Arthritis may affect up to one out of five U.S. adults, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Osteoarthritis, a common joint disorder, results when cartilage surrounding your joints wears away, leaving your bones to rub against one another. This can lead to swelling, pain and limited range of motion. Regularly participating in water exercise can reduce pain and improve range of motion if you suffer from osteoarthritis.
Exercise and Osteoarthritis
According to the Arthritis Foundation, studies have shown that individuals with osteoarthritis benefit from cardiovascular exercise and strength training. Unfortunately, individuals suffering from osteoarthritis often associate movement and exercise with increased pain, so they fail to exercise regularly. This leads to greater pain and a smaller range of motion. Finding exercise that can be performed without excessive pain is an important step to treating osteoarthritis.
When you submerge your body in water up to your neck, the water's buoyancy reduces your body's weight by approximately 90 percent, according to Spine-Health. This buoyancy helps make movement easier and less painful, enabling you to perform exercise despite having osteoarthritis. Even if you're performing exercise in waist-deep water, your body weight will be reduced, making it easier to perform exercise without pain.
Benefits of Water Exercise
Water exercise offers specific benefits to those suffering from osteoarthritis, aside from reduced pain during movement. Water exercise can increase strength, flexibility and cardiovascular health when performed regularly. When paired with a healthy diet, water exercise can help with weight loss, which can then reduce pain both in and out of the water. Also, according to Spine-Health, arthritis sufferers will be able to flex and stretch their muscles and joints in the water in ways that would be impossible on land. This can help arthritic patients to learn to move in ways that ultimately reduce pain and improve mobility.
Types of Exercises
Choose from any number of water exercise programs to help alleviate arthritis pain. These programs can include lap swimming, water walking and water aerobics classes. The program you choose should be based on your comfort in the water, your personal exercise preferences, and your level of mobility. If you regularly experience significant pain or immobility, keep your movements slow and steady, concentrating on maintaining the mobility you have while slowly increasing your range of motion.
Classes Specifically for Arthritis
The Arthritis Foundation offers water aerobics certification classes, so check your local swimming pool to see whether they offer Arthritis Foundation classes. These classes will teach you to perform movements, stretches and exercises to increase range of motion, targeting the joints affected by your arthritis pain. Also, check with your doctor or physical therapist to see whether either offers therapist-led exercise programs in the water. This can be especially helpful as you first begin water exercise to help you gain confidence with the exercise motions.
References
- Spine-Health; Pool Therapy to Relieve Osteoarthritis Pain; Andrew J. Cole, MD and Bruce E. Becker, MD
- Arthritis Foundation: Aquatic Exercise and Tai Chi Effective Therapy for Osteoarthritis
- Spine-Health; Water Therapy Exercises; Andrew J. Cole, MD
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Arthritis-Related Statistics
- PubMed Health: Osteoarthritis
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