We all know that exercising regularly is beneficial for our health and fitness however many of us do not realize that it also plays a role in minimizing pain sensitivity.
A new compilation of a number of studies researching the effect of aerobic exercise on pain sensitivity has shown beneficial effects. The average reduction in sensitivity to pain was 10.6% and up to as much as 24/1% in one study.
What type of exercise can reduce your pain?
The studies tested aerobic exercise, including:
– Walking
– Cycling
– Swimming
– Stair climbing
– Rowing
– Running
How hard do I need to exercise?
The studies tested exercise at submaximal heart rate of 66% – 85% of maximum heart rate.
How long do I need to exercise?
They exercised between 4-60 minutes duration each session. Yes even just 4 minutes exercise was enough to reduce pain sensitivity.
Importantly the reduction in pain sensitivity was lost when the regular exercise routine was stopped.
So, keep exercising.
Keep moving.
Do it regularly.
An Unexpected Benefit Of Regular Exercise
A recent study has shown that exercising regularly can actually make your body less sensitive to pain.
