Tips for Comfortable Exercise With Psoriasis
It’s no secret that exercise is enormously healthy, but it can be easier to focus on the uncomfortable aspects of working out, especially when you live with a chronic disease.
However, there are a number of reasons to consider ramping up your exercise routine if you struggle with psoriasis, and clearer skin is just the beginning. Whatever your current activity level, take some helpful tips to keep you on track and get more from your workouts, without irritating your psoriasis symptoms.
The Benefits of Exercise
It may seem like a long shot, but upping your activity level could be your best bet for better skin. Psoriasis tends to spread around the body, but exercise is an equally far-reaching solution: it will help alleviate your superficial skin symptoms, but also treat the root of your psoriasis troubles.
Weight Control
Psoriasis patients are an average of 7% heavier than those without the condition, and that could have something to do with inflammation. Psoriasis stems from an inflammatory immune system response, and obesity can lead to chronic inflammation. On the other hand, inflammation can also lead the body to make more fat cells, too. The result? A cycle of inflammation and weight gain that exacerbates psoriasis symptoms.
Although weight problems and psoriasis seem to go hand in hand, doctors stress that exercise can stop the cycle rather quickly. By losing weight, you can reduce inflammation, improve your circulation, and nourish skin cells more efficiently.
Lower Risk of Heart Disease
Psoriasis patients are at a higher risk for metabolic syndrome, which can lead to diabetes, coronary heart disease, and stroke. Age doesn’t seem to make a difference: even children with psoriasis have a greater rate of metabolic syndrome than their clear-skinned peers. The best way to bring blood pressure and cholesterol back down to normal levels is through a healthy diet and regular exercise, so it becomes extremely important for psoriasis patients to get active in order to counteract the heightened heart risks.
Treatment Boost
As you lose weight and get fit, you may find that your psoriasis treatment begins to work better. Recent studies show that overweight patients with plaque psoriasis who lose a moderate amount of weight get more noticeable results from topical skin treatments.
Since stress is a big trigger for psoriasis flares, eliminating stressors can help you naturally defeat your symptoms, and perhaps decrease your need for medication in the long term. Exercise releases calming chemicals to defeat stress hormones, plus it elevates your mood and helps you sleep better – exactly the changes you need to reduce the physical effects of stress.
