Rheumatoid arthritis, an autoimmune disease that inflames the joints, affects more than one million people in the United States, according to "Arthritis Today," a bi-monthly magazine published by the Arthritis Foundation. If you suffer from rheumatoid arthritis, performing joint-strengthening exercises may help alleviate associated pain and increase joint range of motion. Perform low-impact resistance exercises, progressively increasing the amount of resistance over time.
Water Walking
Camille Noe Pagan, a contributor to "Arthritis Today," touts water walking as an effective joint-strengthening exercise for rheumatoid arthritis. Walking through water provides low-impact resistance to your hip and knee joints. Start by walking through knee-high water and then progress to waist-high, followed by chest-high, water over time. Walk backward, forward and sideways to target different muscle groups. When walking through chest-high water, pump your arms as you walk to involve the shoulder joints.
Superman Exercise
The superman exercise strengthens the erector spinae muscle group and deep spinal muscles of the lower back, which can help minimize arthritis pain in the spine. Lie face down on a flat, padded surface with your arms at your sides. Lift your head and shoulders about six inches off the floor, hold for three seconds and then relax back down. Increase the amount of hold time gradually. Extend your arms in front of your head and hold light dumbbells to make the exercise more challenging, or lift your feet about six inches off the floor along with your head and shoulders.
Forearm Exercises
Rheumatoid arthritis commonly affects the wrists, which can be extremely debilitating, especially if you type or write frequently. Perform a series of three forearm-strengthening exercises to treat wrist pain due to the disease. For each exercise, hold dumbbells and sit on a bench or chair with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor. Lean forward and place your forearms on your thighs with your hands and wrists in front of your knees. Start with your palms facing downward for the first exercise and repeatedly extend your wrists to lift the weights, and let them back down. For the second exercise, start with your palms facing upward and flex your wrists to lift the weights. Finally, spread your knees and hands apart and repeatedly twist your wrist in both directions. Start with light dumbbells for each exercise and progressively increase the weight over time. Perform at least one set of 10 repetitions for each exercise.
