Objective. To study how the patients with ankylosing spondylitis (AS) follow recommendations for performing physi- cal exercises. Material and methods. To clarify the compliance of patients with AC to physical exercise, a special questionnaire was designed. The Exercise Benefits/Barriers Scale (EBBS) was used to assess the perception of physical exercises. The study included 79 patients (the mean age of 34.5 ± 9.4 years) with AS (diagnosed according to the New York criteria) who have been treated at the clinic of V.A. Nasonova Research Institute of Rheumatology of the Russian Academy of Medical Sciences. Results. Of the 79 patients included in the study, 77.2% were doing therapeutic exercises; 41.0% of patients were doing them every day. 41.0% of the patients have received sets of exercises from the attending doctor, 41.0 % from the Internet, and 18.0% from other sources (brochures for patients or courses for patients with AS). The average total EEBS score was 114.2 ± 17.8 points; the benefits score was 87.1 ± 12.8; and the barriers score was 27.1 ± 5.0. The most frequent responses to question about the benefits of physical exercises were as follows: «They reduce the feeling of stress and tension» (90.6%) and «They increase the muscle strength» (93.7%). «I am tired physically from doing exercises» (96.6%) was the most common barrier to execution of physical exercises. Conclusion. Despite the positive perception of physical exercises, only 41.0% of the patients with AS have done them every day. The lack of information about exercises recommended for AS patients, the frequency of their use, the effect on the disease activity and functionality significantly limits the use of exercises by patients with AS. It remains unclear exactly, which sets of exercises are most effective and what regularity of exercises should be used to prevent impair- ment of the functions of the spine and joints.