For many people suffering from chronic pain, one of the keys to making that pain more tolerable is regular, vigorous exercise. Exercise produces many important health benefits that mitigate pain including greater endurance and flexibility, more regular and restful sleep, and an enhanced pain tolerance. That is why it is in your best interest to purchase a fitness tracker and start sweating.
It is commonly known that vigorous exercise produces endorphins that act as natural pain killers. That is why many pain sufferers experience a lessening in pain after start of a workout and for up to 30 minutes afterwards. However, researchers had been unsure that regular exercise produces long-term pain mitigation.
Recent research suggests that regular, strenuous exercise produces changes in the brain that make it easier to handle pain. A study in Australia asked half of its participants to exercise for 30 minutes, three times a week for a month and a half. After testing all of the subjects at the end of the study, it was found that those who exercised had increased their tolerance for pain, while those that hadn’t had their tolerances remain the same.
Although the exact mechanism of how tolerances are elevated remains a mystery, researchers are confident that regular exercise acts on the brain. Regardless of how this effect is produced, it points out that there are some very real, lasting benefits to a habitual exercise regimen for people struggling with chronic pain.
How To Develop a Fruitful Exercise Program
While you may not have known all of the important benefits of exercising, you probably already knew that you should be trying to exercise. Of course, the difficulty is establishing a long-term exercise pattern that you can sustain. The initial step is visiting your doctor and getting a thorough examination. Your doctor can then recommend a step-by-step program that will help you without overly exerting yourself or worsening any health conditions.
One of the most effective ways to stay on your exercise program is to get a fitness tracker. These personal monitoring devices can keep track of how many steps you take as you go through the day, allowing you to determine how many more calories you need to burn when you start your workout. More importantly, they are useful reminders of how much you need to exercise, especially if you lead a relatively inactive lifestyle.
However, like most health improvement tools, a fitness tracker should be combined with some powerful incentive. You may join an employee wellness program that offers financial rewards for reaching certain health milestones, or you may enroll in a health insurance plan that offers similar financial incentives. If these kinds of programs are not available to you, you can take the initiative and create an exercise program that includes family, friends or co-workers. Studies suggest that a competition-based program with or without a modest reward is sufficiently engaging to keep many people committed to their exercise program. You may also be able to obtain a fitness tracker that uses games to keep your attention and provide stimulation during your workout.
Article written by: Dr. Robert Moghim – CEO/Founder Colorado Pain Care
M.D. Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are the personal views of Robert Moghim, M.D. and do not necessarily represent and are not intended to represent the views of the company or its employees.
Colorado Pain Care treats each patient with the same care we would want for our own family. Founded on the promise of H.O.P.E., we provide honest, objective, personalized, and empathetic care from the area’s top physicians and providers.
