal, meaningful activity.
The best exercises are:
- Those you enjoy doing
- Exercises that make you feel strong and confident
- Activities tailored to your specific goals
- The activity itself (your goal), modified as needed—for example, by reducing the duration, decreasing the load, or adjusting your posture.
Although there is no “magic” exercise, the best one is the kind you can complete regularly. Exercise does not always need to be a structured program in the living room or at the gym; it can be incidental activities like household chores, or even tasks at work. The trick is to do a small amount of the activity and gradually build up to doing more. For example, begin with 10 minutes of gardening or mowing the lawn instead of 30, and slowly extend the duration.
If you are doing a structured exercise program, ensure the focus is on strength, fitness and the confidence needed for daily activities, or at least incorporate some fun into it!
Learn more about how exercise can help relieve pain here