For Bryony, who has endometriosis, finding comfortable ways of travelling by cycle has allowed her to continue working. It's helped reduce feelings of isolation and given her independence a boost. In this blog, Bryony talks about her experience of getting active and offers advice for anyone with the long-term condition who is thinking about getting on the saddle.
Bryony recently bought a fold-down electric bike, which means she can travel for longer distances without triggering pain. Credit: Bryony Carter
For some people, living with chronic pain can be debilitating and immobilising.
But getting active can often help with managing pain.
Bryony has endometriosis, a condition where cells similar to the ones lining the womb are found elsewhere in the body, causing inflammation and pain.
For her, embracing active travel has improved her independence, health and her work and social life.
My electric bike has allowed me to be more independent
Bryony, who takes codeine throughout the week to ease her daily pain, recently bought a fold-down electric bike.
This has helped her to travel for longer distances without triggering pain.
Standing and walking for long periods of time can be a painful experience, so she has found that using an electric bike is the perfect solution for her.
Bryony said:
鈥淎s a 29-year-old, I don鈥檛 want to sit on a mobility scooter to get around.
鈥淓veryone experiences pain differently; my pain radiates down my legs and through my hips, which can make walking quite hard, especially for long periods of time.
鈥淚 also can鈥檛 stand up for long.
鈥淲ith my electric bike, I can turn the power right up and it feels like you鈥檙e cycling downhill in gear one on a flat surface.
鈥淚t feels so easy, but I鈥檓 still exercising and getting places.
鈥淲hat I love about cycling is that it can get you somewhere in eight minutes compared to the same journey which would take half an hour walking.
鈥淗alf an hour of walking would give me bad hip and lower back pain and I would then spend the rest of the day sat down.
鈥溝愀哿媳Φ has allowed me to be more independent and flexible, it鈥檚 done wonders for my mental health.鈥
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Living with a long-term health condition
Bryony, who lives in Stockport and works in North Manchester as a neighbourhood officer, was officially diagnosed with endometriosis in 2015.
This was following years of painful and heavy periods and 鈥減ush back鈥 from medical professionals when she was a teenager.
After being housebound for six weeks and unable to walk more than a few metres without sitting down due to pain, she decided to do her own research.
She found out more about her condition and identified her symptoms with help from 鈥檚 website.
鈥淭hat time in my life took a massive toll on my mental health, especially as a young person,鈥 Bryony explained.
According to the charity which helped Bryony, endometriosis symptoms鈥痗an vary in intensity from one person to another.
Some people may not experience symptoms at all, but for others it can be debilitating.鈥
Endometriosis is a long-term condition and there is no cure, but Bryony has found ways of managing her pain and carrying on with daily life with the help of cycling.
Standing and walking for long periods of time can be a painful experience so Bryony has found that using an electric bike is the perfect solution for her. Credit: Bryony Carter
Finding the motivation to exercise when experiencing pain
Endometriosis UK recognises that navigating exercise and pain can be a challenge for those with the condition, but states that there is some evidence that movement can help alleviate painful symptoms.
Bryony explains:
鈥淓xercise does help, but it鈥檚 hard to motivate yourself to do it when you鈥檙e in pain, bloated and haven鈥檛 slept.
鈥淲hen you鈥檙e feeling like that, the last thing you feel like doing is getting on a bike or going for a jog.
鈥淏ut distraction can be one of the best things for pain.
鈥溝愀哿媳Φ is also great as it鈥檚 a low-impact exercise and it鈥檚 comfortable.
鈥淭he cycling movement and that stretching and opening up you get around your hips and legs is a lot better compared to walking.
鈥淲hen I鈥檓 out on my bike I can feel my brain working in a different way, it鈥檚 so good for my mental health as well as my physical health.
鈥淚t鈥檚 all about finding the right balance with the length of a journey I do on my bike as too much strenuous exercise can also bring on pain which wasn鈥檛 there before. So, it can be a sticky situation to navigate.
鈥淭hrough commuting, I鈥檓 able to exercise at the same time.
鈥淲ithout my need and want for going to work, there鈥檇 be less motivation to get on my bike when I鈥檓 in pain.鈥
香港六合宝典 and using public transport has allowed me to continue working
Bryony, who lives half an hour away from her nearest train station, commutes to work using a combination of public transport and her electric bike.
