Navigating Exercise with Injuries: Expert Advice from Physiotherapy by Cure Clinics, Preston.

Navigating Exercise with Injuries: Expert Advice from Physiotherapy by Cure Clinics, PrestonOne of the most common questions we get asked in clinic is is it safe to exercise if I have pain.

If your pain is not in the acute phase, for example immediately after an injury or during a flare up of pain the answer is almost always YES!

People understandably worry that exercise may in fact make your pain worse. The good news is that exercise can be a helpful way to manage pain and research shows there are benefits to exercising when in pain. Of course, some activities may be more helpful than others therefore below is a guide to keep yourself safe when exercising with pain.

  • Pick an exercise you enjoy and is appropriate to your fitness level.
  • Start with a graded programme – start slowly and gradually increase the duration and intensity.
  • Use a pain scale of 0-10, imagining 0 is no pain and 10 is the worse pain imaginable. If your pain is between 0-3 when exercising you may be ok to increase your activity, if it is 3-5, this is manageable and it is recommended that you stick at this intensity, if it is between 5-10 we recommend you reduce your activity to a more comfortable level.
  • Ensure pain settles to your original baseline within 24 hours and does not cause an increase in your symptoms after this timeframe.If it does you will need to modify and reduce the intensity or load during exercise.

Here are some specific exercises that can help to relieve pain:

  • Walking: Walking is a great low-impact exercise that can help to improve your cardiovascular health and reduce pain.
  • Swimming: Swimming is a great way to exercise your entire body without putting too much stress on your joints.
  • Yoga: Yoga can help to improve your flexibility and range of motion, which can help to reduce pain.
  • Pilates: Pilates is a great way to strengthen your core muscles, which can help to improve your posture and reduce pain.

Government guidelines state we should try to be active every day and do at least 150 minutes of physical activity a week, that’s just over 20 minutes every day.

Think of exercise as medicine and take your daily prescription.

As well as the benefits for your muscle and joints there’s lots of other benefits you will get from exercising such as:

  • Increase energy levels.
  • Improve your mood.
  • Improve your sleep.
  • Maintain a healthy weight.
  • Improve cardiovascular fitness.
  • Prevent many health conditions such as heart disease, high blood pressure, type two diabetes, cancer, osteoporosis.
  • Reduce your need to visit the doctor.

With a little patience and effort, you can find an exercise routine that helps to reduce pain and improve your overall health.If you need further advice or help getting back in to exercise, our physiotherapists are on hand to help and you can be seen without having to wait, book with the link below.