7 Low Impact and Fun Ways to Stay Active this Spring

Staying active with psoriasis is one important element to diminishing flare-ups! While managing psoriasis can involve many different important factors, staying active is an important one for our overall health and something that can be fun! Here are seven fun ways to stay active this Spring:

Pickleball is the world’s fastest growing sport. It combines elements of tennis, badminton, and table tennis. Pickleball is a great way to get in some exercise without putting excessive strain on your body, especially if you have any injuries. This emerging sport is extremely fun, easy to learn, very social and does not require a tremendous amount of time.

Swimming is a great way to stay active during the warmer months of the year! It can help promote a healthy heart and healthy lungs. It is also very good if you have psoriatic arthritis, as it requires no heavy lifting and you can go at your own pace.

Hiking is a good social activity as well as physical exercise that can be highly beneficial. While this activity can be more physically strenuous than the others mentioned above, it can be a great way to get outside, enjoy nature and spend time with family or friends.

Rowing and kayaking is a fun water activity to experience as the weather and water get warmer. Both of these sports put very little impact on your joints. The emphasis of these sports is on the upper body, including your shoulders and arms. If you have knee or hip concerns, these boating activities are a great choice.

Cycling is another sport that is easier on your joints. With the exception of falling (knock on wood that you stay upright the entire ride), there is no impact with the ground, so your knees, ankles, hips, and back experience little strain. In addition, there are a lot of cycling groups that can make this exercise fun and social.

Golfing is a great way to be immersed in nature while tackling both physical and mental challenges. In addition, if you decide to walk vs riding a cart, you can log a lot of steps and burn a lot of calories. Do be careful when swinging a club repetitively, as it can aggravate issues at the shoulder joint.

Yoga is a wonderful, non-impact exercise that is less harmful on joints. Yoga poses also stretch your muscles, allowing you to move more freely and feel less stiff. It also increases lubrication of the joints, ligaments and tendons.

With all of these activities, you get the chance to be out in the sun and get your daily dose of Vitamin D! While Vitamin D is essential for our overall health, be sure to apply sunscreen so you do not get burnt and cause a flare up.