New research published in the journal PLOS One shows that even walking for four hours a week improves pain tolerance, which experts hope could reduce the need for painkillers to deal with everyday health problems like headaches and back pain.
Moving more can help us cope with pain better.
Previous studies have suggested that athletes have a higher pain tolerance than other people. The new study by experts at the University Hospital of Northern Norway assessed the pain thresholds of 10,700 people aged 30 to 87.
Participants were asked about their physical activity in two surveys, 7 or 8 years apart. Specifically, they were asked to choose one of four types of physical activity: If they exercised or competed in sports several times a week, they were in the “vigorous” group; if they played tennis or did heavy gardening for at least 4 hours a week, they were in the “moderate” group; if they walked, cycled, or did similar exercises for at least 4 hours a week, they were in the “light” group; and if they often did sitting activities, they were in the “sedentary” group.
To test the participants’ pain tolerance, the researchers asked them to hold their hands in cold water for as long as they could. The results showed that compared to the sedentary group, the most active people, the “highly active” group, could hold their hands in the water for an average of 16 seconds longer, while the “moderately active” group could hold their hands in the water for 14 seconds longer. Even the “lightly active” group could hold their pain for nearly 7 seconds longer than the sedentary people. These results remained even after the researchers took into account other factors that could affect pain tolerance, such as the participants’ age or health status.
It’s well known that exercise reduces everyday aches and pains by keeping joints flexible. But the results suggest that people who are fitter may feel the pain they do experience less intensely. “Participating in or maintaining physical activity over time may benefit your pain tolerance,” the researchers said.
Anders Arnes, lead author of the study, explains that exercise can have a similar effect on the brain as painkillers like morphine, albeit to a smaller extent. “There are some studies that show that people who are more active use less painkillers, and we wondered whether the positive effects of being active could also make things like childbirth less painful,” she adds.
To stay healthy, people aged 19 to 64 should aim for at least 150 minutes of moderate exercise such as cycling or brisk walking each week and strength training exercises that work all the major muscles (legs, hips, back, abdomen, chest, shoulders and arms) on 2 or more days a week.
Note that 1 minute of vigorous exercise provides the same health benefits as 2 minutes of moderate exercise. In addition, people who often sit for long periods of time should take breaks and do some light exercise.
HOANG DIEU (According to Daily Mail)
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