Managing Chronic Pain: 5 Ways Fitness and Mobility Make a Difference

Living with chronic pain can be a challenging journey, but there are effective strategies that can help alleviate symptoms and enhance quality of life. By incorporating fitness and mobility into your daily routine, you can actively manage chronic pain.

Strengthening Muscles: Regular exercise plays a critical role in strengthening muscles, reducing stress on joints, and improving overall stability¹. Dealing with chronic pain conditions like osteoarthritis or back pain, building stronger muscles can provide essential support and minimise strain on affected areas². Engaging in activities such as resistance training or Pilates can enhance muscle tone and alleviate pain, empowering individuals to regain control over their daily activities.
Enhancing Flexibility: Stretching and flexibility exercises can help when managing chronic pain conditions like rheumatoid arthritis or fibromyalgia³. These exercises improve joint mobility and range of motion, reducing stiffness and easing pain. Incorporating practices like yoga, tai chi, or gentle stretching routines can enhance flexibility, enabling individuals to maintain an active lifestyle while effectively managing chronic pain⁴.
Boosting Endorphins: Engaging in physical activity releases endorphins, the body's natural painkillers, offering relief when dealing with chronic pain⁵. These endorphins not only reduce pain perception but also enhance mood, which is particularly valuable for conditions like migraines or neuropathic pain. By participating in regular exercise, such as brisk walking, swimming, or cycling, individuals can boost endorphin levels, contributing to effective chronic pain management⁶.
Reducing Inflammation: Chronic pain often stems from underlying inflammation within the body⁷. Exercise has been found to regulate inflammatory responses, resulting in a reduction in pain and discomfort. Low-impact exercises like swimming or water aerobics are particularly beneficial for managing inflammation-related pain⁸. By incorporating these activities into one's routine, individuals can help alleviate chronic pain caused by conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis or inflammatory bowel disease.
Improving Sleep Quality: Chronic pain can disrupt sleep patterns, leading to fatigue and increased pain sensitivity⁹. Regular exercise promotes better sleep quality, allowing individuals to experience more restorative sleep and effectively manage conditions like chronic fatigue syndrome or fibromyalgia¹⁰.

By embracing fitness and mobility as part of a comprehensive pain management plan, you can significantly improve your experience of chronic pain. Strengthening muscles, enhancing flexibility, boosting endorphins, reducing inflammation, and improving sleep quality are all critical aspects of this approach. It is important to consult with healthcare professionals for personalised advice and guidance based on individual circumstances and medical conditions.

Remember, you have the power to take an active role in managing chronic pain. By incorporating fitness and mobility into your life, you can improve your well-being, reduce pain levels, and enhance your overall quality of life.

MetLife 360Health Fitness & Mobility

MetLife 360Health offers fitness and mobility support through its Fitness and Recovery service to help you improve your general health and fitness, or it can also support your recovery from injury or surgery. Find out how you can access the service as a MetLife customer.

And, as a MetLife customer it's all part of your insurance offer so there's no additional fees or costs.

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