Your pain check-ins are showing improvement, and day-to-day life is starting to feel easier. That is great news, and it is worth taking a moment to notice what has helped. Knowing how to build on that progress, and how to handle any bumps along the way, can help you keep moving in the right direction.

Noticing what is working

When pain starts to ease, it can be tempting to move on and forget about it. But looking back at what has helped can make it easier to keep going. You could ask yourself:

• What changes have I made recently?
• Have I been moving more, or more regularly?
• Has my sleep or stress improved?
• Have I changed anything in my set-up or routine?

Whatever has been helping, it is worth keeping it up. The habits that got you here are often the same ones that will keep you here.

Why progress can feel uneven

Even when things are improving, some days will feel better than others. Pain often eases in waves rather than in a straight line, so looking at how things are going over a few weeks tends to give a clearer picture than looking day to day.

Telling someone, like a friend or colleague, about the changes that have helped can make them easier to stick with.

Building on your progress

As your pain eases, you can gradually build on what you are doing. Some ideas:

• Add a little more to your strength routine, like a few more repetitions or a slightly harder version.
• Gradually increase walks or other activities.
• Return to activities you may have cut back on, one at a time.
• Keep up the small daily habits, like movement breaks and stretches, even when you feel fine.

Building up gradually tends to work better than jumping back to everything at once.

Keeping strength work going

When pain eases, strength work is often the first thing to drop. But keeping your body strong is one of the best ways to help protect against pain returning. A few short sessions a week can be enough.

Something to keep in your routine:

• Sit to stand. Rise from a chair without using your hands, then lower slowly.
• Bridges. Lie on your back with your knees bent, lift your hips, then lower slowly.
• Shoulder squeezes. Sit tall, draw your shoulder blades back and down, hold for five seconds, then relax.
• Heel raises. Rise onto your toes, pause, then lower slowly.

If you would like to follow along, VIDA has short videos of sit to stands, bridges, shoulder squeezes and heel raises you can use at your own pace.

Avoiding the boom and bust trap

When you start feeling better, it is natural to want to make up for lost time. You might take on a big project, go for a much longer run or spend a whole weekend gardening. Sometimes this leads to a flare-up, which can feel discouraging.

A steadier approach tends to help:

• Increase one thing at a time, rather than everything at once.
• Spread bigger tasks across several days.
• Check how you feel the next morning before doing more.

If you have a setback

Progress is rarely a straight line. Most people have the odd bad day or flare-up, even when things are improving overall. A setback does not mean you are back to square one.

If pain flares up, some things that can help:

• Ease back a little, rather than stopping altogether.
• Keep gently moving.
• Look at what might have triggered it, like a busy week, poor sleep or a sudden increase in activity.
• Build back up gradually once it settles.

Looking after the bigger picture

Sleep, stress and general activity all affect how your body feels. Keeping a regular sleep routine, finding ways to manage stress and staying active in ways you enjoy can help protect your progress.

VIDA’s Pomodoro stretches, in the top right corner, can help you keep up regular movement breaks during focused work.

Keeping track

Your VIDA pain check-in is a good way to keep seeing your progress. Looking back at how far you have come can be motivating, especially on harder days.

What to take away

• Notice what has helped your pain improve and keep it up.
• Build on your progress gradually, one step at a time.
• Keep strength work in your routine, even when you feel better.
• Avoid doing too much too soon on good days.
• A setback is normal and does not mean you are back to square one.

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