When you suffer from chronic pain, it’s tempting to rest and take it easy. However, in many cases, an essential part of healing chronic pain involves incorporating appropriate and regular exercise. With the weather improving, a nice walk is a great, inexpensive solution for nearly everyone. It may sound overly simple, but a regular walk can significantly improve the overall health of almost anyone. As a bonus, walking is the perfect way to get out and explore where you live this summer!
Being outside naturally improves your health and mental well-being thanks to the magical combination of sunlight and endorphins.
Endorphins lessen the body’s sensitivity to pain signals, which can make your symptoms more manageable.
Endorphins also play a role in reducing stress and anxiety — both common triggers for added pain. Even a short walk can increase your energy and improve your mood.
Aside from the emotional benefits, walking can significantly impact your physiological health and might lessen chronic pain. A walk that elevates your heart rate for between 15-60 minutes a day is generally enough to see wonderful benefits to your overall well-being.
Walking naturally increases your blood flow and circulation, which plays an important role in healing your body.
This increased blood flow adds oxygen to your muscles and increases nutrients throughout your body, which assists in clearing away the build-up of lactic acid.
Clearing away lactic acid can alleviate pain and improve overall strength and flexibility. (LINK to Pain Relief secondary pillar) As you walk, aim to keep your heart rate elevated, but not so much that you cannot hold a conversation with a walking partner or over the phone with someone.
Walking naturally increases your blood flow and circulation, which plays an important role in healing your body. This increased blood flow adds oxygen to your muscles and increases nutrients throughout your body, which assists in clearing away the build-up of lactic acid. Clearing away lactic acid can alleviate pain and improve overall strength and flexibility. As you walk, aim to keep your heart rate elevated, but not so much that you cannot hold a conversation with a walking partner or over the phone with someone.
For a low-impact exercise, walking also packs a punch in its potential to improve core strength and play a positive role in achieving and maintaining a healthy weight. Losing weight decreases stress on your joints and also alleviates pain. A strong core lessens the strain on your spine, resulting in less back pain. If you suffer from joint pain, walking is a great solution for you as well. Walking increases the production of synovial fluid, which helps keep joints lubricated and pain-free.
Invest in suitable footwear that provides good support to keep your body safe and encourage positive results as you walk. Take time to stretch before you warm up your muscles and avoid additional injury. It's also important to stay hydrated. Water helps flush toxins out of your body and improves your walk's overall impact and recovery. If you're walking outside, don't forget the sunscreen!
Consider finding a buddy to walk with to help keep yourself safe. Alternatively, let someone know your plans so someone knows where you'll be in case of an emergency. Stay in well-lit areas if you walk when it's dark, and wear light-reflecting clothing to be easily visible to drivers.
Of course, before you begin any new exercise regimen, it is recommended that you consult a medical professional for advice and approval. This is especially true if you have chronic pain to consider or other medical concerns to account for. If you have any questions or want advice on safely incorporating regular walking into your routine, contact Chronic Care of Richmond for help. We'll get you off on the right foot and keep you healthy along the way.
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