as published in the journal PLOS ONE According to a study by scientists from Northern Norway University Hospital, walking four hours a week increases pain tolerance. The authors hope their discovery will help reduce the need for painkillers for everyday health problems like headaches and back pain.
Researchers interviewed more than 10,700 people and asked them to choose the most appropriate physical activity category for them in the past year. They then immersed their hands in ice water for as long as possible to measure their pain tolerance.
It turned out that the more active the volunteer, the longer they could hold their hands in the water. In other words, people who exercise several times a week can hold their hands in water for 16 seconds longer than people in the sedentary group. Volunteers in the light activity group were able to hold on for 7 seconds longer.
“Exercise can affect the same pathways in the brain as painkillers. Although they do this to a much lesser extent, they can still replace painkillers,” the authors concluded.