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Being Active When You Have Health Problems

Table of Contents


Overview

When you are living with health problems, regular exercise and activity are important. They keep you healthier, give you energy, make you stronger, and help your mood.

Exercise and activity can help many health problems. When you're active, you are less likely to have problems caused by diabetes (https://messages.test.hwapps.net/SimpleContent/13.1/en-us/std120744#std120744-sec), heart disease, lung disease, and arthritis (https://messages.test.hwapps.net/SimpleContent/13.1/en-us/sta123319#sta123319-sec). And being active can help protect you from new health problems.

Regular exercise:

Finding what works for you

When you think of exercise, you may think of running or going to a gym. This may feel overwhelming. But exercise can be about making small changes in your physical activity. For example, parking your car in the farthest parking space from a store can be a small first step.

It can be hard to be active when you have health problems. Exercising to help control diabetes might be a challenge if arthritis makes walking painful or if heart failure slows you down. But you can choose activities that are a fit for you, like doing exercises in the water or as part of a cardiac rehab program.

With your doctor's help, you can decide what works best. Find out what is safe, what to avoid, and what kinds of choices you have. Don't be too active or get too much exercise at first. Do a little at first, and then slowly do more.

Planning to be more active

Starting to be more active when you have health problems can take a little planning. Follow these tips to help you stay safe.

Doing activity safely

You want to live life to its fullest, but you don't want to hurt yourself. Health experts suggest that older adults and people with long-term health problems try to:

Follow these basic tips for exercising when you have health problems.

These are basic tips. A slow walk might feel hard, easy, or somewhere in between for you, depending on your health and fitness levels. You and your doctor can decide what's best for you.


Credits for Being Active When You Have Health Problems

Current as of: June 5, 2023

Author: Healthwise Staff (https://www.healthwise.org/specialpages/legal/abouthw/en)
Clinical Review Board (https://www.healthwise.org/specialpages/legal/abouthw/en)
All Healthwise education is reviewed by a team that includes physicians, nurses, advanced practitioners, registered dieticians, and other healthcare professionals.


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