There\u2019s an interesting relationship between psoriasis and exercise: While the condition can make playing sports and working out more challenging in some ways, staying active can also help improve symptoms and simply make you feel better overall.<\/p>\n
For men with psoriatic arthritis<\/a>, symptoms like joint stiffness, pain, and swelling can make their typical exercise routine feel tougher, or unrealistic at times. Psoriasis with no joint involvement can also be limiting for a few reasons. For one, psoriasis on the hands and feet, called palmoplantar psoriasis, can be particularly troublesome, causing pain when lifting weights or running, respectively, says Khattri Saakshi<\/a>, MD, a board certified Dermatologist, Rheumatologist and Internist at Mount Sinai and one of only a handful of triple board certified physicians across the United States. It can also cause unforeseen issues: \u201cWhen skin gets itchy, it bleeds, so that can be a real issue with exercise,\u201d says Jack Taylor<\/a>, 26, a content creator in London, England, who was diagnosed with psoriasis five years ago. \u201cJust the other day I was at a workout class and one of my psoriasis pieces on my elbow started bleeding and I had to leave the class because I can’t work out holding a tissue.\u201d<\/p>\n The other way skin psoriasis can affect active men is more psychological: \u201cIf it’s in visual areas, then certainly there could be an impact from a social perspective where patients might be uncomfortable going out,\u201d Dr. Saakshi says. This can be compounded in a gym or sport environment, when oftentimes tanks and shorts are unavoidable.<\/p>\n But staying active while dealing with psoriatic arthritis or skin psoriasis (or a combination of both) is 100% doable, according to Dr. Saakshi and others we spoke to for this story who are living with one or both conditions. \u201cThe biggest change for me has been learning not to let psoriasis define how I see myself or what I believe my body can do,\u201d says Sam Cushing<\/a>, 34, based between Chicago and Miami.<\/p>\n Here\u2019s what Cushing, Taylor, and two other athletic men with psoriasis want you to know about training through flares.<\/p>\n Use your sport as an outlet<\/p>\n When Taylor was first diagnosed and 90% of his body was covered with psoriasis, he could barely leave the house. But then he found an outlet in daily walks, and ultimately, running, which he\u2019s found to be a huge escape and stress-reliever\u2014and he even ran the London Marathon at the height of his psoriasis two years ago. \u201cIt really helped channel some of that tension,\u201d he says. \u201cYou had an awful day with your skin, your skin is bleeding, whatever, but you can go on this run. That feels so victorious to me.\u201d He adds that running, and exercise in general, is something that\u2019s in your control. \u201cI could never control anything to do with my skin. I can’t control the itchiness.\u201d Whether you like to run, swim, or lift, he says that finding a sport that provides you with this outlet is clutch when dealing with psoriasis.<\/p>\n