Exercise has tremendous effects on our physical, mental, and emotional health. It also remains one of our most powerful strategies to reduce pain. We can all attest to the overall great feelings that occur after a challenging workout or activity. This reduction in mental, emotional, or physical pain after a single bout of exercise is well known to participants. Researchers have also noted both strength and aerobically trained participants improve their long term pain tolerance. A study highlights how quickly this can be achieved with aerobic training.
Jones and colleagues randomized 24 healthy participants (3 male, average age 24) to one of two groups (Med Sci Sports Ex. 2014). A control group was instructed to maintain their current physical activities. A second group used the stationary bike for 30 minutes, 3 times a week, at 75% of their heart rate reserve. Researchers examined their pain pressure threshold and response to ischemic pain both before and after the study. As expected the exercise group both increases in aerobic capacity and pain tolerance.
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