Moving Through Pain: Why Staying Active Matters (Even on the Tough Days)

Dr Senadheera
Jun 27
4 min read

Updated: Jul 2

Why Movement Matters (Even When You're in Pain)

When you're living with chronic back pain, movement can feel like the last thing your body wants. But gentle, regular activity isn’t about pushing through pain — it’s about slowly rebuilding trust in your body.

Let’s be real: When you live with chronic pain, being told to "stay active" can sound tone-deaf — like advice from someone who’s never struggled to get out of bed on a flare-up day.

Movement helps your body in countless ways. It boosts mood, improves sleep, and reduces stress by releasing endorphins — your body’s natural feel-good chemicals. It helps keep bones, muscles, and joints healthy, and it can reduce pressure on the spine by supporting weight management. This isn’t about appearance — it’s about lightening the physical load on your joints and soft tissues.

You might already have a movement routine that suits you. Or, like many women I work with (and have been myself), flare-ups, fatigue, or fear of triggering pain may have left you stuck in a cycle of inactivity.

The Flare-Up Trap

Let’s be honest: many of us return to movement only after pain sends us back to the GP or physiotherapist. We're given exercises, we do them — and then, once things improve, they quietly slip away. Eventually, the pain returns.

Sound familiar?

This “pain → treatment → improvement → stop” loop is incredibly common. It’s human. But like skipping dental floss until the next appointment, your body needs steady maintenance — not just crisis control.

Build Resilience, Not Just Strength

When movement fades, muscles tighten, joints stiffen, and posture begins to suffer. Confidence in your body drops, and everyday tasks — like walking the dog or climbing stairs — can start to feel overwhelming. You might begin to fear movement, especially if you've been “caught out” by pain before.

But here’s the good news: the body responds brilliantly to consistency.You don’t need heroic workouts.

You need gentle, daily movement that:

Keeps your joints mobile
Prevents muscle weakening
Helps calm your sensitive nervous system

Over time, this builds resilience — physical and emotional.

Start Low, Go Slow

Here’s your golden rule: movement should not make your pain significantly worse.

If you’re sore the next day, it doesn’t mean you’ve damaged anything — it likely means your muscles and nervous system are adapting.

A type of post-exercise soreness called delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) is common when introducing new or unfamiliar movements. It usually presents as a dull ache, peaking within 24–72 hours, and settles gradually. This process is part of healthy muscular adaptation and is not associated with tissue damage.

In contrast, a flare-up related to chronic pain may feel sharper, last longer, and often includes fatigue, emotional distress, or a sense of "amplified" pain.

Recognising the difference between DOMS and flare-ups can help reduce unnecessary fear and promote confidence in movement.

Neither response indicates harm — they are simply signals. The key is learning to listen and respond with care.

Ask yourself:

🌀 “Could I do this again tomorrow?”If the answer is no, it’s a sign to ease up.

Starting with one rep of an exercise is fine. One becomes two, then three.Let your body set the pace — even if that means progress takes weeks or months. That’s not failure. That’s smart recovery.

Creating a Routine You Can Stick With

✨ A few practical tips:

Pick your best time of day — mornings, evenings, after school drop-off… whatever works for your rhythm
Forget “no pain, no gain” — it doesn’t apply here
Start small — 10–15 minutes is enough
Stick with it for 3 months — consistency matters more than intensity

The body changes slowly. Trust the process.

What Kind of Movement?

If you’ve been given physiotherapy exercises in the past, return to them.

Otherwise, consider starting with low-impact activities like:

Swimming or water walking
Short walks (even around the house)
Pilates or Tai Chi
Chair-based stretching

The type of movement matters less than doing something, consistently and compassionately.

Feeling the Difference

Over time, many women report:

Feeling more confident in their bodies
Feeling steadier, stronger, and more balanced
Being less anxious about everyday movement
A boost in mood and self-esteem

And while it’s not about appearance, regaining physical autonomy often changes how we feel inside.

This is about getting more of your life back — in small but meaningful ways.

🔬 Research Spotlight

Research supports what many women experience first-hand: movement doesn’t just change the body — it supports your whole sense of self. A randomised controlled trial in women with chronic pain found that taking part in a 12-week supervised exercise programme led to measurable improvements in self-esteem, self-concept, and mental health — assessed using validated tools (1). This supports what many women already feel: gentle, consistent movement helps not just physically, but emotionally too.

This kind of finding reflects broader guidance in modern pain care — including NICE recommendations (2) — which highlight the role of education, reassurance, and supportive activity in long-term pain management.

Final Thoughts

Living with chronic pain is a long game. There will be setbacks. But movement — even in its simplest form — is one of the most powerful ways to reclaim control.

You don’t have to climb a mountain.You just have to start.

And remember:

You are not broken. This is about building forward — not fixing what was never lost.

Safety Note: New, severe, or unexplained symptoms should always be reviewed by a healthcare professional. If you're unsure whether what you're experiencing is part of a flare-up or something new, don’t hesitate to check in with your GP, physiotherapist, or pain management team.

What helps you stick with movement?

A set time each day
Physiotherapy routines
Walking with a friend or dog
Group classes or online videos

References

Geneen LJ, Moore RA, Clarke C, Martin D, Colvin LA, Smith BH. Physical activity and exercise for chronic pain in adults: an overview of Cochrane Reviews. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2017;2017(4):CD011279. Available from: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28436583/
National Institute for Health and Care Excellence. Chronic pain (primary and secondary) in over 16s: assessment of all chronic pain and management of chronic primary pain. NICE guideline [NG193]. 2021. Available from: https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng193