While it may be the last thing you want to do, many studies now suggest that exercise is good news for arthritis sufferers. Exercise can help to improve both the symptoms of arthritis as well as your general wellbeing, and this can make managing the condition easier.
PHYSICAL BENEFITS OF EXERCISE ON ARTHRITIS
- Greater muscle strength: Strengthening the muscles which surround and support your joints will help to increase strength, range of motion and flexibility. Stronger, more flexible muscles means your joints don’t have to work as hard.
- Increased bone strength: Weight bearing exercise and exercise which strengthens muscles helps to build and maintain strong bones which will help to minimise wear and tear on your joints.
- Better weight management: Exercise is a great way to maintain a healthy weight which can ease pressure on your joints – a BMI of over 25 is thought to increase your chances of developing arthritis. Research has found that every pound of weight gain significantly impacts on your knees, while gaining weight around the abdomen in particular will place additional strain on your lower back.
BEST EXERCISE FOR ARTHRITIS
You should focus on three main areas of fitness to get the most out of your routine when it comes to managing arthritis…
- The strength work
Strengthening exercise such as training with weights or exercises where you use your own body weight as resistance, such as Pilates and yoga, can benefit those suffering with arthritis. You should aim to build up slowly and avoid working through joint pain – return to the exercise when you feel your muscles are stronger if you experience pain. If press ups hurt your wrists, try pec flies with household items such as large bottles of water and then revisit your press ups when chest muscles are stronger. If lunges hurt your knees, try exercises to strengthen the legs such as wall sits or chair squats and then try the lunge again once your lower body has gained some strength.
And don’t forget incidental exercise like stair-climbing, gardening and housework. Squatting down to weed or re-pot plants, hovering with knees slightly bent while you hoover and taking the stairs two at a time will all help to keep joints moving and muscles strong.
- The puff stuff
Aerobic exercise is the stuff that maintains a strong cardiorespiratory system and it also burns lots of calories – worth bearing in mind if you’re looking to lose or maintain weight. Walking is a great exercise for bones, heart and waistline, especially if you vary the intensity at which you’re walking. If you feel the need for a little extra challenge, switch up your pace – walk at a brisk pace so you’re out of breath for three minutes then return to your moderate pace for two minutes. Adding in hills further enhances the workout and gives your leg muscles an added challenge too. In the gym, the cross trainer and bike are good, low impact ways to maintain fitness while water-based exercise such as swimming and water aerobics enables you to get a good workout while supporting joints and bones.
- And let’s not forget the stretchy stuff
Ensuring you have good flexibility is important for maintaining a good range of motion in your joints. Stretching at the end of a workout is a must while a good warm up prior to holding stretches at the start of your exercise session is advisable. Yoga is a good way to improve flexibility as it incorporates a variety of stretches as well as helping you to establish good sitting and standing postures.
EXCERCISE DO’S AND DON’TS
1. Avoid rushing into any new activity. If you’ve previously been inactive start out with walking, cycling and some light body weight exercises.
2. You should avoid any exercise that aggravates your arthritis. High impact exercise, such as jogging or running, may be okay. This all really depends on the severity of your symptoms, how you respond to the activity and what your doctor has advised. Avoid any activity however which causes or aggravates symptoms.
3. Vary your routine. Ensure that you vary your activity so you continue to see and feel results. Mix up a swimming session with yoga, a few dumbbell exercises and the odd bike ride to really challenge your cardiovascular and musculoskeletal systems.
4. Prepare and end well. Always make sure you warm up well and stretch afteran exercise session. Apply ice to reduce any joint pain or swelling after your workout.
please continue to Next Page (>)
