When pain comes and goes, it can be hard to know how much to do. On good days, it’s tempting to do a lot. On tougher days, it can feel safer to do very little. Finding a starting point that works on both kinds of day gives you a steady base to build from.

What a starting point is

Your starting point is the amount of an activity you can do comfortably on most days, including tougher ones, without your pain building up afterwards. It might be 10 minutes of walking, 20 minutes of gardening or sitting at your desk for half an hour before a break.

How to find it

You could try this with one activity:

• Over three or four days, notice how long you can do it before pain starts to build.
• Take the average of those days.
• Start a little below that, around three quarters of it.

For example, if you can usually walk for 20 minutes before your pain builds, your starting point might be 15 minutes.

Why start below your limit

Starting a little below your limit means you finish feeling okay, rather than stopping because pain forces you to. That helps your system learn the activity is safe, and gives you room to build.

Choosing your activity

It helps to start with something that matters to you, like walking the dog, playing with children or a hobby you’ve stepped back from. Building on things you care about tends to keep you motivated.

Something to try this week

Choose one activity that matters to you. Over the next few days, notice how long you can comfortably do it, then set your starting point at around three quarters of that.

What to take away

• Your starting point is what you can do on most days, including tougher ones.
• Find it by noticing how long you can do an activity over a few days.
• Start a little below your limit, around three quarters of it.
• Choose an activity that matters to you.

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