Does Exercise Help Restless Leg Syndrome? RLS Guide
Regular, moderate exercise during the day can help restless leg syndrome (RLS), while a workout late in the evening can leave your legs feeling worse that night. MedlinePlus lists moderate exercise during the day among the lifestyle changes that can help RLS, and a 12-week randomized controlled trial found that people with RLS who exercised 3 days a week improved significantly more than people who did not. At Vector Sleep Diagnostic Center in Rego Park, Queens, we evaluate RLS and help patients fit exercise into a treatment plan.
Restless legs keeping you up at night? Dr. Dmitriy Kolesnik, MD evaluates RLS at our Rego Park sleep center. All major insurance plans accepted, including Medicare and Medicaid.
Does Exercise Help Restless Leg Syndrome? What the Research Shows
The clearest evidence comes from a randomized controlled trial published in 2006 in the Journal of the American Board of Family Medicine (PubMed 16951298). Researchers randomly assigned 41 people with RLS to an exercise group or a control group. The exercise group followed a conditioning program of aerobic exercise and lower-body resistance training 3 days a week for 12 weeks. Twenty-three people completed the trial, and at 12 weeks the exercise group had improved more than the control group on the International RLS Study Group severity scale, a difference the authors report as statistically significant (P = .001).
That is one small trial, so it shows that exercise can help, not how much it will help you. Public health sources agree with the direction of the result: MedlinePlus names moderate exercise during the day as a lifestyle change that can help, and the Sleep Foundation notes that because physical inactivity often triggers RLS symptoms, exercise may be helpful.
Why Restless Legs Can Feel Worse After Exercise
Many people search for this because their legs feel restless on the nights they work out. The timing explains a lot. People with RLS commonly feel symptoms in the late afternoon or evening hours, according to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS). An evening workout falls inside that same window.
NINDS also notes that events or activity that further reduce sleep may worsen RLS symptoms. If a late or hard workout keeps you up, the shorter night can make the next round of symptoms worse. Caffeine, tobacco and alcohol can also make symptoms worse, according to MedlinePlus, so a pre-workout coffee or an after-work drink may play a part.
What to try first: move your exercise earlier in the day, keep the intensity moderate, and keep track for two or three weeks of the nights your legs bother you. If the pattern does not change, bring that log to your doctor. It helps sort out whether exercise timing is the trigger or whether something else is going on.
Types of Exercise for Restless Legs
The trial program combined aerobic exercise with lower-body resistance training. Aerobic exercise is anything that raises your breathing and heart rate for a sustained period, such as brisk walking, cycling or swimming. Lower-body resistance training works the leg muscles against a load, such as squats, step-ups or leg-press machines.
The best choice is one you can keep doing. The benefit in the trial came from a program repeated 3 days a week for 12 weeks, not from single sessions. If you have heart, joint or other health conditions, ask your doctor before you start a new program.
Walking During an RLS Episode Is Not the Same as Exercise
RLS causes an irresistible urge to move the legs, and moving helps for a while. NINDS explains that leg movement or walking typically provides temporary relief, but the sensations often return as soon as movement stops. Getting up to walk during an episode is a way to cope in the moment. A regular exercise program, done earlier in the day, is a separate, longer-term habit.
Exercise Within RLS Treatment
Exercise is one part of care, not the whole of it. NINDS says the first step in treatment is to address anything that could be making RLS symptoms worse, such as alcohol, nicotine, caffeine and certain medications, and that lifestyle changes may provide some relief. When symptoms are moderate to severe, doctors may also prescribe medication. Read more about RLS treatment options and how RLS affects sleep.
RLS Evaluation at Vector Sleep Diagnostic Center
Dr. Dmitriy Kolesnik, MD, Medical Director of Vector Sleep Diagnostic Center, is board certified in Neurology and Sleep Medicine. An RLS evaluation looks at your symptoms, sleep history and medications. When another sleep disorder may be involved, a sleep study can show what is happening at night.
Vector Sleep Diagnostic Center has run sleep studies in Rego Park since 2005 and accepts all major insurance plans, including Medicare and Medicaid. For more on RLS and sleep testing, see RLS and sleep studies and our guide to RLS genetics.
Frequently Asked Questions About Exercise and Restless Leg Syndrome
Does exercise help restless leg syndrome?
For many people, yes. MedlinePlus lists moderate exercise during the day among the lifestyle changes that can help, and in a 12-week randomized controlled trial people with RLS who did aerobic and lower-body resistance training 3 days a week improved significantly more than a group that did not exercise.
Why do my legs feel restless after exercise?
RLS symptoms are most common in the late afternoon and evening, according to NINDS, so an evening workout lands in the window when symptoms already peak. NINDS also notes that activity that further reduces sleep may worsen symptoms. If your legs feel worse on nights after a workout, move the session earlier in the day and keep it moderate, then tell your doctor if the pattern continues.
What type of exercise is best for restless leg syndrome?
The program tested in the 2006 trial (PubMed 16951298) combined aerobic exercise with lower-body resistance training, 3 days a week. MedlinePlus recommends moderate exercise during the day. Pick something you can keep doing every week, such as walking, cycling or swimming, and ask your doctor before starting if you have other health conditions.
Is walking during an RLS episode the same as exercise?
No. NINDS explains that leg movement or walking typically gives temporary relief, but the sensations often return as soon as movement stops. A regular exercise program is a separate, longer-term habit.
When should I see a doctor about restless legs?
See a doctor if restless legs keep you from falling or staying asleep, if symptoms are getting worse, or if exercise and other lifestyle changes are not enough. Vector Sleep Diagnostic Center in Rego Park, Queens evaluates RLS; call (718) 830-2800.
Schedule an RLS Evaluation in Queens, NY
If restless legs are cutting into your sleep, call (718) 830-2800 or schedule an evaluation online to speak with Dr. Kolesnik’s team.
