sculpting that body!
Wait, So Is Exercise Good or Bad for Psoriasis?
According to the National Psoriasis Foundation, you should be hitting at least half an hour of moderate exercise every day, as well as some muscle workouts five days a week.
Now, we aren’t talking about running a marathon or huffing and puffing till you’re blue in the face. You don’t need to be drenched in sweat, hanging over a fence.
Again, keep it moderate. Go for a brisk walk, and lift some light dumbbells. You aren’t reinventing the wheel here, you’re simply improving your health, step by step. If you can gradually increase your workouts – and finetune that hot bod – you’ll find exercising with psoriasis is actually quite liberating!
But here’s the catch. If you’re going too hard, and not taking proper precautions, all that sweaty mess can spell disaster for your skin.
Sweat & Psoriasis – It’s Complicated
Sweat and psoriasis have a love/hate relationship. Look, we all sweat at some point when we exercise – especially if we’re carrying around a few extra lbs. Especially if it’s hot and we’re getting that heart thumping. It’s natural. But what happens when all that mess comes on too strong?
Here’s the conundrum: Exercising can improve your psoriasis. But exercise also causes us to sweat, which can worsen psoriasis. The reason exercise improves psoriasis is because it reduces fat and inflammation in the body.
Sweat is a different story. It can make your psoriasis a hot mess express because of what it does to your skin. Sweat naturally slickens your skin, which means your skin folds – and lesions – rub together more easily. Not to mention, these damp areas can be friendly to fungus and yeast.
Nasty, I know. But fortunately, you’ve got some options.
Here’s What You Can Do
If you’re dripping, and feeling like a pig in a sty, we’ve got you covered. Turns out, that managing your sweat and psoriasis doesn’t have to be crazy difficult. There are simple steps you can take to prevent and treat psoriasis flare-ups.
Depending on the type of psoriasis, you can use a powder to dry out your skin folds. Some shampoos and soaps also prevent itching and inflammation when you’re sweating. For that beautiful ivory skin of yours, try African black soap and pine tar soap.
Now for the lifestyle stuff. If your body’s waterworks are causing you pain, get ahead of ’em!
Enjoy a little fan time on those hot days. Hop in the pool. Choose a cool morning or evening to exercise. Look for shaded areas and always, always, always make sure you’re well hydrated. But don’t go overboard. Also, if you’re indoors and the AC is jacked too high, that may actually worsen your psoriasis.
In the end, it’s all about doing what works for you. Talk to your doctor, try out different approaches, and enjoy the benefits of regular exercise. You got this!