Researchers from Norway studied the relationships between chronic pain and duration, frequency and intensity of recreational exercise in nearly 50,000 adult subjects. They looked separately at the age groups of 20-65 year olds and people 65+. The results are impressive. People who exercise regularly significantly reduce the risk of chronic pain. But beware - a lot doesn't always help a lot; pain patients between 20 and 65 should keep it to one to three exercise sessions per week. After 65, any more exercise is good - here, the more moderate recreational exercise, the better.
How to exercise properly to fight chronic pain?
In principle, a healthy mix of strength and endurance training makes the most sense. Targeted muscle building can relieve pain zones, for example in the back, and prevent new pain. Moderate cardio training not only supports the cardiovascular system, but from a training duration of 20 minutes, the body releases endorphins through the movement, which can act as natural, endogenous painkillers.
Both strength and endurance training stimulate blood circulation
and accelerate the breakdown and removal of substances harmful to the body.The important thing when exercising for chronic pain is to choose the right intensity. It is harmful and can even promote pain attacks if exercisers overexert themselves. A medium pulse range is reasonable. Depending on age, the frequency of exercise is also critical. The Norwegian researchers found that in subjects up to age 65, more than three exercise sessions per week is not productive; instead, the duration, intensity and frequency of pain experienced approaches the level of patients who do not exercise at all
.Seniors, on the other hand, may even exercise daily - the correlation between occurrence, duration, intensity and frequency of pain and exercise is linear
from the age of 65 - so a lot really does help a lot here.
Active against pain - training against tension headaches.
How strong is the effect of exercise on chronic pain?
Compared to patients who did not exercise, the prevalence of chronic pain was reduced by up to 12 percent in the group of 20-65 year olds who exercised 1-3x per week at a moderate intensity.
Theolder the subjects, the clearer the results. Older women up to 65 were able to reduce pain by up to 38%
compared to untrained women in the same age group as a result of the training; the effect was somewhat less pronounced in older men.In the group of people 65 and older, any extra exercise was worthwhile. With two to three units of exercise per week, seniors achieved an average reduction in their pain of as much as 27%
compared to the untrained.Four or more training units even increased the effect here; the pain-reducing effect could be increased here by more sport to up to 34%.
Conclusion
Regular exercise can help reduce the duration, intensity and frequency of chronic pain. Patients up to 65 years of age should not exercise more than 3 times per week; from 65 years of age, the more exercise, the better! A balanced mix of strength and cardio training not only helps reduce pain but also increases health and well-being.
Find your suitable cardio equipment now at an unbeatable price on the central procurement platform for the fitness industry!
Editorial fitnessmarkt.de (DG)
Photo Credit: #206083055 Prostock-studio / stock.adobe.com
Published on: 26 November 2019