There are so many reasons to exercise. Staying active is one of the best things you can do for your health. A daily walk, bike ride, or swim can help keep you at a healthy weight and reduce your risk for conditions like heart disease, type 2 diabetes, depression, and stroke. Working out relieves stress and helps you sleep more soundly.
Having psoriasis shouldn't stop you from exercising. In fact, exercise might make your psoriasis easier to manage and possibly reduce your risk for psoriatic arthritis (PsA), which affects about 1 in 3 people with psoriasis.
Even though fitness has all these benefits, people with psoriasis exercise less often and less intensely than those without it. Symptoms like itching and pain might be stopping you from being as active as you'd like.
Below are some easy ways to boost your activity level. You'll also learn the best – and safest – exercises for people with psoriasis and PsA.
Why Is Exercise Good for Psoriasis and PsA?
Physical activity is good for your health in general. That's especially true when you have an autoimmune disease like psoriasis or PsA. For one thing, regular exercise reduces body fat. Excess fat contributes to the inflammation that causes plaques and sore joints in psoriasis and PsA. Having extra weight, especially around your belly, might also increase your risk for PsA.
In psoriasis, your immune system goes into overdrive and produces inflammation. Physical activity helps your immune system work better, which can help to combat inflammation.
Some research has linked regular exercise with a lower risk for PsA. In one study, Swedish teens who were more fit were less likely to develop PsA than those who were less fit.
If you do get a PsA diagnosis in the future, staying active can make your joints more flexible and less painful. Research shows that people with PsA who exercise have less active disease. They also feel better overall and have a lower risk for heart disease and type 2 diabetes.
Exercising outdoors has an added benefit. Ultraviolet light from the sun helps to clear psoriasis skin plaques. In fact, ultraviolet light therapy is a treatment for psoriasis.
How Much Exercise Do You Need?
Health experts recommend that everyone get 150 minutes a week of moderate-intensity exercises like a walk or bike ride. Moderate intensity means that your heart rate is around 50% to 70% higher than it is when you're at rest.
That 150 minutes of exercise weekly works out to 30 minutes a day, five days a week. But you don't have to do 30-minute sessions if they don't fit into your schedule. Break up the 150 minutes into shorter, more manageable workouts. You might do 10 minutes of exercise in the morning and 10 minutes at night. Walk in place during commercial breaks while you watch TV. Ride a bike or walk to the store instead of driving.
Start with short blocks of gentle exercise. Slowly increase the length and intensity of your workouts as your strength and endurance improve.
Best Exercises for Psoriasis and PsA
The best exercises for both psoriasis and PsA are low impact, which means they don't put too much force on your joints and muscles. Examples of low-impact aerobic exercises include:
- Walking
- Bike riding
- Swimming
- Elliptical training
- Rowing
- Yoga
- Pilates
- Tai chi
Add strength training exercises with light weights, resistance bands, or your own body weight twice a week. Strong muscles support and protect your joints. Even everyday activities like gardening or cleaning the house count as exercise, as long as you're moving and strengthening your muscles.
Some people find that water exercise is easier to do because the buoyancy of the water supports the joints. Swimming in a saltwater pool removes dead skin, which can improve the look of psoriasis plaques.
Choose an exercise you like. You'll be more likely to stick with a program long-term if you enjoy it. Ask a friend to work out with you. An exercise buddy will help keep you motivated and accountable.
Exercising Safely
Warm up for five to 10 minutes before you work out. Walk in place, or do knee lifts or squats to loosen up stiff muscles and joints, increase your heart rate, and prevent injuries. Stretch for 5 to 10 minutes at the end of your workout to cool down.
Be extra careful when it's hot outside. Warm weather could trigger a psoriasis flare. On summer days, exercise indoors with the air conditioner on. Choose workout clothes in breathable fabrics like cotton and bamboo.
When you do exercise outdoors, first apply a broad-spectrum sunscreen with an SPF of 30 or higher. Even though sunshine can improve plaques, a sunburn could damage your skin and make psoriasis worse.
It's normal to feel sore after a workout, but you should never feel pain. If you do have pain, stop and talk to a doctor. Other warning signs that something is wrong include:
- Dizziness
- Shortness of breath
- Chest pain
- An irregular heartbeat
How to Get Started
Talk to your doctor before you exercise, especially if you haven't worked out in a while. You want to make sure that you're healthy enough for exercise. A physical therapist can help tailor a workout program to your fitness level and teach you how to do each exercise safely.
Before you start, set a fitness goal for yourself. When you reach your goal, celebrate your achievement and reward yourself.
Show Sources
Photo Credit: PhotoDisc/Getty Images
SOURCES:
American Heart Association: "Target Heart Rates Chart," "Warm Up, Cool Down."
Arthritis Care & Research (Hoboken): "Adiposity and Physical Activity as Risk Factors For Developing Psoriatic Arthritis: Longitudinal Data from a Population-Based Study in Norway."
Arthritis Foundation: "Psoriatic Arthritis."
Clinical Rheumatology: "Psoriatic Arthritis and Physical Activity: A Systematic Review."
Intermountain Health: "7 Reasons Why Exercise is Better with a Buddy."
Mayo Clinic: "Exercise and Chronic Disease: Get the Facts." "Psoriasis."
Medicine (Baltimore): "Association Between Physical Activity and Risk of Prevalent Psoriasis."
National Psoriasis Foundation: "Active and Mindful Lifestyles," "Living with Psoriatic Arthritis," "Taking Care of Your Skin in Summer."
NHS: "How to Warm Up Before Exercising."
Nutrients: "The Impact of Diet and Physical Activity on Psoriasis: A Narrative Review of the Current Evidence."
PLoS One: "Cardiorespiratory Fitness in Late Adolescence and Long-Term Risk of Psoriasis and Psoriatic Arthritis Among Swedish Men."
Psoriasis (Auckl.): "Psoriasis and Exercise: A Review," "Reducing the Risk of Developing Psoriatic Arthritis in Patients with Psoriasis."
British Journal of Dermatology: "Sun Exposure Induces Rapid Immunological Changes in Skin and Peripheral Blood in Patients with Psoriasis."
