Arthritis is a painful condition that affects your joints, making it difficult and sometimes impossible to move. Arthritis can affect anyone at any age, and it may be treated in several ways. If you have arthritis, you may have no interest in exercising with repetitive movements. However, exercise can actually help improve your flexibility and, over time, it may help with pain management.
Types of Arthritis
When you have arthritis, you suffer from swelling in your joints. This can cause pain, stiffness and severe discomfort. The four main types of arthritis are osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, juvenile rheumatoid arthritis and infectious arthritis. Osteoarthritis occurs as you age and is common in older adults. Osteoarthritis can also appear after an injury to a particular area or joint. Rheumatoid arthritis happens when your body's immune system is compromised. In severe cases, rheumatoid arthritis can be crippling, and you may lose function of certain joints. Juvenile rheumatoid arthritis is similar to rheumatoid arthritis, but it generally occurs before the age of 16. Infectious arthritis attacks the joints and is caused by a fungal, viral or bacterial infection. Regardless of the type of arthritis you have, exercise may help loosen tight muscles and make joints more flexible.
Exercise Types
Exercise is an important tool that helps your body stay trim and healthy. The Arthritis Foundation recommends that you pursue three main types of exercise if you suffer from arthritis: strength training, flexibility routines and aerobic exercise. Resistance training allows you to strengthen muscles so less impact and stress are placed on painful joints. Isometric exercise allows you to flex muscles without a lot of added resistance to improve muscle tone. Range-of-motion exercises are important and prevent your muscles and joints from stiffening. Range of motion gives your joints full motion and allows muscles to stretch, contract and then relax. Aerobic exercise should be done up to 30 minutes a day, five times a week. Depending on your fitness level, aerobic exercise can involve walking, jogging or gardening.
Benefits
Improved flexibility and less stress on joints are some of the benefits of regular exercise. Keeping your heart healthy is equally as important. A healthy cardiovascular system allows you to stay healthy while reducing your risk for other medical conditions such as obesity, Type 2 diabetes, hypertension and certain types of cancer -- all of which may complicate arthritis.
Precautions
See your medical care provider first before starting an exercise routine. If you have a severe disability related to arthritis or you are prone to infection from infectious arthritis, you may have to hold off on vigorous exercise. Your medical care provider may suggest physical therapy in place of at-home exercise routines. With any type of routine or workout, if you experience pain or severe discomfort, discontinue and seek medical attention.
