April 18, 2025

RLS and Exercise: Your Questions Answered

Ongoing research on RLS and exercise suggests that daytime movement can help alleviate nighttime symptoms. Mild to moderate exercise typically benefits RLS however, vigorous exercise often triggers RLS symptoms. Vigorous exercise will vary depending upon a person’s level of fitness. No matter how you choose to exercise, make sure it is both enjoyable and safe for you by first consulting a healthcare provider.

Katie Cederberg, PhD received her doctorate in rehabilitation science from the University of Alabama at Birmingham and is currently a postdoctoral scholar at Stanford University, where she conducts research on the efficacy and effectiveness of exercise for managing symptoms of RLS and co-occurring conditions. She recently answered questions related to RLS and exercise in an RLS Foundation webinar available on www.rls.org.

Q: Is exercising the brain more important than exercising muscles before bedtime to stop RLS symptoms?

A: Exercising the brain has been anecdotally helpful in relieving some symptoms, primarily described as a distraction for your brain. Physical exercise is shown to have benefits for RLS, as well as maintaining general health and wellness. There is no study that compares the effectiveness of physical versus mental exercises, but both can be utilized to manage symptoms.*

*Medical Editor's Note: Mental activities such as doing a crosswordpuzzle, playing solitaire, playing a video game or chess will typically relieve RLS symptoms. However, watching a very interesting and engaging movie tends to worsen RLS.

Q: The more I keep moving in the day the less I notice the symptoms. Is this masking symptoms instead of curing them?

A: Research has yet to determine whether there is a physiological change in the body when exercising that leads to a relief in RLS symptoms. Any movement, especially walking relieves RLS.*

*Medical Editor’s Note: A short amount of walking may only relieve RLS temporarily (it will quickly return when back at rest) but more prolonged walking may relieve the RLS for hours.

Q: Can stretching or doing specific exercises stop an ongoing episode of RLS symptoms?

A: For some people, exercise can relieve the symptoms of an ongoing episode of RLS. Based on the questionnaire, some people experienced relief through movement while symptomatic, halting RLS symptoms and allowing them to fall asleep. Others experienced only temporary relief, and symptoms returned when they stopped their movements. The duration of exercise or movement may determine whether temporary or prolonged relief will occur.

Q: Does taking an opioid to reduce symptoms of RLS pose any issues with exercise?

A: Consult your physician to determine if there are any contraindications to engaging in exercise based on your personal medical history and health.*

*Medical Editor’s Note: There should be no issue with exercising while taking opioids unless the opioids are causing side effects of sedation which may impair coordination.

Q. The idea of “exercise snacks” is becoming popular. Is there any suggestion that this will benefit people with RLS?

A: Exercise snacks” refers to breaking up your daily exercise goal into smaller portions throughout the day. For example, instead of one 30-minute session, exercise is completed in three 10-minute sessions. While there are no studies that pertain specifically to RLS, this may be beneficial based on studies for cardiovascular health.

Q: When exercising, does it matter what modality is used? Walking versus a treadmill, or exercise bike versus a street bike?

A. There are physiological differences in how you exercise. How your body moves and what muscles are utilized will be different on a treadmill versus walking on the street. Every patient tends to have a preferred mode of exercise so trial and error can determine which is best. There is no current research studying how modality interacts with RLS symptom effect.

Q: What are some options for individuals who are mobility impaired and have RLS?

A. There are adaptive exercise options for those who are mobility impaired. Consider consulting an exercise professional to find exercises that best fit abilities and needs. NCHPAD (the National Center for Health, Physical Activity and Disability) has exercise resources, including a YouTube channel for those with mobility impairments.

Q: Does aerobic swimming help RLS under some circumstances, or worsen RLS?

A. It depends on one’s circumstances and previous experience with exercise and workout routines. Starting an activity at a higher intensity than normal or introducing new workouts that your body is not used to may aggravate symptoms. When starting a new activity, it is a good idea to start small with lesser intensity and work slowly up the intensity scale.

Q: Are some exercises better than others to reduce the severity of RLS or to keep it from getting worse?

A. It will depend on the type of exercise your body is familiar with. If you are looking to try a new activity, monitor your intensity level and start small.

Q: Will exercise help mitigate the progression of RLS, from mild symptoms as a child to increasing severity throughout the decades?

A. Exercise can become more difficult with age, and studies have shown that exercise can help mitigate some aging factors. There is no research that studies the role this can play in RLS.

Q: Is it possible there are different types of RLS with similar symptoms but different outcomes for exercise?

A. Exercise heterogeneity/response heterogeneity refers to the different outcomes experienced by each individual based on similar practices. Further research needs to address this question: Will exercise be as beneficial to an individual with severe RLS compared to an individual with moderate RLS?

Q. Are there exercises that can help with RLS felt specifically in the legs, arms or other parts of the body?

A. There is no research that studies this specifically for RLS, but physiological research shows there are different benefits compared to completing an entire body workout versus focusing on one part of the body. There are additional cardiovascular benefits when the entire body engages in exercise. Make sure that your physician and exercise specialist are aware that intense activity can exacerbate symptoms so they can tailor the program to you.?