The Importance of Exercise

• Maintaining a solid level of physical activity is vital for sufferers of ankylosing spondylitis. Exercise promotes continued joint flexibility, lowered pain levels and weight loss that can help diminish stress on the body. It can also help in avoiding or slowing development of the characteristic stooped posture that often accompanies the disease. Unfortunately, pain from the initial development of the disease, or from prior lack of exercise for disease sufferers, is sometimes intense enough to discourage exercise. If you are considering starting an exercise program, but feel deterred by your current pain level, consult your doctor for advice. Frequently, she can provide you with a pain reduction regimen that can make exercise seem more manageable.
  
  

Before You Begin

• Once your pain levels are tolerable, there are certain steps you can take to increase your chances of getting positive exercise results. Begin with picking a good time of day to exercise. Factors here will vary from person to person, but try to pick a time you can schedule easily, preferably during a part of the day when your symptoms are not as prominent. Make sure that your exercise space is comfortable. Provide yourself with a mat or a carpeted floor, and avoid chilly or cold rooms. Remember that starting a new exercise program can cause some pain for anyone, whether or not they have AS. Plan to work within your personal pace, and establish goals that work for you. Consult with your doctor or personal therapist to help plan out your personalized program.
  
  

Exercise Options

• Once you begin, there are a number of basic exercises that may prove helpful. For example, try standing against a wall, with the goal of touching the wall with your shoulders and buttocks simultaneously. Straining yourself is not necessary, and neither is actually touching the wall; the goal is simply to promote proper posture. A variation on this technique involves lying prone on the floor instead. Even just maintaining your head in a neutral position above your shoulders can start you toward improved posture.
  
  Other beneficial exercises include controlled stretching, deep breathing, side bends, waist turns and neck stretches and tilts. Yoga, water therapy, tai chi, biking and weight training have also been effective in sufferers of AS. Make sure you get advice from a professional, especially before you attempt some of the more strenuous of these activities.
  
  

A Word About Rest

• Proper rest is equally as important as exercise. If possible, AS patients should sleep without bending at the waist or shoulders. Use of a conventional pillow is also not recommended, due to stresses on the spine and neck. Try an orthopedic pillow instead. Your doctor or physical therapist should be able to help you find a suitable model.