Commuting in this way means she can preserve her energy and still get around even when she is experiencing pain.
鈥淚f had to do my commute all on foot I wouldn鈥檛 be able to go out as much as I would normally.
鈥淚 know this because with my condition, there are days when I just can鈥檛 physically do that much exercise all in one go.
鈥淎 lesser known symptom of endometriosis is chronic fatigue; I sleep between 10 and 11 hours a night and I鈥檓 still shattered every day.
鈥淚 don鈥檛 have the fitness to cycle around as much as I鈥檇 like to, but the bike鈥檚 motor takes the edge off and means I can go further.
鈥淲ith my bike I know that on the days where I am in pain, I can still go out and do stuff. I can be more independent and flexible with my time.
鈥淒oing my job brings me joy, a lot of satisfaction and a sense of reward.
鈥淚t puts me in a really positive place mentally when I get home and think 鈥業鈥檝e worked really hard today and I鈥檝e been out and about on my bike too鈥.
鈥淚 love being outside and much prefer it to being on a bus, it鈥檚 quicker too.
鈥淭he great thing is I can still fully utilise public transport while commuting actively, I can hop on a tram and train, and it all feels very flexible and done to my own schedule.
鈥淕etting around in this way has allowed me to continue working.鈥
When Bryony's not in work she uses National Cycle Routes like听Fallowfield Loop (Route 6 and 60) and听Rochdale Canal Tow Path (Route 66) to get around her city.听
Combatting feelings of isolation
鈥淲ith the bike being a fold-down I can take it into venues, which is really handy, especially as I work all over the place.
鈥淚t鈥檚 really helped with my social life too; I can cycle to a friend鈥檚 house then fold my bike down and put in a taxi on the way home. It鈥檚 great.
鈥淚鈥檓 getting exercise while using a method of getting around that鈥檚 quick and easy.
鈥淢y sense of independence is really shaken when I鈥檓 going through those periods of bad pain.
鈥淗aving alternative methods of getting around has definitely given me my independence back.鈥
Bryony, who lives half an hour away from her nearest train station, commutes to work using a combination of public transport and her electric bike. Credit: Bryony Carter
Making adaptations to find a comfy position on a cycle
Bryony has found from trying different cycles that being in an upright position on her cycle is the most comfortable for her back.
She said:
鈥淚f I鈥檓 bent forwards in a position which you鈥檇 be on a road bike, this gives me back pain which is what I experience with my condition.
鈥淢y pain is triggered by being in bent forward positions and after standing up for a long time.
鈥淚 can sit much more upright on my electric bike which is great as on my old (manual) bike I found myself pushing back to straighten my back.
鈥淚鈥檓 in the process of getting a wide, gel, cushioned saddle which I鈥檓 really looking forward to as my current seat sits my hips in an uncomfortable position.鈥
Advice for those with the condition thinking about getting on the saddle
According to Endometriosis UK, around 1.5 million women and those assigned female at鈥痓irth are currently living with the condition in the UK.
Bryony鈥檚 advice for those with endometriosis who want to start cycling is 鈥渘ot to push yourself and to start off slow鈥.
She added:
鈥淪tart on somewhere flat, maybe at a park on a sunny day, and go at a leisurely pace.
鈥淚t鈥檚 important to do exercise but you don鈥檛 want to make life harder for yourself for no reason.
鈥淚f you experience this kind of pain for a while you might not be in shape, I鈥檓 certainly not in shape and I know my physical ability is low.
鈥淚t鈥檚 all about finding easy ways of moving and slowly building up.
鈥淚f you have a bike but you need to do a long journey, it鈥檚 worth considering getting an electric one, it鈥檚 been a game changer for me.
鈥淛ust keep in mind that getting out there, being brave and trying new things will all be good for you regardless of what you do.鈥
Since Bryony discovered Endometriosis UK, the charity not only helped her to recognise her symptoms, but connected her to a local support group of fellow people with the condition.
鈥淭here鈥檚 nothing like talking to other people who are experiencing the same thing.
鈥淭he support groups have been a lifesaver for me, I joined during a time when I was feeling absolutely miserable.
鈥淚鈥檝e been able to connect with an incredible support network of multigenerational people.鈥
