Healthy lifestyle

Getting fitter and healthier

Like many people with persistent pain, you may be avoiding physical activity because you are worried it will make your pain worse.

These fears are normal and understandable – when you live with pain, the last thing that you want to do is aggravate it further! So it may be encouraging for you to know that getting fit and staying active is actually good for your pain. It increases energy, makes you stronger and more flexible, improves sleep and mood. 

Crucially, it’s important to remember that pain is not a sign of harm. Pain during activity does not mean you are doing damage to your body. Even if you understand this, for most people living with persistent pain, staying fit and active can be a real challenge.

5 tips to becoming more active, when living with pain:

1. It is important not to let symptoms dictate levels of activity as this can lead to a cycle of over and under activity which can exacerbate symptoms. See our section on ‘pacing’ to learn more about this important skill.
2. Find a realistic level of activity which you could repeatedly practice each day. Create a plan to practice this regularly. Physical activity needs to start slowly and to build up over-time. When the activity becomes much easier, build up gradually by increasing the time or distance.
3. Make it enjoyable. Make sure the exercise you choose is enjoyable and/or meaningful to you. Have fun, play, and be creative. It often helps to do activities with friends.
4. Plan your exercise and track your progress. Keep a record of what you have done each day you exercise.  Try to reflect on this at the end of each week and then plan next week’s exercise.