For example, try alternating walking and bicycling with swimming or a low-impact aerobics dance class. On days when the weather is pleasant, do your flexibility of stretching exercises outside. Consider joining a health club to broaden your access to different forms of physical activity. If you re traveling or especially busy on a certain day, it s OK to adapt your exercises to accommodate your schedule. If you develop a cold or the flu, take a day or two off from your exercise program.
Fatigue can increase pain.
Track your progress. Record what you do each time you exercise, how long you do it and how you feel during and after exercising. Recording your effort helps you work toward your goals as well as remind you that you re making progress. Work on developing an internal reward that comes from feelings of accomplishment, self-esteem and control of your own behavior. After each activity session, take two to five minutes to sit down, relax and savor the good feelings that exercise gives you.