{"id":36954,"date":"2025-12-10T23:26:44","date_gmt":"2025-12-10T23:26:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/gpnewswire.com\/news\/how-to-start-exercising-when-you-have-an-autoimmune-disease\/"},"modified":"2025-12-10T23:26:44","modified_gmt":"2025-12-10T23:26:44","slug":"how-to-start-exercising-when-you-have-an-autoimmune-disease","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/gpnewswire.com\/news\/how-to-start-exercising-when-you-have-an-autoimmune-disease\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Start Exercising When You Have an Autoimmune Disease"},"content":{"rendered":"
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The following guidance can help you begin an exercise routine that\u2019s safe and feels good in your body.<\/p>\n

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1) Gradually ease off the brake.<\/span><\/p>\n

This is something trainer Mark Schneider, CSCS, a strength coach and owner of the Retreat Strength Gym in Minneapolis, teaches clients who are reluctant to exercise due to fatigue or weakness. \u201cThink of exercise as the gas pedal and daily activities \u2014 walking, cleaning, meeting friends \u2014 as lifting the brake incrementally. Before applying the gas, let the foot off the brake,\u201d he says. Once you become more comfortable with physical movement<\/a> in your day, you can start to incorporate more formal exercise.<\/p>\n

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2) Wear an activity tracker. <\/span><\/p>\n

Wahls asks people to track their activity level with a wearable fitness-tracking device. \u201cI tell people that the first step is to reduce minutes of sedentary time.\u201d Set the tracker (or your smartphone) to go off every hour and then take a few steps around the room and grab a doorknob and do a few deep-knee bends. \u201cThis alone will have a profound impact,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n

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3) Aim for a well-rounded routine.<\/span><\/p>\n

This includes four types of exercise:<\/p>\n

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  1. Aerobic\/cardio activity<\/a>, such as walking, jogging, cycling, swimming, or using an elliptical machine<\/li>\n
  2. Strength training, which can be done via body-weight exercises<\/a>, bands, free weights, or weight machines<\/li>\n
  3. Mobility and stretching<\/a><\/li>\n
  4. Balance<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    \u201cI don\u2019t necessarily think everyone wants to start with all of those,\u201d says Boyd. \u201cIt\u2019s likely going to be more comfortable to begin with [an] activity like walking<\/a>, as it\u2019s sustainable, feasible, and can be done at an intensity level that\u2019s tolerable.\u201d<\/p>\n

    Once you\u2019ve established a regular walking routine, add to it by trying other activities, such as swimming<\/a> (cool or warm pool water may feel good on your body); tolerable muscle-strengthening exercises, like squats and planks; or mobility work, such as stretching, yoga, Pilates, or tai chi.<\/p>\n

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    4) Modify exercise to your abilities.<\/span><\/p>\n

    Walking is powerful medicine, but it\u2019s not accessible for everyone. If you are in a wheelchair,<\/a> you can modify a workout to participate in aerobic exercise \u2014 even of the high-intensity variety, says Wahls. \u201cI have people who [use a wheelchair], and I have them doing high-intensity exercise with half jumping jacks or marching with arm circles as they sit.\u201d<\/p>\n

    Working with a physical therapist or personal trainer, especially one who has trained clients with chronic conditions, can help you make the necessary modifications.<\/p>\n

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    5) Stay consistent.<\/span><\/p>\n

    Stick to an exercise routine and you should feel improved physical function and quality of life in about three months, says Wahls. Results, of course, vary from person to person. Certain factors can affect how quickly improvements become noticeable. Those include your previous and current activity and fitness levels; your autoimmune disease and the severity of its symptoms; any medications and treatments; other potential health issues; and your preferred type, amount, and intensity of exercise. Whether it takes one month or six, says Wahls, it\u2019s important to trust that the benefits are worth the effort<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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    Staying Active With Autoimmunity\n
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    Chronic disease can make it difficult to exercise, yet intentional movement can help you feel better, physically and mentally. Learn more at \u201cHow to Stay Active When Living With an Autoimmune Disease<\/a>,\u201d from which this article was excerpted.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

    The post How to Start Exercising When You Have an Autoimmune Disease<\/a> appeared first on Experience Life<\/a>.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    The following guidance can help you begin an exercise routine that\u2019s safe and feels good in your body. 1) Gradually ease off the brake. This is something trainer Mark Schneider, CSCS, a strength coach and owner of the Retreat Strength Gym in Minneapolis, teaches clients who are reluctant to exercise due to fatigue or weakness. […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":36955,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[43],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-36954","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-life"],"publishpress_future_action":{"enabled":false,"date":"2026-10-25 14:46:59","action":"change-status","newStatus":"draft","terms":[],"taxonomy":"category","extraData":[]},"publishpress_future_workflow_manual_trigger":{"enabledWorkflows":[]},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/gpnewswire.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/36954","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/gpnewswire.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/gpnewswire.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gpnewswire.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gpnewswire.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=36954"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/gpnewswire.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/36954\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gpnewswire.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/36955"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/gpnewswire.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=36954"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gpnewswire.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=36954"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gpnewswire.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=36954"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}