5 Best Exercise for Spondylitis & How to Do Them

Having a regular exercise routine comes with a bunch of benefits. From keeping your body flexible and healthy to preventing diseases and even curing them, workouts have a range of advantages. They can even help you in controlling health conditions such as spondylitis. Also known as spondyloarthritis (spA), spondylitis refers to a type of arthritis that affects different body parts such as the back, joints, skin, eyes, and so on. If not treated or controlled in time, spondylitis can lead to other health complications. And since there is no spondylitis cure for several types, it is best to target the pain and symptoms to have a healthy life. For instance, you can do exercise for spondylitis pain. It can also help in preventing the stiffness of joints. In this article, we have jotted down some of the easiest and most effective exercises for spondylitis. Let’s start. 

Spondylitis and Its Types

Before moving to the best exercise for spondylitis, let’s take a look at the different types of spondylitis. This classification will help in choosing the most ideal exercise for spondylitis that treats your symptoms. 

Typically, there are three main types of spondylitis. These are: 

• Ankylosing spondylitis – It primarily affects the sacroiliac joints, causing stiffness in the lower back, hips, knees, and chest.
• Cervical spondylitis – It affects your cervical spine, causing the pain to spread towards the back of the neck.
• Lumbar spondylitis – It affects the lumbar region and causes pain. 

Based on the type, you can choose the exercise for spondylitis and create your own workout. 

Top Spondylitis Exercises You Should Know

Physical therapies are known for their effective impact on spondylitis – from pain relief to improved flexibility and strength. Take a look at the best spondylitis exercises given below that are great for this condition: 

1. Plank 

Plank is one of the most popular workouts that you can do easily at home. It engages not only your core muscles but also your back muscles, chest, and knees. In short, it works on the whole body. This is why you can also treat it as an ankylosing spondylitis exercise. It can stretch the muscles and improve pain. 

How to do it?

1. Come on a table position with all the limbs on your floor. Your feet should be shoulder-width apart. The hands should be shoulder-width apart. 
2. Now, plant your palms right under your shoulder as if you are going to do a push-up. 
3. Fix your toes on the floor and straighten your body. 
4. Engage your core muscles and squeeze your glutes to stabilize the body. 
5. Hold this position for at least 20 seconds. 

2. Wall Sit

When you want to do exercise for spondylitis pain, especially if you have ankylosing spondylitis, you can try the famous wall sit. This affects your back, shoulders, neck, butt, and hips and stretches them. 

How to do it?

1. Stand straight with your back against a wall. Your feet should be shoulder-width apart. 
2. Now, slowly slide your back down the wall while placing your feet away from the wall. It will look as if you are sitting on an invisible chair. 
3. Hold this pose for at least 5 seconds. 
4. Repeat 3-5 times. 

3. Chin Tucks

Moving on, this is a neck spondylitis exercise. Quite simple and easy to do, chin tucks cause a stretch in your neck and that relives any tightness or strain in the area. You can perform this exercise for spondylitis neck pain anytime, anywhere. Chin tucks are also good to get rid of double chin and excess face fat. 

How to do it?

1. Lie on your back (or just sit comfortably).
2. Now, try to tuck your chin slightly towards your chest. 
3. Make sure you don’t hunch your shoulders. 
4. Hold this pose for 5-10 seconds. 
5. Do this 3-5 times, twice a day for the best results. 

4. Side-to-Side Head Rotation

Another exercise for cervical spondylitis is a neck stretch that is easy to do. The head rotation helps in stretching your neck muscle and decreasing any tightness in the area. It also increases your neck mobility and posture. 

How to do it? (while lying down)

1. Lie on your back. Bend your knees with feet flat on the floor. 
2. Now, breathe and rotate your chin towards the right shoulder. If needed, you can also use your hand to gently stretch your head.
3. Hold this position for 20 seconds and release your chin.
4. Now, rotate your chin toward your left shoulder and hold the pose for 20 seconds. 
5. Repeat this exercise for spondylitis neck pain at least 3 to 5 times on each side.

5. Pelvic Tilt

So far, we have listed only ankylosing spondylitis exercise and exercise for cervical spondylitis, it is time to add one for Lumbar spondylitis. A pelvic tilt is known for strengthening your lower core muscles but it can also be performed to stretch your lumbar spine and reduce any pain and inflammation in the region. 

How to do it?

• Lie flat on your back on a yoga mat. 
• Keep your hands by your side and bend your knees.  
• Now, take a deep breath in and as you breathe out, contract and engage your abdominal muscles. Try to push your belly button toward the floor, while flattening your low back.
• Hold this position for at least 5-10 seconds and then relax.
• Repeat it 10 times.

Exercise For Spondylitis: Precautions and Tips 

Whether you perform exercise for spondylitis or a simple weight loss exercise, you must learn about the measures to prevent injury. Some of the basic ones you should keep in mind while doing a spondylitis workout at home include: 

• If you notice any sharp pain while performing exercise for spondylitis, stop it immediately and consult a doctor. 
• Always start with a warm-up and then begin your exercise for spondylitis.
• When you are performing any neck spondylitis exercise and stretch, avoid rushing the movements. This can lead to muscle sprain or injury. 
• Performing the best exercise for spondylitis doesn’t mean you will get a spondylitis cure. This is a condition that may also occur due to genetics. To understand more about treatment, it is best to consult a doctor. 

The Takeaway

Spondylitis is a chronic health condition but that does not mean you cannot expect relief from its symptoms. Try even one exercise for spondylitis on a regular basis and you can effectively control the pain and reduce stiffness. 

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