Arthritis is a condition that causes pain, stiffness, swelling and inflammation in your joints. It can affect any joint in your upper or lower body. When arthritis affects the joints in your hips and legs, walking and moving about can become painful and uncomfortable. While having arthritic hips and legs can make you want to stay sedentary, there are many good reasons to summon up the strength to stay active.
Benefits of Exercise
Exercising is an effective way to help keep arthritis pain and stiffness under control. Making exercise a regular part of your routine can help keep you active and on your feet. According to the Arthritis Foundation, regular, moderate-intensity exercise can help reduce arthritis-related pain and stiffness in your hips and leg joints, making it easier and more comfortable to walk around. In fact, staying sedentary for too long actually increases joint stiffness.
Land Exercises
If you suffer with arthritic hips and legs, select exercises that allow you to work your lower body. MayoClinic.com recommends combining a variety of stretching, strengthening and aerobic exercise activities. Stretching helps to decrease stiffness and improve your range of motion. This makes your joints more flexible and easier to move. Stretching activities like yoga and tai chi help many arthritis sufferers.
Strengthening exercises build strength in your muscles so they can shield your joints and absorb shock. Weight training is one of the most effective strengthening exercises for arthritis sufferers. Try strapping on some ankle weights or using a leg weight machine at your local gym.
Aerobic exercise helps to increase your endurance and improve your circulation. Good aerobic exercises include brisk walking and step aerobics.
Water Exercises
If the arthritis in your hips and legs is severe and makes exercising extremely difficult, consider exercising in water rather than on land. Aquatic exercise works well for arthritis sufferers because it gives you a good workout without putting pressure on your joints. When your body is immersed in water, the water's buoyancy helps support your weight as you move. Since water delivers much more resistance than air, it can serve as an excellent platform for almost any type of exercise. Good water exercises include water walking, knee lifts and water aerobics.
Precautions
While exercise can be an effective way to ease your arthritis pain and stiffness, be careful not to overdo it. Stay away from more strenuous exercises if your hips and leg joints are swollen or if you are experiencing severe pain. Before starting a new exercise program, talk to your doctor about which exercises will work best for your arthritis type, location and severity.
Member Comments