Chronic pain is a daily struggle for millions of people around the world. It can affect not only physical health but mental and emotional well-being as well. As a fitness studio, we’re not just trying to make you break a sweat and burn calories; we’re a community that fosters encouragement, support, and fun in your fitness journey. Let’s explore how group fitness classes can help those dealing with chronic pain conditions.
Yoga for Mindful Movement
Yoga is a practice that has been praised for its therapeutic benefits, especially for those dealing with chronic pain.
- Improves flexibility: Chronic pain often leads to stiff muscles and joints, with regular yoga practice you stretch out different muscle groups increasing flexibility and alleviating stiffness.
- Reduces Stress: Chronic pain can take a toll on your mental health. Yoga encourages relaxation and reduces stress through deep breathing and meditation techniques.
Low Impact Cardio with Indoor Cycling
Indoor cycling is one of our favorite ways to get your heart rate up without putting excessive strain on your joints.
- Joint Friendly: Unlike running or high-impact activities indoor cycling puts less stress on your joints, making it more suitable for those with chronic pain conditions.
- Natural Pain Reliever: Cycling releases endorphins that act like a natural pain reliever and improve your mood. The rush after you dismount your bike feels can’t help but make you smile.
- Built in Support: Trust us when we say everyone finds indoor cycling a challenge. Classes are inclusive and supportive and everyone is in the room to achieve their goals and push through the struggles. You share a sense of camaraderie with all the other riders in the room which helps push your further.
Building up Strength & Resilience through Strength Training
Strength training often gets overlooked as an avenue of relief for people with chronic pain, but it has plenty of benefits:
- Stronger Muscles = Stronger Support: By building your strength up in specific areas you can provide better support for painful joints, and reduce discomfort. For example, back pain is usually associated with force and stress on your spine. However, when you increase your core muscle strength that force and stress is put on your muscles instead, reducing your risk of back pain.
- Personalized Touch: Trainers and coaches will work closely with you to help target the right muscles and modify any exercises that might prove to be too difficult to achieve. They’ll take your needs into account and find ways to improve your quality of life.
Community & Fun : The Ultimate Healing Factor
Ultimately, Community and Fun have the biggest contributions to managing & healing your chronic pain. Having a community to cheer you on in workouts you actually find enjoyable are essential to healthy habit building.
- Supportive Environment: Group workouts are filled with people who are all trying to lead healthier lifestyles. No one is there to judge you, and you’ll notice that everyone in class is celebrating each other’s fitness achievements.
- Accountability: When you take classes with a group of people or even have just one workout buddy, you’ve automatically got someone to hold you accountable. We’re not saying peer pressure is a good thing, but it definitely motivates you to come to class (especially if there’s a post-workout meal involved!).
- Finding Joy: We’re a firm believer that working out should be fun, if it’s not then it becomes a chore, another box to check off on a long list of things to do. When you find a workout that’s fun, it’s easier to stay committed to the exercise and keep consistent in a routine.
Chronic pain conditions are incredibly challenge, but don’t let it define your life. Wheel House & other fitness boutique studios offer different approaches to fitness that consider the unique needs of people dealing with chronic pain. Most importantly, the community and support system you find at the studio will be a huge help on your path to relief and overall well-being. Try out a group fitness class and see how it can impact your life in a healthy way.
