The Top 3 Essential Exercise Tips for People Living with Autoimmune Disease & Chronic Illness

By Andrea Wool, CPT, FNTP

If you live with an autoimmune disease or other kinds of chronic illness, odds are that you have had a complicated relationship with exercise.

We know that exercise is healthy and that we should be doing it… but often, for people living with autoimmune disease and chronic illness, exercise feels like it’s doing more harm than good. Many people living with autoimmune disease and chronic illness find that they feel worse after exercising and that it causes exhaustion, pain, injury and symptom flare-up. So, they find themselves steering clear of exercise altogether.

Other people living with autoimmune disease and chronic illness find themselves trying to push through their exercises, even though they are experiencing these same results. They think that if they just keep trying, that eventually the exercises will work and help them to feel better. But in the meantime, they feel like they are running on a hamster wheel, going round and round and not getting anywhere.

As a personal trainer who works specifically with people living with autoimmune disease and chronic illness, I hear this all the time. “Exercise just isn’t for me”. “Exercise doesn’t make me feel good.” “I have no motivation to exercise.” And I get it- I also live with multiple autoimmune conditions and chronic diseases, and in the past, exercise has made me feel worse rather than better as well.

It doesn’t have to be this way. Exercise doesn’t have to be exhausting, painful or have any kind of side effects. The problem is that people living with autoimmune disease and chronic illness haven’t been taught the right way to exercise for their bodies. So, they keep trying to exercise in the wrong way… and that’s why it doesn’t work.

By exercising the right way, people with autoimmune disease can achieve the following results: 

  • Having more energy throughout the day

  • Feeling strong and confident in their bodies

  • Being less tired during the day

  • Improved sleep at night

  • Fewer aches and pains

  • Fewer symptom flare-ups

  • More capacity to say YES to the busy demands of daily lives  

  • And so much more! 

Here are the top 3 ways to exercise safely and effectively while living with autoimmune disease and chronic illness:

  1. Focus on building strength over cardio. Cardio can trigger pain and flare-ups more quickly than strength building exercises can. Plus, the more strength you build, the better your body can adapt to the stress and demands of everyday life. It’s a win-win. 

  2. Just a little at a time. Every body has a tipping point, where exercise goes from doable to too much. And that tipping point usually isn’t clear in the moment, it’s not until a few days later that you realize that you did too much. So starting small and doing a little bit at a time is the best way to make sure you don’t overdo it. 

  3. Slow and steady wins the race. Starting small can feel hard, like you aren’t doing enough. But over time, you’ll be able to do more and more. So stay consistent, keep going, and your capacity will increase over time.  

I am so excited to be bringing my 10 years of personal training experience to the CLINIC. Through my online fitness program Autoimmune Strong, I have worked with thousands of people living with autoimmune disease and chronic illness to help them rebuild their bodies and regain their energy and zest for life through exercise. I am excited to be offering an in-person exercise experience at CLINIC.

If you are interested in learning more about how to exercise in a way that helps your body feel great while living with autoimmune disease and chronic illness, please don’t hesitate to reach out! You can follow me on Instagram or book an appointment to start personal training with me at clinic. I look forward to working with you!

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