If you're living with arthritis, regular fitness is one of the most effective ways to manage your pain, boost your mood and improve your overall quality of life. But limited function can make some workouts too challenging for people with arthritis. Low-impact exercises like water aerobics, walking or bicycling are joint-friendly workout options.
Identification
Water aerobics is exactly what its name suggests: aerobic exercise moves done in the water. You can do water aerobics in a swimming pool, where you have more room to move and can target larger muscle groups, or in a spa pool or hot tub, where you'll have to make smaller movements that target smaller muscle groups and to avoid overheating. You can take water aerobics classes designed specifically for people who have arthritis or watch fitness videos to master moves on your own, but check with your rheumatologist first to make sure your plan will work for your particular condition.
Benefits
Water aerobics is an especially good fitness option for people with arthritis because the buoyancy of water takes pressure off joints. At the same time, water's natural resistance helps you build muscles, which can help support affected joints to reduce pain. Like all exercise, water aerobics can help you manage your weight. Since obesity is a major risk factor for arthritis and can significantly exacerbate arthritis pain for some people, regular water aerobics can help reduce arthritis pain.
Considerations
Doing water exercise in warm water may have even more benefits for people with arthritis. Standing in warm water helps boost circulation, which improves blood flow to your joints and can reduce stiffness and pain. The ideal pool temperature for low-intensity water exercise is between 83 and 88 degrees, according to MayoClinic.com.
Warning
Arthritis is a serious medical condition, so it's important to talk with your health care provider about limitations and cautions your particular form of arthritis may require. Never force your joints to work to the point where you experience pain. Since arthritis symptoms can flare and abate, your limits may vary from workout to workout, so it's important to move slowly to test your limits as you begin your workout.
Member Comments