Psoriasis and Exercise

I haven’t properly exercised in years. Yes, I do regular walking, but I have not done strenuous physical activity for some time. I noticed things like walking up stairs or walking for long distances have been hard, tiring, and exhausting. I have grabbed a taxi on the odd occasion to avoid the long stretch.

So, last month I decided to do something about it. My motivation has increased and my general happiness too, and I felt this burst of energy to do regular exercise. And I am glad I have done so.

Psoriasis can make exercise difficult

For many years, I had large swathes of my body covered in patches, and they would bleed, feel painful and itchy and made intensive physical activity hard. Even sweating irritated my lesions.

But fast forward, and with my mental health improved, motivation up and the patches practically gone, I have decided to take the plunge and do some home workouts.

I first did this when I was suffering from bad psoriasis breakouts. I followed a DVD plan, using a pull-up bar, weights, and a mat. I lost weight, added muscle and began feeling better about myself, but because my psoriasis was so bad, I lost motivation and stopped after some months.

Not sure where to start?

If you want to exercise but don’t know where to start, home workout systems can be great. With psoriasis, you may feel self-conscious to join a gym or sports group, wondering if you’ll be stared at or feel uncomfortable wearing short sleeves or other skin-revealing attire.

But with a home workout, you don’t need to worry about any of that. If your general level of fitness is poor, you can buy programmes which will build your level of fitness up and improve confidence over time. The key is to just keep at it.

I started with a basic home workout system and I am about to move to something more strenuous and difficult. It’s mainly a high intensity interval system, so includes squats, lunges, running on the spot, ab exercises, planks and more. I am seeing weight come off after only three weeks of doing it.

Diet and psoriasis

My diet has also improved. I try and eat foods which are protein-rich and healthy, including plenty of chicken, fish, fruit and vegetables, as well as low fat protein yoghurts and bars. I have drastically reduced my fizzy drink intake, mainly consuming just water most days for drinks.

I don’t know much about how diet interacts with psoriasis, but a lot of people swear by certain ones. Has my psoriasis improved since doing this? I am not sure. I certainly itch less and my patches don’t feel sore, but they were getting better anyway. And it’s certainly made me feel healthier and happier and that means it’s worth doing.

So, perhaps make it a goal to do a bit of physical activity this year. The regime I’ve outlined I do 5 times a week and lasts about 30 minutes. I do it in my living room, so there’s no excuses. No traveling to the gym and you can do it when you get up from bed, after work or before you go to bed in the evening. Giving this a go could change your life. So, try a home workout and see what happens.