People with ankylosing spondylitis can experience a lot of pain and stiffness in their day to day life which can limit them from carrying out daily tasks. This chronic inflammatory condition also limits your mobility. As this affects the sacroiliac joints and the spine, you need to make sure that you maintain proper posture and sufficient exercise throughout the day.
There are many ways
To manage ankylosing spondylitis and exercising is a great way of achieving this. However, it should be noted that excessive physical activity can lead to more inflation so it is best to get a recommendation on physical activity and exercises tailored to your condition from a physical therapist. You need to back yourselfup and find the motivation to start being active and leading a healthy lifestyle. With regular exercise, you will be able to improve your flexibility. Some exercises that can help with this are Pilates, gentle yoga and stretching. When your flexibility improves, you will see a reduction in joint stiffness and pain. With consistent exercise, you will find that you are able to perform daily activities easily. When you exercise, your body releases endorphins that are great for pain relief. And you will be able to associate positive emotions with exercise which can be a good motivation to keep going.
When you stay active,
There is improved blood circulation in the body and this means nutrients and oxygen will be delivered easily to affected areas of the body. When this happens, it can promote healing and help reduce inflammation levels. Some of the exercises that are recommended for pain management in ankylosing spondylitis patients are swimming and walking. These are low impact aerobic exercises that don’t put a lot of strain on the joints. You need to maintain proper posture as this is a condition that can affect your spine. Without intervention or treatment, ankylosing spondylitis can lead to stooping of the spine. To prevent this, you can do exercises targeted at maintaining proper posture such as correction techniques and core strengthening. This will prevent your spine from deteriorating further. You can improve your balance when you strengthen your core and maintain proper spinal alignment.
Exercise has many benefits on your mental health as well.
As endorphins are released when you exercise, your mood can improve. This is a great way to get some relief from stress and anxiety. And exercising will help you maintain a healthy weight so that there is no excess stress on the joints. If you are overweight, your risk of comorbidities can increase. You can also participate in group classes for exercises and other physical activities like yoga and Pilates. This will provide you with an opportunity to get to know people and experience a sense of belonging. You can manage your condition more effectively with exercise as it leads to reduced inflammation and improved mobility in the joints. There has to be a comprehensive management plan for ankylosing spondylitis so that you can achieve a higher quality of life and better health outcomes for the long term.
