Twenty-two percent of all Americans over the age of 18 have arthritis, according to a 2010 report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Regular exercise can reduce the stiffness and pain of your arthritic joints, and strengthen the bone and muscle around them. If you or a loved one have arthritis, there are many free arthritis exercise programs available online.
Arthritis Diagnosis
Arthritis is an umbrella term that is applicable to more than 100 different medical conditions, according to MedlinePlus. These conditions include joint disease caused by osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, fibromyalgia, gout and lupus. Typically, people develop stiffness, pain, inflammation and injuries to the joint cartilage, the tissue that covers the ends of bones.
Arthritis Exercise Benefits
Studies show that exercise can help with arthritis pain and stiffness. For example, a 2010 study led by senior physiotherapist Anita D. Mendelson and her colleagues at Baycrest Geriatric Health Care System in Toronto, Canada, showed substantial benefits from exercise for arthritis patients. The study followed 347 arthritis patients and monitored their responses to an arthritis education and exercise program, which admits people with a range of illnesses, such as osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, and fibromyalgia. Patients did range of motion, strengthening and aerobic workout exercises in a warm pool. Patients reported decreased pain, better sleep and improved mood.
Bupa UK Program
An example of an online arthritis exercise program that focuses on osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis is the series of exercise classes created by British health insurance company Bupa UK, showing exercise videos and explanatory essays for many key joints. Bupa UK's program alerts patients as to whether an exercise is best for osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis or both, as in the "Arthritis in Hands, Wrists and Forearms Video."
Arthritis Foundation Program
The Arthritis Foundation offers a comprehensive online exercise program, "Top Three Types of Exercise," on its website. The foundation recommends strengthening, flexibility and aerobic exercises. The program site also provides links to videos of exercises, an online "movement tracker" where you can record your exercises, and a podcast archive on exercise ideas. Physical activities that include yoga, tai chi or golfing may be just as effective as bicycling or structured exercises, as there is no one set of approved arthritis exercises. The foundation suggests that you review the exercises with your physician or physical therapist as the suggested exercises do not identify their suitability for each illness causing arthritis.
UW Exercise Program
The University of Washington School of Medicine has created a detailed arthritis exercise program, "Exercise and Arthritis," which contains step-by-step written descriptions of arthritis exercises for every part of the body, including exercises for finger and thumb joints. The University of Washington program also illustrates many of the exercises with links to short Quicktime clips. Like the Arthritis Foundation program, the University of Washington program does not differentiate between the various types of arthritis, and advises that you ask your doctor and physical therapist about which exercises would work best for you.
References
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Prevalence of Doctor-Diagnosed Arthritis
- MedlinePlus: Arthritis
- "Health Education Research": Integrating Self-Management and Exercise for People Living with Arthritis
- Arthritis Foundation: Top Three Types of Exercise
- University of Washington School of Medicine: Exercise and Arthritis
- Bupa UK: Arthritis in Hands, Wrists and Forearms Video
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