The Missing Link: Why Movement Matters Even When You Hurt

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But then something surprising happened.
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After a few weeks of those twice a week rides, I started to notice that I was having more stamina.
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I was able to go longer and push harder, I wasn't crashing mid-afternoon and I was sleeping better than I had in a month.
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I'm Dawn Laflin, certified health coach and fellow RA warrior.
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It wasn't all that long ago that I was in this place where I was fearful of the uncertainty of my future, wondering when my next flare would come or wondering when the pain would let up.
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Fast forward through many trials, errors and lessons learned and you'll find a gal who is stronger, healthier and more confident in her future than ever before.
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Yes, I still have RA, but RA doesn't have me.
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I believe our lifestyle, food choices and mindset greatly impact the way our bodies handle rheumatoid arthritis.
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I created the Thrive with RA podcast to explore the science-based ways to realign your health.
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Through these three pillars and so much more, we'll be navigating both the messy and the blessings that come from living a life with RA.
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Each week, you'll get a good dose of education, inspiration, encouragement and hope as you take small steps to improve your health and overall life.
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If you've been diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis or are still trying to figure out if the symptoms you're feeling are indeed rheumatoid arthritis.
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You are in the right place, my friend.
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Let's get started.
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Hey friend, welcome back to the Thrive with Ari podcast.
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Today's episode I really feel a deep connection to.
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It's something that I used to really fear a lot.
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I found myself tiptoeing, vacillating back and forth, wondering is this the right choice?
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Is it not the right choice?
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After I was diagnosed with RA, and that is around movement More specifically, I was dancing around the idea that what if the very thing that I was afraid would make my RA worse was actually the thing that would help me feel better?
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With a background in exercise and sports science, I understood the benefit of exercise.
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I knew how powerful exercise could be for the body, for a lot of things.
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But with RA in the equation, if I'm being honest, it brought a lot of uncertainty.
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So let me tell you a story.
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You know how you have that certain friendship that just shows up into your life at exactly the right time.
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Years ago I had a friend who invited me to a spin class in this new cute little boutique studio.
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I had always loved fitness classes and loved trying all the new things and that feeling of a good sweat.
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There was nothing better.
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But at that point I was early into my journey with RA and terrified of doing too much.
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There were a lot of questions just swirling around in my head making me question all the things, and it was nonstop.
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I was wondering could I handle this?
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Would I regret it the next day?
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What if I triggered a flare?
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So I really took a minute to get back to her.
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But the truth was I didn't want to miss out.
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I had determined from the time that I was diagnosed that I didn't want RA to dictate my life or steal the things that would bring me joy.
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So I went and let me tell you it was incredible.
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It lit me up.
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The music, the energy in the room, the rhythm of the ride.
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I loved every minute of it.
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I even got a little bit competitive with that leaderboard, if you know.
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You know I was all in trying to be at the top After class.
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I felt amazing.
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But you know what I told my friend?
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I said I can only do this twice a week.
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There was no science behind that number.
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I literally just picked it out of thin air, probably out of fear or out of uncertainty.
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It just sort of felt like a safe amount of movement that I could guarantee I would do.
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So that's what I did two times a week.
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But then something surprising happened.
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After a few weeks of those twice a week rides, I started to notice that I was having more stamina.
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I was able to go longer and push harder, I wasn't crashing mid-afternoon and I was sleeping better than I had in months.
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Now.
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I should mention that this was about six months into my all-in shift where I was fully committed to an anti-inflammatory diet, so I was already eating to support my healing and I had noticed all this amazing energy improvement with that alone.
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But this movement, it took it to a whole new level.
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And one thing really stood out to me.
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For the longest time I had that lingering pain in the smallest of my joints in my hand, and it was something that diet alone hadn't fully caused to go out of my body.
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But it was starting to ease up with this movement.
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And that was my aha moment, the moment I realized every time I moved I felt like I was flushing inflammation out of my body and, instead of draining me, the right kind of movement was actually fueling me.
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From that day forward, I got on the bike in a very different way.
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I had a different mindset and I was going into it because I wanted to feel amazing and flush the inflammation.
