physical activity Archives - The Health Sessions

Actively Autoimmune: How Zoe Uses Exercise to Manage Multiple Chronic Conditions

What’s it really like to live with chronic health problems every day? How do you deal with the physical symptoms, emotional turmoil and practical problems? In this interview series, real life ‘spoonies’ share their experiences and tips. Zoe is a 28-year old physiotherapist from England who lives with multiple chronic illnesses. On Actively Autoimmune, she shares … Read more >

A Simple Guide to Hip Flexibility Exercises

This article is written by dr. Kristina DeMatas from Sporty Doctor. The hip flexors are a group of muscles around the top of your thighs that connect the upper leg to the hip. This muscle group allows you to bend at the waist and raise your leg to your chest. Some of the main hip flexor … Read more >

Pilates for Chronic Pain: What It Is, The Benefits and How to Do It Safely

This article is written by Sarah Williams.

Often termed as “Contrology”, Pilates is a wonderful exercise for anyone looking forward to getting killer abs and core strength. However, the usefulness is not limited to that only.

Beyond that, Pilates can significantly help ease chronic pain. The way this exercise is designed, it simply diminishes the pains of several kinds through physical movement. But that can never be enough information, right?

For a better understanding, it’s required to dig a little deeper than this. Aiding to the same, here’s what you need to know about Pilates and their usefulness as a remedy for chronic pain of different types.

7 Exercises to Help Reduce Chronic Pain | The Health Sessions

7 Exercises You Should Do to Reduce Chronic Pain

This article is written by James from Elliptical Ninja.

“Typically, people who exercise start eating better and becoming more productive at work. Exercise is a keystone habit that triggers widespread change.”― Charles Duhigg, ‘The Power of Habit’

It is no surprise that exercise can bring about some drastic change in your life, provided you make it a habit rather than a part-time hobby.

Healthcare research worldwide has been implementing exercise into the daily routine of people suffering from various ailments for decades now.Researchers have proven that exercise facilitates better and faster improvement of health. However, what matters more is following the right exercise routine rather than what everyone around you is doing.

One question many ask is, how and why should you exercise when you are in pain?

Research consisting of 380+ case studies where over 38 thousand participants were observed and treated under various treatment options was conducted to understand how exercise improves chronic pain conditions.

Quality of life and movement agility is greatly improved when a specific exercise regime is implemented in the day to day life of the patient. Exercising improves bone strength and muscular flexibility. Besides the physical development, exercise increases the secretion of endorphins and dopamine. These feel-good hormones support good mental health and thus make you feel better emotionally.

So what kind of exercises can you do to reap these health benefits when you’re suffering from chronic pain?

How to Start Strength Training When You Have a Chronic Illness

We all know that strength training is key for keeping the body strong, maintaining a healthy weight and improving self-image. But if you have a chronic illness that comes with a host of unwanted symptoms like pain and fatigue (such as myalgia encephalomyelitis, Lyme, or fibromyalgia), the last thing you’d want to do is to hit the weight room.

But it’s still worth it. For those dealing with chronic illness, lifting weights may soothe and manage symptoms, increase energy, improve mobility and enhance life quality, research shows.

The niggling question is, how does one get started?