Summer Wellness Tips for People Living with SpA

Winter wellness gets a lot of attention, but for some people with spondyloarthritis (SpA), summer can bring its own challenges.

Some people with rheumatic diseases report worsening symptoms during periods of high heat and humidity. Researchers are still working to better understand the relationship between weather and inflammatory disease symptoms, but several factors may play a role. Heat can contribute to dehydration and fatigue, while humidity may make it harder for the body to cool itself efficiently, leaving some people feeling more exhausted or physically stressed. Hot, humid weather can also disrupt sleep, which is already closely linked to pain and fatigue in SpA.

Summer can also bring practical challenges that indirectly affect physical and mental wellness. Travel, disrupted routines, changes in activity levels, and increased social expectations can all add stress.

“After a long, harsh winter, everyone wants to go out and enjoy the sunshine,” explained one graduate student with psoriatic arthritis. “But I still have the same joint pain and fatigue. I either go out and join my friends and pay for it later, or I stay in and feel depressed that I’m missing out.”

Less commonly discussed is summer-pattern Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), sometimes called “summer SAD.” While most people associate SAD with winter darkness, a smaller number experience seasonal depression during the warmer months. Symptoms can include irritability, anxiety, insomnia, restlessness, appetite changes, and depressed mood. Researchers do not fully understand why this happens, but heat, disrupted sleep, longer daylight hours, and changes in routine may contribute.

For people living with chronic illnesses like SpA, these overlapping challenges can create a difficult cycle of fatigue, poor sleep, pain, and low mood. The good news is that small adjustments can sometimes make summer more manageable.

Summer Wellness Tips for People with Spondyloarthritis

• Prioritize hydration to help regulate body temperature and reduce fatigue.
• Plan walks, errands, or exercise during cooler morning or evening hours.
• Cooling towels, shaded areas, or indoor workouts—including water exercise—may help make physical activity more tolerable on very hot days.
• Wear supportive footwear. Sandals, flats, and other warm-weather shoes can sometimes aggravate foot, knee, hip, or back pain. (See our previous Spondylitis Plus article for more on footcare and spondyloarthritis.)
• Keep cool at night with fans, cooling sheets, blackout curtains, or air conditioning if available.
• Take breaks during outdoor activities and seek shade when possible.
• Maintain routines around sleep, meals, and medications.
• Be mindful of sun sensitivity. Some medications used in rheumatic diseases can increase sensitivity to sunlight, making sunscreen, hats, and protective clothing especially important.
• Pay attention to mood changes and seek support if anxiety, insomnia, or depression become persistent.
• Practice self-compassion. Needing extra rest during hot weather does not mean you are “lazy” or “doing summer wrong.”

Not everyone with SpA struggles during summer, and some people actually feel better in warmer weather. But for those who do find the season difficult, it can help to know you are not alone.

Do your symptoms tend to change during the summer months? What helps you stay physically and mentally well during the season? Share your experiences with us at programs@spondylitis.org, and we may share them with the community via our website or social media.

Resources:

• BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders – Exposure-lag-response associations between weather conditions and ankylosing spondylitis: a time series study
• Nature – The effects of seasons and weather on sleep patterns measured through longitudinal multimodal sensing
• National Institute of Mental Health – Seasonal Affective Disorder
• Cleveland Clinic – Why Summer Depression Happens — and How To Cope