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Exercising Without Aggravating Psoriasis: Here’s What I Know

We all know exercise is good for your mental and physical health, but finding the right form of physical activity for you isn’t always easy. And if you have psoriasis, it can be even trickier.

Sweat, sun, exercise equipment, and more can impact psoriasis symptoms and may even cause flares. However, physical activity can really benefit people with psoriasis by helping them to maintain a healthy weight, reduce stress, and fight inflammation.

I have lived with psoriasis for 14 years, and I’ve learned a lot as I’ve tried to figure out what works for me. You should always talk to your doctor about appropriate workouts for you, and consider these tips to keep psoriasis irritation down while getting your heart rate up.

In addition to psoriasis, I also have psoriatic arthritis. And while swimming usually helps my joints feel better, it most definitely aggravates my psoriasis unless I take some precautions. Keep these in mind next time you dive in:

• Choose the right swimsuit: Tight-fitting swimsuits can make my inverse psoriasis unbearable. That’s because inverse psoriasis occurs in the folds of the skin, often in the genitals, under the breasts, or in the underarms. When I’m in a flare, I opt for a two-piece, with slightly looser-fitting boy shorts I can wear a little lower on my hips so the friction doesn’t irritate sensitive regions.
• Grab a swim cap: Wearing a swim cap allows me to cover my scalp psoriasis to avoid getting chlorine in the plaques.
• Rinse off immediately: After a dip in the pool, I make sure to rinse off–or better yet, take a real shower–to wash the chlorine away. I’ve noticed chlorine will dry out my skin even more than it already does if left to sit on my skin. I top off the shower with some moisturizer right after patting myself dry. This locks in the moisture for me.

Kickboxing is my exercise of choice for stress relief. The only problem is that I work up a good sweat, which causes my plaques to burn. Here are some ideas to help keep cool with psoriasis when things are heating up:

• Use a wet cooling towel: Don one of these around your neck to cool your body temperature and soak up some of the sweat.
• Find the right sports bra: Wearing sports bras with elastic that sits below your bust–and more around the ribs–often helps with inverse psoriasis under the breasts.
• Pick your outfits carefully: Avoid clothing that is too tight or too loose, and choose a fabric like cotton that breathes.
• Grab a headband: Use a performance headband when working out to soak up sweat and keep your head cool. I find it helps with my scalp psoriasis, too.
• Rinse off: If you don’t have access to a shower immediately after you exercise, use the sink in the restroom to give yourself a quick clean up. Be sure to pat or air dry if you can to keep plaque irritation low.

I’ll be honest. I gave up most of my cycling workouts. They became too difficult with the friction between my legs and the seat aggravating my inverse psoriasis. That said, I still like a good bike workout when I’m not in a big flare. Depending on how your psoriasis affects you, cycling might be a great choice, but keep these tips in mind:

• Invest in bike shorts: Although they’re not the most flattering on me, I choose bike shorts to help lessen the friction between my legs, which causes chafing and irritation.
• Protect and moisturize sensitive skin: After a good cycling workout, I apply coconut oil to cool and soothe my inverse psoriasis.

Whether cycling, swimming, or running, getting your body moving benefits your psoriasis and your overall health. Prioritize your workouts and use these tips to get the most out of your exercise sessions.