Some days with hypermobility can feel surprisingly good, with your body moving more freely, pain sitting lower than usual, and energy levels finally on your side. When that happens, it’s completely natural to want to make the most of it. The challenge is that these productive bursts can easily result in overdoing it, which is why pacing with hypermobility is so important.
What is Hypermobility?
Hypermobility refers to joints that move beyond the typical range due to increased ligament laxity and connective tissue flexibility. While it may appear impressive, it often comes with reduced stability, muscle fatigue, and a higher risk of pain or injury when joints are not well supported.
Nicole Peavey, our hypermobility physiotherapist at our Newport Clinic, knows that following a good-feeling day, people can often feel pain, fatigue, or even a flare-up that lasts a week. This boom-and-bust cycle is common in hypermobility, and it’s exhausting.
What Does Pacing with Hypermobility Mean?
Pacing with hypermobility is not about avoiding activity; it’s about doing the right amount, at the right intensity, with enough recovery.
This involves:
- Breaking larger tasks into smaller chunks.
- Alternating heavier tasks with lighter ones.
- Scheduling rest before you feel completely drained.
- Stopping while you still feel you could do a little more.
That last point is often the hardest because when you feel good, stopping early feels counterintuitive. Still, it is one of the most powerful physio tools for hypermobility that Nicole teaches her clients.
Learning Your Baseline
As a skilled hypermobility physiotherapist and drawing on her personal journey with hEDS, Nicole knows that the key is to identify your baseline. This means working out how much activity you can do consistently without triggering a flare-up.
Physio for Hypermobility: Strength and Control
The key to effective physio for hypermobility is in your strength and control. Once your baseline is established, Nicole can focus on building your strength and improving control to support your joints without overloading them.
When pacing with hypermobility is combined with targeted strengthening, Nicole’s clients often notice fewer flare-ups and more predictable energy levels. It becomes easier to plan your week and commit to activities without fear of setbacks.
The Emotional Side of Overdoing It
On the good days, you may feel capable of doing everything, and it can be hard to accept your limits. Nicole, however, fully understands your perspective. As the hypermobility physiotherapist at our Newport Clinic, she understands the tension between what you can do in the moment and what your body can tolerate long term.
Nicole is happy to discuss expectations, energy management, and the mental load associated with chronic symptoms. After all, pacing with hypermobility is as much about your mindset as it is about your movements.
Making Pacing Part of Your Daily Life
Many of Nicole’s clients are surprised by how much more consistent their week feels when pacing with hypermobility becomes habitual rather than reactive.
Strong and Steady Wins the Race
When you combine structured physio for hypermobility with realistic pacing, you give your body the support it needs to cope with daily life, exercise, work, and family demands.
So, if you’re tired of the flare-up cycle and ready for a smarter approach, Nicole, the hypermobility physiotherapist at our Newport Clinic, is ready to help.