Exercising During An Active Flare-Up

A close-up photo of a woman on an elliptical, Pixabay, Jan. 2024

Maintaining a healthy weight

Maintaining a healthy weight is key to keeping HS under control. Although weight is a contributor to the worsening of HS and is frowned upon and a stigmatized concept, my journey of twelve years proves that it can. My weight has always fluctuated and my relationship with food has always been a vulnerable area for me. In periods where my weight increased, I noticed HS flares in new areas where skin-on-skin contact was never an issue at a lower weight. As my weight would increase I would also notice my food intake was high cards, dairy, and processed foods, which were all triggers that I chose to ignore. I noticed a significant worsening of my physical flare-ups. Weight loss has helped me significantly. However, working out can repel especially with HS. HS is incredibly painful, and since it targets places that have skin-on-skin contact, working during flare-ups can suck.

Recommendation

My Recommendation is during flare-ups, choose to work out during the flare-up or not if you do expect the flare-up to get worse before it gets better. At the gym, I recommend avoiding machines like the treadmill and sticking to ellipticals. Ellipticals are great because they create space between your legs, avoiding friction and irritation to the flare-up. If your flare-up is in your under the arm, stay away from lifting weights, focus on your legs and cardio until the flare-up gets better. Swimming is also a fantastic way to avoid unnecessary friction if you want a creative cardio workout when flaring. 

My Hope

I hope that although it's painful, stay focused on the goal. Self-care and a healthy lifestyle both hold significant importance when it comes to HS. Be your accessor in regards to your flare before pursuing physical activity, skipping out on your fitness routine is okay and your well-being should always be prioritized.