Staying Active When It’s Hard to Stand

Working up a sweat is great for your physical and mental health. The CDC reports that those who exercise regularly have healthier brains, lower disease risk, and can complete everyday activities much more manageable.

But exercising when you live with chronic pain can be a severe challenge. Some forms of exercise are detrimental to your overall health and cause additional pain.

Exercising is particularly challenging if you have a mobility disability or struggle to stand due to conditions like varicose veins.

However, this doesn’t mean you need to turn your back on exercise and activity altogether. You can still get a great workout while working around your particular needs and abilities.

Breaking the Cycle

Conditions that make standing hard often occur due to inactivity earlier in life. For example, varicose veins are more likely to form if you live a sedentary lifestyle and sit for lengthy periods. The blood in your legs doesn’t flow well when sitting down, which may lead to pooling that compromises the integrity of the valves in your veins.

Breaking the cycle of inactivity is difficult if you experience pain when standing and moving around. Just standing up and completing everyday activities can be a real challenge, so exercising and being active may sound like your worst nightmare.

Breaking the cycle of inactivity is an essential first step toward living a healthier lifestyle. Try to choose activities that get you moving while causing minimal discomfort. You might, for example, consider short walks or seated exercises that get your body used to the idea of exercise again.

Easing yourself into an exercise routine is essential. Research shows that intense exercise after a long break will exacerbate pain in your body. However, your body will adapt over time, and exercising will relieve pain when the underlying issue is fixed.

Low-Impact Exercises

Low-impact exercise is your best friend when you’re living with chronic pain. Low-impact exercise can reduce inflammation and make it easier to manage your body weight. Low-impact exercise may even reduce the symptoms of your condition, as some forms of exercise are shown to help manage the signs of pain.

Choosing the proper low-impact exercise for you can be tricky. Ultimately, finding something that works for your body and daily schedule would be best. Consider activities like:

• Swimming
• Water aerobics
• Cycling
• Stationary bike programs
• Floor exercises

If possible, choose a form of exercise where you can track and record your progress. Being able to swim a little faster or complete a new yoga pose is deeply rewarding and can help you find motivation when you don’t want to work out.

Engaging in low-impact exercise is particularly important if you are a remote worker. Staying active is a great way to improve your focus while you work from home. You may even feel more productive when you return from low-impact exercise, as getting active can reduce brain fog and help break up the day.

Upper Body Exercise

Sometimes, your body doesn’t allow you to get up and move around. These days, be gentle and take it at your own pace. If you still want to work up a sweat, consider upper-body exercises that don’t cause you to experience additional pain in your lower body.

There are plenty of upper-body exercise programs to choose from. Using adaptive equipment like arm bikes can be a straightforward way to get active, even on days when it is hard to stand. Alternatively, you can create programs specifically tailored to reduce the strain on your lower body. Consider adding exercises like:

• Assisted pull-ups
• Overhead press
• Machine assisted rows
• Dumbbell bench press

These exercises require little engagement from your lower body but still give your upper body a great workout. Creating a go-to program on a difficult day can make a meaningful difference to your physical and mental health.

Conclusion

Staying active when you suffer from any form of chronic pain is complex. It’s particularly challenging if you struggle to stand. Get started by engaging in light, low-impact exercise that doesn’t exacerbate your pain. Over time, you can create workout programs and an exercise schedule that works for you.

Author: Indiana

Published by International Pain Foundation, iPain Blog