One of my most popular blog posts is on how to reduce inflammation. At first I was surprised that it resonated with so many people, but now, the statistics are really clear. More and more women are living with chronic pain from invisible illnesses like autoimmune diseases, such as Lupus, Sjogren’s, Fibromyalgia, Rheumatoid Arthritis, Scleroderma and more. Plus, as we age, we are also guaranteed to go through hormonal changes due to perimenopause and menopause, which can also cause all sorts of symptoms, including joint aches and pain, headaches, insomnia, brain fog, and a lot more. So, it’s no wonder most of us feel like crap.
When inflammation is up, I want to lay down and read a book. The last thing I want to do when everything hurts and I haven’t slept well is go workout. Of course, despite how we feel, often the best thing we can do to reduce inflammation and reduce the symptoms we are feeling, is to get moving.
So, today I am sharing several low impact workouts that are going to help reduce inflammation, improve your mood, and help strengthen your body for the long haul. If you’re struggling with motivation, know that you are not alone. For me, it helps to have a mantra that I can repeat to myself when I’m making all sorts of excuses to get out of something I know I need to do. Lately, I’ve been telling myself, “I’m working out for functional independence when I’m older.” As I age, I want as much mobility, strength, and independence as possible. I want to be able to keep up with my kids when they’re grown and be there for any grandkids they might have. I don’t want to be full of pain and bedridden in the last few decades of my life. And that often motivates me to work out, even when I don’t feel like it at all.
Here are some of the low impact workouts that are great for people in chronic pain and/or struggling with inflammation.
1. Try To Walk More:
Walking is the most underrated exercise, in my opinion. It’s easy, it’s free, it’s low impact. Plus, you can walk almost anywhere you are. A few years ago, I started reading more about the health benefits of walking. I was skeptical, but willing to try anything to reduce inflammation and feel better. I began walking laps around my couch at night while watching my TV shows. I was surprised at how much I enjoyed it and it helped a lot more than I thought with reducing aches and pains, anxiety, and even a little insomnia.
So, I invested in a walking pad and asked for a standing desk for my birthday. Now, I can walk while I work. Sure, I can’t walk all day and I do have to take breaks, especially on days like today when I’ve got a lot inflammation in my feet, but I try to focus on the effort I’m making rather than what I’m not doing. I try (sometimes very unsuccessfully) not to compare myself to people that are able to walk 15,000 steps a day. Like a lot of my readers, I have kids, I have work, I have chronic pain. I try to be gentle with myself. When I feel discouraged, I think, “Any step I take is better than not taking it.”
Another way I sneak walking in is when I’m parked places waiting for my kids. For example, I have to get to their school 30-45 minutes early to get parking. I know I’m not alone in this, I see people there even earlier than me! So, I park my car, get out, and go for a walk around the area. The fresh air, sunshine, and movement has become something I look forward to and I find myself missing it on non-school days. I try to find places to walk at other activities that I sit at, when I can. I really had no idea how much time moms spend just sitting places.
So, ask yourself, where can you add steps? How can you walk more? Start small. Every step counts.
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2. Try Reformer Pilates:
I’m probably a broken record with how often I talk about pilates, but that’s because it really has made such a positive difference in my overall wellness. I’m so grateful for that rheumatologist who told me years ago to start reformer pilates for aches and pains. I still go to my Club Pilates reformer pilates classes 3-4 days a week. I go when everything hurts. I go when I’m tired. I go when I don’t feel like it. I try never to cancel, no matter how I’m feeling, unless I’m really sick or have a pronounced injury. I’ve learned over the years that going to class helps stretch out my body and reduce inflammation, so pushing through that pain leads to feeling better after.
The beauty of reformer pilates, too, is that it’s mostly a zero gravity workout since you’re lying on a reformer. And, you can adjust the spring tension and level of effort to match how you’re feeling. I can amp it up when I’m feeling stronger, and tone it down when I’ve got inflammation. Just the other day, I had really bad inflammation in my lower back and sides. I almost canceled, but I made myself go. There were a couple exercises I needed to modify, but overall, it felt so nice to strengthen my body rather than just lay down and focus on my pain. It also helped stretch everything out and after a good night’s sleep, I woke up with less pain. Of course, always listen to your body. We all workout at our own risk. But if you’re looking for a great low impact workout that combines stretching, strengthening, core work, and balance, check it out.
