In this article, I am going to explain to you the negative side effects of low physical activity, and how exercises help to reduce pain. Many things happen to the body when it does not get enough exercise. It is important to remember that even a little bit of exercise is better than no exercise at all.
I know from personally when suffering from chronic pain, it can be challenging to exercise, so I want to share some exercises I use, to help you get started.
Negative side effects of not exercising.
- Just like bones, muscles benefit from a good workout. One of the first signs of being out of shape is inactivity, inactivity causes loss of strength and muscle tone. Therefore, when muscles are idle the blood flow slows down and the exchange of waste products and nutrients decreases.
- Without exercise, the electrical connection between nerves and muscles is sporadic which causes difficulty in moving around with agility. It can also lead to decreased strength and an increased risk of muscle injury, due to shrinking muscle mass.
- The same health-related principles also apply to the heart, without proper exercise the heart shrink. Making it difficult to distribute adequate blood throughout the body, causing the heart to work much harder to get the blood to where it needs, especially to the brain and limbs.
- Sluggish blood flow can lead to plaque formation in the blood vessels. This, in turn, sometimes causes high blood pressure, dizziness, and circulation problems. These conditions are potentially dangerous if left untreated.
As you can see the inactivity causes havoc and damage to the body. This is especially true for those who are already dealing with chronic pain.
Please do not be hard on yourself either as when I first started to walk after my injury I could only walk for 1 minute before my legs would start to become tired and buckle, I promise in time you will get stronger and it will get easier. Start today to do some gentle exercise and take it steady go at your own pace. Remember to do a little each day.
I recommend watching my video tutorial on how walking is useful for reducing physical chronic pain.
