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How To Overcome The Fear Of Exercise With Joint Pain

Are you living with joint pain or osteoarthritis and scared to move painful joints? When you have osteoarthritis, the idea of moving can feel counterintuitive. It’s natural to want to rest when you’re in pain, and it might seem like a no-brainer that if you exercise painful joints then you will cause further damage to them. 

So is exercise dangerous when you have osteoarthritis? And if it’s not, how can you overcome your fear of exercise?

What if you’re still afraid of exercising with arthritis?

There is this idea that movement is dangerous when you’re in pain – and if you are moving the painful area then you’re making it worse. This fear can be debilitating. Even if you know logically that exercise is good for you, it can be hard to over-ride the feeling that moving the joint is harming it. 

If this is how you feel, you’re far from alone. A recent study by the University of South Australia found that 69% of people with knee pain had stronger unconscious beliefs that exercise was dangerous when compared with people without pain. The important thing to note here is that the researchers developed a tool to test peoples implicit biases, so the ones they were unconscious of. “We found that even among those who said they were not fearful about exercise, they held unconscious beliefs that movement was dangerous,” lead researcher Brian Pulling said.

An unconscious fear of exercise can create a self fulfilling prophecy. Being in pain can change how your nervous system responds to the pain, so it may actually increase the pain you experience, which then further reinforces the belief that exercise is dangerous.

Is exercise dangerous when you have arthritis?

To put it bluntly; no. Studies show that exercise is an important part of osteoarthritis pain management. Movement stimulates the production of synovial fluid, which is crucial for osteoarthritis as this fluid helps lubricate and protect the joint through reducing friction and nourishing the area.  Exercise also helps strengthen the muscles around the joints so you can distribute your weight more evenly and avoid causing strain and excess pain. 

In addition, exercise helps improve the range of motion that the joint has, as well as increasing blood flow to the joints, improving balance and coordination, contributing to weight loss, decreasing inflammation, and helping improve sleep, mood, and energy levels. 

While exercise can and does help alleviate pain, it is also true that you can hurt yourself and it’s important to learn how to mitigate that risk. “It’s normal to experience some mild discomfort when you start exercising,” says Stephanie Clark, a physiotherapist at CWC Sport Therapy. “However, there’s a difference between “challenging” discomfort and sharp or worsening pain. Learn to differentiate between those signals, and always stop any exercise that causes severe pain.”

How to overcome your fear of exercise

Exercise doesn’t have to be intense, gruelling, or painful. Exploring ways of moving can be playful, and fun, and you may find ways of moving that you genuinely enjoy.  Anything that gets your body moving counts as exercise. If you are worried about putting pressure on your joints, consider starting small. 

“Break down your goals into manageable steps,” says Stephanie. “Maybe your first milestone is to walk for 10 minutes without stopping, or to perform a set of gentle stretches each morning. Celebrate small victories and build on them gradually.”

You don’t even have to stand up to exercise: try sitting on a stable, non-wheely chair that allows you to sit up straight with your feet flat on the floor. You can then do things like ankle rotations, leg raises, shoulder stretches, head tilts, and wrist stretches while sitting down. You can find some seated and lying down exercises here.

Low impact exercises are your friend

“Choose exercises that are kind to your joints: think swimming, stationary cycling, or gentle yoga,” says Stephanie Clark. “These activities help you stay active and improve metabolic health, setting the foundation of placing more load on your joints. Ease in by dedicating just 5–10 minutes each day to movement.” 

Low impact exercises which can still give you a workout without shocking your joints. If going for a walk feels too painful, consider water walking. Walking waist deep in a swimming pool takes 50% of the weight off your joints compared to regular land walking. If you prefer walking on land (perhaps a walk in nature, which comes with stress relieving benefits) you can always use a walking stick for support.

Water aerobics takes significant pressure off your joints while still giving you a strengthening workout. Swimming is another low-impact form of exercise which strengthens the whole body without putting too much pressure on the joints or bones. Gentle yoga, tai chi, or using some of the lower impact machines at the gym (like the elliptical) are also great ways to exercise.

“It’s not about pushing yourself to the limit but maintaining a regular routine,” says Stephanie. “Consistent daily or weekly exercise keeps your joints supple and improves mobility. Once you’re more consistent, appropriate intensity can be applied to achieve even greater levels of resilience. Remember, slow and steady wins the race when it comes to managing joint pain.”

What else can help you feel confident to move when you have osteoarthritis?

Acupuncture, massage, hot and cold therapy, and topical creams may help alleviate pain so you can get those joints moving a little more. It can also be helpful to see a physiotherapist or occupational therapist. “A physiotherapist can design a customized exercise plan based on your unique situation,” says Stephanie. “Proper guidance ensures you’re targeting the right muscles, using correct form, and progressing at a safe pace, ultimately reducing your risk of injury and building your confidence. In addition, physiotherapists play a crucial yet often overlooked role in supporting compliance, accountability, and planning by helping you set realistic goals, monitoring your progress, and making timely adjustments to keep you motivated and on track.”

If joint pain and stiffness is making it hard for you to move, FlexiSEQ Max Strength contains a unique drug free action which can reduce pain and improve mobility by getting to the root of the problem. FlexiSEQ contains Sequessomes, which are oily, plant based droplets that pass through the skin and form a lubricating layer around the cartilage. In osteoarthritis, the cartilage (the flexible, tough tissue that lies between joints and bones and stops them rubbing against each other) wears down, which can lead to friction between the bone and the joint.

The Squessomes in FlexiSEQ form a lubricating layer around the cartilage and restock the levels floating around in the synovial fluid. Rather than masking the pain, FlexiSEQ gets to the underlying cause. It is also drug free, so you can use it as long as you like.

Have you been afraid of exercise because of your osteoarthritis? Do you have any tips for our community? Let us know on Facebook!

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