Living with chronic pain can make the idea of exercise feel overwhelming—especially if you are worried about triggering more pain. But avoiding exercise altogether may mean you miss out on some surprising benefits. For instance, walking could actually ease chronic pain symptoms in some cases.

I live with chronic pain and an energy-limiting illness, so I understand why not moving feels like the safest approach. Evem though walking is one of my favorite activities, when I’m experiencing a flare-up of symptoms, I often think I might as well not walk at all if I can’t walk 10,000 steps.

I spoke with Dr. Christynne Helfrich , a doctor of physical therapy at Hinge Health, who says this attitude is common but can be a stumbling block for people with chronic pain trying to improve their sympto

See Full Page