Aerobic exercise is an important part of any exercise program, as it helps improve cardiovascular health and distribute essential nutrients throughout the body more effectively. It can also help with weight loss, which can in turn reduce the pressure on the sacroiliac (SI) joint.
In general, it is recommended that adults should engage in 30 to 60 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic physical activity or 15 to 30 minutes of vigorous-intensity aerobic physical activity 5 times a week.
In This Article:
Potential Benefits of Aerobic Exercise for SI Joint Pain
Aerobic exercises increase the blood flow and nutrients to the soft tissues surround the SI joint.
Multiple studies have shown that aerobic exercises may benefit patients with lower back pain.,,
- Aerobic exercises help increase the blood flow and nutrients to the soft tissues in the back, improving the healing process and reducing the stiffness that results in back pain.,,
- Additionally, engaging in aerobic exercise for 30-40 minutes has been shown to increase the body’s production of endorphins, a hormone that binds to the pain receptors in the brain and spinal cord to decrease the perception of pain.
It is important to note that some forms of high-impact aerobic exercise, such as running, jogging, or playing racket sports that involve twisting or sudden forward bending of the spine may cause or exacerbate SI joint pain. For this reason, low-impact aerobics that are easier on the low back and pelvis may be recommended.
Exercise Walking
Walking is a quick and low-impact exercise for SI joint pain.
Exercise walking is gentler on the sacroiliac joint than running or jogging and has the added benefit of being easy to fit into a regular schedule and has a low injury rate., For instance, exercise walking can be done on a lunch break, around the neighborhood, indoors at a mall, or on a treadmill.
Watch 2 Walking Tips to Avoid SI Joint Pain Video
Stationary Biking
Stationary biking is a low to moderate-impact exercise.
Stationary biking provides low to moderate-impact aerobic exercise while avoiding the bumps and jolts of biking on uneven terrain that may potentially inflame the SI joint(s).
Swimming or Water Aerobics
Exercising in water reduces the pressure on the SI joint.
Exercising in water provides an effective low-impact aerobic workout that does not put excess pressure on the SI joint due to the natural buoyancy of the water., Additionally, the water’s resistance provides a gentle workout for the muscles that dampens the force of potentially painful movements. Specific water aerobics exercises, water walking, or swim strokes may be recommended as part of a physical therapy program.
Read more: Water Therapy Exercise Program
Some trial and error may be needed to find an enjoyable aerobic exercise that helps relieve SI joint pain. One of the most important factors for success with an exercise program is maintaining regular exercise, so it is important to find a method of aerobic exercise that one is likely to continue.
