For most people, a few aches and pains in the morning are normal, especially as we age. When the body starts moving, these aches and pains usually begin to disappear.
For pain patients, many days don’t work this way. In fact, some pain is so severe and persistent as to keep a person in bed over many days. Because one of the primary treatments for chronic pain is exercise and movement, this extreme pain can create a vicious cycle where the pain that keeps pain patients in bed also prevents the exercise that might help get them out of it.
Being bed-bound does not automatically mean being inactive, though. Here are 15 exercises pain patients can do from bed. Talk to your doctor to see which of these are appropriate for you to do.
1. Body stretch
Start slowly, inhaling your arms above your head and pushing down through your heels (like you are standing on the wall at the end of the bed). Breathe deeply in and out, extending everything as you inhale and relaxing as you exhale.
2. Knees to chest
After your stretch, inhale your arms back to your sides, then exhale. On an inhale, bring one knee to your chest at a time. Engage your low belly and try to lift your leg from your core, not with your low back. If this is challenging, bend your knee as you bring it up. Bring both knees to your chest and rock gently back and forth to stretch and massage your low back.
3. Leg lifts
Extend your legs straight out again with feet flexed. On an inhale, engage your lower belly to lift and lower one leg at a time. To make sure your abs are taking the heat as you lower your leg, press your belly button to your spine as you exhale. Go slowly, and repeat as many times as you can maintain good form with strong abs.
4. Leg lifts, reversed
Roll onto your stomach and take turns raising your legs one at a time. Try to imagine that the middle of the hamstring is performing the action, not the foot or low back. You can also bend your knee so that your foot is flexed to the ceiling if that feels more supportive. Again, repeat as many times as you can with good form.
5. Plank
Plank on your bed as you would on the floor: in pushup position with hands directly below shoulders, core muscles engaged, tailbone reaching towards heels, heels pressing towards the wall behind them. Let your heart drop just a bit to bring your shoulder blades onto your back. An easier variation is to hold the plank on your forearms. A more difficult variation is to lower down to your forearms from a pushup position, one arm at a time, then back up. Just remember to keep your core engaged so your abdomen doesn’t flop and crunch in your back.
6. Side plank
From regular plank or forearm plank, move your right hand or forearm forward one or two inches, then turn your right foot so that the side of the foot is resting on the bed. Engage your abs to slowly stack your hips and bring your left leg on top of your right leg. If this is too much, the left leg can come out in front for more support. Press your hips up every time you inhale, and keep your tailbone reaching towards your heels (with flexed feet).
7. Pushups
Either full pushups or pushups with knees down are appropriate here. Either way, start in a strong plank pose. Drop your knees if you need to, then lower down in a straight, strong line on an exhale. Keep your elbows hugged tightly into your shoulders to protect your shoulders. Come up on an inhale. Only do as many as you can with proper form.
8. Cat/cow
Start on all fours with knees below hips and wrists below shoulders. On an inhale drop your belly towards the ground, heart moving forward, and hips tilting to create an exaggerated low-back curve. Exhale and reverse, like a Halloween cat, pressing up out of the bed with the hands and the tops of your shins to arch and round your back. Complete five inhalations and exhalations. Cat/cow can also be complete in a seated position with legs crossed, inhaling to arch the back and push the chest forward, and exhaling to round the back.
9. Alternate arm/leg lifts
Start on all fours. Inhale and extend your right leg straight back and your left arm straight forward. If you