Physical Health
Physical activity plays a key role in both preventing and managing chronic pain.
Living with pain can make it difficult to stay active, but gentle, consistent movement can make a big difference over time.
When starting to move more, focus on consistency over intensity. It’s absolutely okay if some sessions feel lighter than others — all movement is good movement when you’re starting out. Set yourself small, achievable goals, like walking a short distance, exercising three times a week, or doing a lap around your local park.
Celebrate each step forward, and keep track of your progress. Over time, you’ll notice improvements in your strength, stamina, and ease with everyday tasks. Building physical capacity takes time, but each small win adds up.
While it can be tough to stay active when living with pain, moving regularly helps protect your overall health. Being inactive for long periods has been linked to things like low energy, weaker muscles, and other health conditions over time. Even small amounts of regular movement can make a big difference — your body and mind will thank you for it.
What People in Ireland Are Saying about pain and exercise
“I genuinely think fatigue is the worst part of it”
— Joanne 33, living with Fibromyalgia
“You might feel like staying in bed. But that's not the answer, either, you know, because you're seizing up when you're in the bed. Get up. Do as much as you can for as long as you can. If it's only 10 min, that's fine, it's only 5 min. That's fine. Just get up and do it”
— Fiona 59, living with Chronic back pain
“Although I can't do what everybody else does I can still do so much”
— Shane 55, living with Ankylosing Spondylitis
What Exercise will Help with My Pain?
There are lots of different exercises you can use to help with your pain. Some exercises can act as relievers, usually these exercises are non-strenuous, feel gentle and ease your symptoms. They might be light stretches or mobility type exercises.
Other exercises might be used to help increase the strength of an area in pain. Strength exercises are tiring and can feel strenuous. Completing strength exercises 2-3 times a week consistenly over 3 or more months can help to build greater strength in our bodies.
Watch the video to learn more about exercise and pain
Physical Activity and Pain
Keeping physically active while living with pain can be challenging but it is important in order to keep us healthy. To maintain our health we should try to complete 150 minutes of activity a week (about 30 minutes 5 times a week)
👉 Watch the video to learn more about exercise and pain
We recommned checking out these extra resources to help you achieve your physical activity recommendations
Exwell Medical holds community exercise classes and has over 40 exercise centres across Ireland. Their mission is to transform the lives of people and families living with the burden of chronic illness through community based clinical exercise programmes.
Be Active with Arthritis is an adapted exercise programme developed by Arthritis Ireland and the Irish Society of Chartered Physiotherapists. This is a one-hour class held over six weeks directed by a chartered physiotherapist.
The HSE also have a number of different exercises videos that you can try out Pilates, yoga or chair yoga or an introduction to strength and conditioning
HSE Pilates video link
https://www.hse.ie/eng/about/who/healthwellbeing/exercise-videos/pilates-videos.html
HSE Yoga video link
https://www.hse.ie/eng/about/who/healthwellbeing/exercise-videos/yoga-videos.html
HSE Chair Yoga for beginners
https://www.hse.ie/eng/about/who/healthwellbeing/exercise-videos/chair-based-yoga-.html
HSE Strength and Conditioning for Beginners
