Advice On Helping Arthritis Through Exercise

by JeanS

posted on 10/20/2009

Arthritis is a very painful condition that affects most senior citizens and which comes about as a side effect of "old age." Usually people with arthritis have gnarled fingers and painful joints, including the neck, shoulders, knees, back and other parts of the body. Over-the-counter pain medication, such as Tylenol, aspirin or Advil may help control the pain, or there are more potent prescription medications. Moist heat or ice can also help. But arthritis is a degenerative disease and there is little that can be done to stop its progression. However, there are ways to manage arthritis and one of them is through exercise.

Exercise keeps your body limber and helps avoid the stiffness that happens, especially in the mornings, when it seems like it is impossible to get out of bed. So if you can start and maintain a moderate exercise program, it will help ease the effects of arthritis as you and your joints gently age in place.

Types of exercise There are three different types of exercise that you should be aware of. All three of them are helpful and essential for a healthy body.

Flexibility (Stretching, Range-of-Motion) Exercises
These are gentle stretching exercises that should be done regularly (every morning is ideal) and which are probably the most important to arthritic individuals. They help get your joints ready for the day ahead, by warming up your body and protecting it from further injury. Gentle, stretching exercises can help relieve tension, and can be done in your bed, in a warm bath, sitting on the floor, or wherever else is comfortable. You should aim for 15 minutes of flexibility exercises a day. As with all strenuous physical activity, check with your doctor before start or make changes to your regular routine.

Strengthening (Resistance) Exercises
These exercises help build up muscles so they can better absorb shock and protect your joints from injury. They also help you get around better by supporting the joints. Typically, these exercises will use weights or some sort of resistance to make your muscles work harder. Strengthening exercises should be done every other day after warming up with some flexibility exercises. After a few months, you will notice the difference in your strength.

Cardiovascular (Aerobic) Exercises
Cardiovascular exercises get your heart pumping and your lungs breathing and are essential for building a strong heart muscle and getting the blood flowing to all parts of your body. Although it may be painful to do cardiovascular exercise, trying to add some of these exercises three or four times a week is beneficial to maintaining a good target heart rate and pulse. Aerobic exercises may be done in the water, which can be very pleasant and gentle on your joints.

Pairing exercise with pain control medication, is the best way to keep arthritis under control. There is no cure for arthritis -- only prevention. Exercise is one way to keep arthritis from crippling your life.

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