You can also buy an affordable reformer pilates machine for your home and use free YouTube videos. Check out my post here with great at-home reformer pilates machines.
3. Try Rebounding:
We finally caved and bought a rebounder in August of last year. It’s actually been amazing for the whole family. Everybody uses it. It’s really shocking how hard it is, especially since I do other types of workouts for 45 minutes or more, and only 10 minutes on this thing tires me out! There are free YouTube workouts for the rebounder for both kids and adults, which are fantastic, but you don’t need to get fancy. Simply jumping for 2-5 minutes can improve your body’s circulation, which will help with lymphatic drainage. When you get things moving, your body has a better chance to work through inflammation and other issues.
Some of the health benefits to rebounding every day are: boosting heart health, stimulating your metabolism, strengthening muscles, improving balance, improving mental health and a lot more.
This is the rebounder we bought on Amazon. There’s a ton of options, though. I wrote a whole post on the benefits of the rebounder if you want to learn more. You can find that post here.
4. Try Hot Yoga:
For a quick minute, I had a hot yoga membership. It took some practice to get used to the super hot, humid rooms, but once I figured out the right balance of electrolytes and cooling towels, I did much better. I will say that it absolutely helped me with getting deeper stretches than normal and when I left, I felt so relaxed, like Gumby. Ultimately, I couldn’t afford to have multiple memberships and my love for Club Pilates won out, but I would recommend trying it, even just occasionally, to really loosen up your joints and get things flowing. Sometimes, we’ve been stagnant for so long, and our joints get so locked up, that it feels impossible to make any progress. Utilize detox baths, hot yoga, walking, massage, and stretching to increase mobility, so you can work out with less risk of injury.
Also, if you’re curious, I really like this flavor of electrolytes and these cooling towels feel amazing.
5. Try Swimming:
This is a tough one so I’m putting it last. Not everyone has access to a pool, not everyone likes to swim in public pools, and not everyone knows how to swim! That being said, if this is accessible and safe for you, then swimming can be a good way to get a gravity free exercise. The pool workout classes are a fan favorite of the older crowd for a reason (and way harder than they look). I took a pool workout class while on vacation one time and I was blown away by how fun and effective it was.
If you don’t have a pool, consider joining a gym that has pool classes. You can usually use a free pass to check classes out before committing. Make sure to use something to protect your hair and skin from chlorine, though. I can be very sensitive to chlorine and I know a lot of people with autoimmune diseases that are as well. Here’s my favorite after swimming rinse for my skin and my favorite after swimming hair rinse.
Also, if you’d like to read more about our experience with putting in an inground pool, feel free to read this post.
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These are my personal favorite types of workouts. I use them even when I’m not in pain. I have started to incorporate more strength training, because I am absolutely noticing age related muscle atrophy, but other than that – it’s low impact workouts for the win.
One of the most important parts of all this is to let go of any shame that you feel for not being able to exercise the way you used to, or even the way you might want to. Things change. We age. Life happens. I’ve had to let go of that feeling that I’m not doing enough, too. When you let that go, you might find yourself more motivated to do more, and be open to a new normal. Every step counts.
For more health related posts, you might also like these:
- 8 natural pain relief alternatives to medicine
- Diagnosed with Sjogren’s Syndrome? Start here!
- How To Do a Sugar Detox The Easy Way
For a ton more content, check out the WELLNESS tab at the top of the page.
Also, I must include a disclaimer, because that is the world we live in. I am not a doctor, and this is not medical advice. You are always responsible for your own health and safety. I am not responsible for anything that might happen if you try these ideas. Talk to your doctors if you’re concerned if any of this is right for you. Stop doing anything that doesn’t work for you.
Take care of yourself, friend,
E
