How can exercises help with chronic pain?
Many people with chronic pain are afraid to exercise due to the fear of increasing pain or damaging their joints further. But did you know that exercise can actually help to reduce your pain? In this blog lets discuss how exercises help with chronic pain. 
 
Here are some reasons why you should exercise even when you have chronic pain:
 1. Exercises help to decrease joint pain as they strengthen muscles so they can support joints better and prevent future injuries. It is recommended to begin with some gentle yoga, tai chi or aqua exercises for low impact exercises. Gradually introduce core exercises to help with joint stability. 

2. Exercise can also help to lengthen tight muscles that together with the correct strengthening exercises can help to ease muscle imbalances in the body. 
 
3. Most chronic joint pain arises from loss of the joint cartilage. Cartilage is avascular, i.e. it does not have a blood supply. It depends on joint movement to get nutrients in the joint fluid. Movement can helps to lubricate the joint cartilage and slow down degeneration. 
 
4. Exercise activates the body’s endogenous opioid system. This system releases neurotransmitters such as endorphin, enkephalins and dynorphins, which act as painkillers. An additional advantage of these endogenous opioids is the euphoria or high that we experience after exercise, which leads us to stick to a workout routine.
 
5. It is a well known fact that exercise decreases stress. Stress can make people more sensitive to pain. So when we exercise we can modulate the perception of pain by the body, thereby reducing pain. 
 
6. Additional benefits of exercise are improvement in the quality of sleep, improvement in mood and reduction in depression and anxiety. Exercise can  improve self-efficacy and confidence which in turn can help ease pain too.
 
However, when you start with any exercise routine, start off slow and don’t push into the pain. A good way to monitor this while exercising is to rate your pain on a scale of 1 to 10. If the pain increases by more than 2 points from baseline, stop and modify that exercise. This will ensure that your pain does not flare up. 
 
If you are suffering from chronic pain, start off with small chunks of time for exercises and slowly progress with the duration of exercises. Once the duration is set, you can gradually increase the intensity or frequency of the exercises. 
 
If you want to know more about this topic, feel free to join my free community where we discuss this and similar topics in a judgement free friendly group. 
 
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MEET SWATI

 
Hi there! 
I am Swati, an Executive Mum Power Coach and a Certified Posture Expert. I use my proven system to help mums of younger kids working in high-stress executive jobs manage their back, neck, and nerve pains, despite low energy levels and brain fog. I do all this without taking away a big chunk of their time out of their already busy day. This enables them to be more productive and capable professionals at work and guilt-free mums who can focus on their kids instead of always being distracted by pain. 



My passion for helping executive mums stems from my own experiences. I have been in the same boat and understand the frustration and helplessness of being in constant pain or being afraid to engage in activities due to the fear of pain. After two pregnancies in the span of three years and juggling my two kids, housework, and a demanding job, I was constantly in pain. The weight gain from motherhood added extra stress to my already overburdened spine and joints. I was stuck in a vicious cycle of weight loss and spinal/nerve pain that I just couldn’t break free from.

On top of the physical pain, I also suffered from adrenal fatigue. I often felt exhausted, waking up groggy even after a full night’s (10 to 12 plus hours!) sleep, and struggled with low energy levels and brain fog. Simple tasks became challenging, and I found myself forgetting things and unable to think clearly. It was incredibly frustrating and made it even harder to balance my professional responsibilities and family life.

My work involved long hours of standing during the day, prolonged hours on the laptop in the evening, and lots of running around and rocking my kids to sleep in between. Despite my knowledge and expertise in pain relief, I still found myself unable to escape the constant daily pain and fatigue.

Sitting at a desk job from 9 to 5, or longer, plus endless meetings that seem to go on forever. The frequent traveling, the uncomfortable hotel pillows that make it impossible to get a good night’s sleep—I’ve experienced it all. I remember not being able to share my discomfort at work because I felt like an imposter, talking about pain relief strategies and focusing on work while I was not able to achieve it myself. I didn’t disclose the extent of my pain and forgetfulness to my colleagues for years. Even though I loved my kids and my job, I couldn’t give 100% to either. The discomfort held me back from reaching my full potential, making me feel guilty as a mum and less productive at work. I felt like I was constantly running on empty, unable to catch a break from the pain and exhaustion.

finally got fed up after years of trying and decided to make a New Year’s resolution to get ‘healthy’ instead of focusing solely on my pain, fatigue, forgetfulness, and weight loss. When I shifted my focus to getting healthier by reducing the inflammation in my body and addressing my adrenal fatigue, the pain started to decrease, my energy levels and focus improved, and the pounds started shedding off too! That, of course, meant a happier spine, nerves, joints, and a happier me! Today, my neck, back, and nerve pain are down to zero, my knee pain has reduced by 75%, my brain fog has reduced drastically and my energy levels are higher than ever. I realized that I had been focusing on the wrong solutions for over a decade!

Now, my mission is to share my knowledge of pain relief and managing adrenal fatigue along with my personal experience with other mums, especially those with younger kids who work in high-stress executive jobs. My goal is to help you find lasting relief, boost your energy, and reclaim your life, just as I did. 

If you can relate to all this, you are not alone. As a mum, I have been there and done that—momma, I got you! I’ve helped hundreds of mums in this situation over the years find their solution to manage spinal and joint pains, low energy levels, and brain fog that hold them back. This enables them to feel confidently in control and empowers them to cultivate that confidence and productivity at work and enjoy being with their kids, to be able to run around with them without the fear of injury or pain.

Are you ready for this journey? Ask me how if you are curious.

Let's DO THIS!
xx Swati
** Executive Mum Power Coach **

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