Staying Active with Chronic Pain — New Video Article from Kelli
Hey FB Family! I wanted to share my best tip for staying active with chronic pain. Pain, injury and illness can be a normal part of the human experience and it matters how we treat and talk to ourselves in those times. Exercise is for everyone, not just healthy, pain-free people.
I’m a very active person myself, but I’ve also lived with intermittent chronic pain for years. It can be tricky to navigate, but I believe that a flexible approach to exercise can improve pain levels & quality of life. What helped me most when I was working to get my pain level down and my mobility back, was to learn what level of activity I could engage in without causing an uptick in symptoms. Then showing up for myself in whatever way my body would allow.
Ask yourself: What amount, type and intensity of training can I do without seeing an uptick in symptoms?
Answer this question for yourself and you’ll have a better idea of what intensity you should stay under (for now). It takes trial and error, which means you need to proceed slowly and pay close attention during and in the days after your workouts. Heads up — this can be discouraging at first. But whatever the answer is, no matter how “not good enough” the answer might feel — respect it — in order to teach your body and mind that movement and workouts are safe for you; they pose no threat. Staying under the threshold that increases symptoms will help your body realize it doesn’t need to protect itself from you, and will minimize the chance of going intofight or flight (versus the state of “rest and digest, where we heal better).
Over time, approaching exercise with patience and care can help increase your pain-free activity threshold, in the same way that fitness levels change if you stay consistent. Creating that feeling of safety in your body related to exercise means you need to increase the intensity of your workouts slowly & deliberately, giving plenty of time for recovery in between. Support yourself along the way by knowing that whatever you are capable of, it’s good enough.
Let me know if this is helpful to you. I hope you’re all taking great care of yourselves! - Kelli
Staying Active with Chronic Pain — New Video Article from Kelli
Hey FB Family! I wanted to share my best tip for staying active with chronic pain. Pain, injury and illness can be a normal part of the human experience and it matters how we treat and talk to ourselves in those times. Exercise is for everyone, not just healthy, pain-free people.
Find the video and full article in the Expert Article's section.
I’m a very active person myself, but I’ve also lived with intermittent chronic pain for years. It can be tricky to navigate, but I believe that a flexible approach to exercise can improve pain levels & quality of life. What helped me most when I was working to get my pain level down and my mobility back, was to learn what level of activity I could engage in without causing an uptick in symptoms. Then showing up for myself in whatever way my body would allow.
Ask yourself: What amount, type and intensity of training can I do without seeing an uptick in symptoms?
Answer this question for yourself and you’ll have a better idea of what intensity you should stay under (for now). It takes trial and error, which means you need to proceed slowly and pay close attention during and in the days after your workouts. Heads up — this can be discouraging at first. But whatever the answer is, no matter how “not good enough” the answer might feel — respect it — in order to teach your body and mind that movement and workouts are safe for you; they pose no threat. Staying under the threshold that increases symptoms will help your body realize it doesn’t need to protect itself from you, and will minimize the chance of going into fight or flight (versus the state of “rest and digest, where we heal better).
Over time, approaching exercise with patience and care can help increase your pain-free activity threshold, in the same way that fitness levels change if you stay consistent. Creating that feeling of safety in your body related to exercise means you need to increase the intensity of your workouts slowly & deliberately, giving plenty of time for recovery in between. Support yourself along the way by knowing that whatever you are capable of, it’s good enough.
Let me know if this is helpful to you. I hope you’re all taking great care of yourselves! - Kelli