Why exercise if you have arthritis? Because it can decrease pain and stiffness, improve flexibility and increase muscle strength if done on a regular basis. Exercise offers many physical and mental benefits, but it is important to start with a visit to your doctor. Your physician can get you started on your road to successful activity without injury because he knows you and your medical history and what type of exercises you should avoid.
You should tell your healthcare provider about any previous failures to start exercise due to joint deformities with limited range of motion or pain that would not go away. You may require a visit to a physical therapist who can design a specific exercise regimen just for you.
Exercise should begin with realistic goals, and you should remember to "go but start slow." Your goals ought to include building up to exercising most days of the week at a moderate pace, performing strengthening exercises and improving flexibility. Each exercise session should begin with a 10 to 15 minute warm-up period of walking at a slow pace or gentle movements, starting with the neck and moving downward. Exercise sessions ought to end with a cool-down period that includes walking, stretching or light weight lifting to bring down the heart rate slowly.
While performing exercise, it is vital to protect joints and avoid high impact activities, such as running. Walking should be done on a flat surface. Other types of exercise that benefit arthritis sufferers include swimming and biking, which are low impact activities. Resistance training can be done with free weights, circuit training or calisthenics. Begin with light free weights until you can do ten repetitions without pain or exhaustion. Gradually increase weight and the number of reps and sets (two to three reps are in one set).
A few precautions should be taken. For example, exercise should be reduced during acute flare-ups of inflammatory arthritis, including rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, spondyloarthropathy, and ankylosing spondylitis. Further information can be attained from your physician or physical therapist.