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I would literally tell my family I've got to go, flush the inflammation, I'd hop on the bike.
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So let's talk about why this happens, because it's not just a mindset shift.
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There's some beautiful biology that goes on behind the scenes in your body.
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When you exercise, your body releases endorphins.
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Maybe you've heard of them.
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They are those feel-good hormones.
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But they're not just about putting you in a better mood.
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They're playing a much bigger role in how your body responds to inflammation, stress and pain.
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So let's break it down.
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There are three powerful ways that endorphins will support your healing when you're living with rheumatoid arthritis.
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The first is they reduce your perception of pain.
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Endorphins bind to the receptors in your brain and in your spinal cord, kind of like your body's own natural morphine, and when that's happening, it's helping to ease that joint discomfort and making movement feel less intimidating and more empowering.
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The second thing endorphins do.
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They lift your mood and lower your stress.
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Now it probably goes without saying when your mood shifts, even just a little bit, you're able to show up better in your body and to those around you.
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Less stress means you make better choices, you have more motivation and you have a deeper sense of hope, which all comes together in this beautiful little package in helping you build emotional resilience, and that is so important in life, especially when you're managing something as complex as rheumatoid arthritis.
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The third thing endorphins do.
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They help calm the stress response so your body can shift toward recovery after you've worked out.
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Now here's what's really important for you to understand Endorphins don't just sort of flip a switch and throw you straight into rest mode while you're still mid-workout, but they do send some really powerful safety signals to your nervous system even while you're moving.
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They kind of act as a buffer, if you will, helping to keep your stress response from going off the tracks.
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So, like your heart rate and your blood pressure don't go sky high.
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And basically those endorphins they are helping to soften the edges of the fight or flight response that your body goes into when you're exercising.
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By doing so, your body is able to then easily transition into healing or recovery mode once the movement ends.
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That's when your things like your heart rate, your blood pressure and your cortisol begin to settle and when inflammation begins to calm your body is saying we're safe, let's repair.
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So yes, those endorphins you're generating from either a walk, a yoga flow or even just 10 minutes of stretching are doing so much more than helping you feel good.
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They're helping your body heal Pretty powerful, right.
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That is why movement isn't just about burning calories or getting fit.
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For women with RA, movement is therapeutic.
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It's an emotional regulation, it's inflammation support and it's part of your medicine cabinet with no prescription required, and I am all for that.
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Thank you and yes, please.
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Now here's the thing.
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You don't have to do an intense workout to get those benefits.
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While your goal is to elevate your heart rate, you want to start low and slow, as you're beginning.
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Even just doing 5, 10, or 15 minutes of intentional, gentle movement can kickstart the shift.
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Then you check in your body afterwards.
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You're doing it in the moment and for the next day or two.
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Now you want to really listen to what your body is telling you.
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Do you have sore muscles?
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Totally normal.
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Do you have sore joints?
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Not so normal.
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That's your sign that you need to pull back a little.
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Consider either less weight, maybe fewer reps, or doing a modified version altogether the next time you go into to do that exercise or that movement.
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This isn't about you pushing through the pain.
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It's about partnering with your body and really tuning in to see how your body is responding and if you are honoring what it needs for that day.
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As you build endurance, as you continue to show up, you'll find that you can go longer, you can lift heavier and you can get stronger in that process.
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So, friend, what if movement could help you feel better instead of hurt you?
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What if the missing link in rebalancing your health isn't more medication, but the right kind of motion?
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As you ponder that question, consider what it would look like to starting something new.
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What would you do?
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Would you go for a walk?
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Would you hop on a bike?
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Would you go for a swim?
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I am so curious and I would love for you to reach out to me on Instagram.
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Find me at Dawn Laughlin Wellness and share it with me, because I would love to cheer you on.
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If you found this episode helpful, would you do me a huge favor and hit the like button when you do?
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It helps other people with RA discover the podcast so that they, too, can start thriving once again.
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All right, my friend.
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Until next time, keep taking those small steps that lead to big impact.
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Bye for now, thank you.