In the not too distant past, doctors warned patients who had arthritis, a condition characterized by joint inflammation, not to exercise. It was thought that exercise would make joint pain and stiffness worse. That notion has been turned on its head, explains the Arthritis Foundation. As of 2011, exercise is considered an essential part of joint care and treatment. Exercises for your joints are basically the same whether you currently have joint problems or arthritis or want to prevent joint problems in the future. The difference is one of degree -- if you already have bad joints, your workouts should not be so vigorous as to exacerbate the problem, however. Mayo Clinic says that the benefits of exercise for those with arthritis include less pain and fatigue as well as greater strength and flexibility.
Range of Motion Workouts
If your joints are healthy, range-of-motion exercises help preserve them. If you have arthritis, range-of-motion exercises relieve stiffness and pain while enabling you to keep or regain as much flexibility as possible. Range-of-motion exercises can be as simple a regular stretching routine or as challenging as advanced poses in yoga class. If you have bad joints, exercising in a pool is often recommended, since the buoyancy of the water reduces the amount of gravity on your limbs and enables you to move your joints through a more complete range of motion.
Strengthening Workouts
Strength training builds the muscles that help support and protect your joints, for example, stronger quad muscles help protect your knee joint. Strength training also builds stronger bones. There are a number of forms of strength training, also called resistance training, including weightlifting, traditional exercises such as pushups and pullups, and resistance bands. Strengthening exercises should not be done every day. Mayo Clinic recommends taking a break at least every other day, and resting more often than that if you feel pain or notice swelling.
Aerobic Exercise
Aerobic exercise is essential for your overall health. It strengthens the heart, controls your weight and gives you more endurance. It elevates mood, enhances sleep and helps eradicate stress. If you have healthy joints, any form of aerobic exercise that gets your heart rate up for 30 minutes or so is valuable. You can play basketball, chase a soccer ball in a recreational league, or run a marathon. However, if you have joint problems, moderate aerobic exercise is the way to go. Effective choices include walking, swimming or other water exercise, cycling, yoga or Pilates. Avoid running and jumping, especially out of a plane if you have knee problems, or tennis if your serving shoulder is painful.
Considerations
Talk with your doctor before starting an exercise plan, especially if you already have joint problems. You also might want to consult a physical therapist or occupational therapist who will help you find ways to exercise so you won't make joint problems. Some forms of exercise can fulfill all forms of joint care. Yoga, for example, combines stretching and range-of-motion exercises with poses that increase strength in a workout that gets your heart pumping long enough for aerobic benefits as well.
