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Exercise and Shingles

May 26, 2011 | By Erica Roth

Shingles is a disease caused by the herpes zoster virus, the same virus that leads to chicken pox. After you have had chicken pox, the virus lies dormant in your body, sometimes for many years. When your immune system is overtaxed, most often due to advanced age, stress or medical conditions which lower your immunity, you can develop shingles. Blister-like sores appear on your body and run along nerve pathways. Symptoms include nerve pain, itching and skin sensitivity. Exercise can play a positive role in relation to shingles.

Pain Relief

Shingles pain ranges in type and intensity over the course of the virus; some people experience numbness and burning, pain that is consistent with nerve damage. Others may not feel nerve pain but become very sensitive to touch. Gently stretching and walking, in addition to pain medications prescribed by your doctor, can provide some relief, according to the National Institute on Aging. The endorphins your body releases during a good workout are natural pain relievers, and the activity can also distract you enough so you don't notice the discomfort as much. Headache and gastrointestinal distress can also be symptoms of shingles; exercise only as much as you feel capable of to conserve your energy.

Boost to Immunity

Gentle exercise in the form of tai chi can boost your immunity in conjunction with the shingles vaccine. The April 2007 issue of the "Journal of the American Geriatrics Society" reports that older adults who were enrolled in tai chi classes were given the varicella zoster vaccine to prevent herpes after 16 weeks of exercise. The control group did not practice tai chi, and showed a lower immunity to shingles than the tai chi group.

Relaxation and Breathing Exercises

Breathing exercises, such as deep breathing and meditation, may be able to reduce your stress level enough to ward off shingles. Stress is a major factor when considering who breaks out with shingles versus those whose virus continues to lie dormant. Adults of all ages can develop shingles during times of stress. Deep breathing can help your body deal with tension in a constructive way. Inhale slowly as much as your lungs can hold, and forcefully push out the air while focusing only on your breathing and your lungs.

Considerations

Shingles is not an infectious disease, with one caveat. If you have never had chicken pox nor been vaccinated against it, you can catch chicken pox from a person who currently has shingles. Shingles, however, cannot be spread from one person to another. Shingles can linger for several weeks, though you might not feel sick for all of that time. If you are otherwise healthy and feel up to your normal exercise routine, continue on as normal.

References

Article reviewed by Brandon Nolta Last updated on: May 26, 2011

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