Keeping Active
- Your body needs to move and remain strong to keep it healthy. It is important to keep up your normal activities (such as walking, gardening, cycling etc.) These activities will help to keep your body strong and keep them moving.
- You have to decide how long or what activity is reasonable for you to carry out. Your normal activities may require a slight adjustment. Base it on how long you can do the activity without causing yourself any more pain, either during or after. Start at a lower level than you think is right for you and work up to the point of pain, but do not push through/into pain.
- Although rest can help, you don’t need to abandon all of your regular activities, work or exercise program. Spending long periods of time inactive is counterproductive; it usually will prolong your pain. Instead, try to mix periods of rest with some light activity and increase the intensity slowly.
- Activity pacing refers to taking activities such as doing laundry or shopping, and breaking it into small manageable tasks with rest breaks in between. Activities should be spread evenly throughout the day and should not make symptoms worse.
- Graded activity and exercise is defined as starting from a very low, basic level of exercise and/or activity and gradually increasing it to a level where people can go about their daily life.
- Relax and stay positive: tension and stress makes things more sensitive and a low mood will only make things feel worse.
- Continue to take your pain relief: taking regular pain relief can help to lower symptoms. If you feel they are not effective you need to discuss this with your GP.
- If your work requires you to maintain a static position for long periods (sitting at a desk, driving a HGV, standing at a checkout), it is important to change positions as often as possible. This can include standing up from your chair and working at a higher surface, going for a walk, doing some stretches, or simply moving the area of the body that feels stiff and sore. The only wrong position is the one that you stay in all day.
- Communicate with your family and friends: let them know how they can help you with tasks you cannot do without making your pain worse.