Exercise and Its Benefits: Managing stress and an Autoimmune Disease

The journey of a thousand miles begins with one step.

— Lao Tzu

Exercise, while a long-term commitment, offers instant benefits, especially if you have an autoimmune disease. When you work out, your whole system — the respiratory, cardiovascular, skeleton, and muscular system — comes together to exert energy. You detox, cleanse your body, and flush negative energy from your mind. And the brain releases endorphins, which reduces stress and anxiety and improves your sleep and your mood. Ideally, you should feel great after a workout.

Exercise and Autoimmune Disease Connection

Living with an autoimmune disease is a lifetime journey. The commitment is consistent, it cannot die because this is one of the tools for a healthy being.  Autoimmune disease brings flare ups and along inflammation. Exercise is specially beneficial because by its nature exercise is a stress on the body, a constriction that allows blood flow to rush after the release.  These little stresses constrict blood and release blood, flushes the stress our body is experiencing. The stress exercise brings on the body is opposite to the stress inflammation rich foods brings. After a workout your body feels better because you have allowed your system to flush.

Exercise helps reduce inflammation, that is happy news for your body. Less inflammation means less pain and more active in the game of life. With a decrease in inflammation, the world starts opening up, and your muscles. Our body become more fluid and as a result we have more movement. Working out improves how your body feels and how your mind functions. Research shows physical activity decreases pain, decreases fatigue and it enhances mood, as well as cognitive activity.

Get Moving Early: Manage Your Immunity

There’s an old saying, “The early bird catches the worm.” While you may not be a bird, you can apply that same wisdom to starting your day early. Many top CEOs are early risers…in part so they can schedule a workout or set aside time for creative thinking.

You can set yourself up for success by preparing the night before. This means you’ll probably become an earlier sleeper, but letting go of late weeknight gatherings comes with immense rewards. Getting a good night’s sleep is key because it will help you wake rested and ready for an early morning workout.

Schedule a workout, especially an early morning one, is crucial to your routine. This way you can flush out all the toxins at the start of a new day and release endorphins that will change your mood from the beginning. The endorphins released have a strong potency for diluting stress. Your mind opens up and you start finding solutions to your problems.

Exercise Ideas if Suffering From an Autoimmune Disease

If working out is not yet part of your routine, keep in mind that making it will improve your overall health and help you mange and heal your autoimmune disease. You need to take into consideration your initial state, flare up, and be compassionate on yourself. Start slow and build up as you grow stronger. I find that if I have been away from exercise for some time, I need a little push by joining an exercise class at the gym or boutique studio.

These are great starter exercises:

• Go for a walk. Aim for 30 minutes, if you can. In 30 days, increase the distance and try to reduce the time it takes you. Chances are, you’ll begin to jog, then run. Set monthly goals and watch them become a reality.
• Purchase a hybrid bike and bike outdoors, my favorite. For indoor, that’s the reality for people living in North East during winter months, Peloton or bike classes are a great way to ride.
• Go to an early morning gym class. Strengthening classes are great for muscle health. They stretch your muscles and build strength.