Does Exercise Help Arthritis?
If even normal, everyday movements cause discomfort in your affected joints, it may seem like physical activity could also be painful. The reality, though, is that exercise does help arthritis by reducing pain and stiffness. Summit Orthopedics can help people in the Minneapolis/St. Paul area find exercises that ease joint pain and support mobility.
How Exercise Can Ease Joint Pain
Being physically inactive can worsen arthritis symptoms, leading to weakened muscles, stiff joints, decreased pain tolerance and diminished balance. It can also accelerate the breakdown of bone and muscle in the body caused by aging.
Staying physically active, on the other hand, is one of the best moves you can make when you have arthritis. According to the American College of Rheumatology (ACR), regular exercisers benefit from reduced pain, increased energy and improved sleep. In short, they have better overall function.
How does regular exercise help arthritis? Physical activity relieves pain and other joint-related symptoms in multiple ways:
- Exercise can help you lose weight, which can remove some of the pressure and strain on your joints. Losing even a small amount of weight can help relieve joint pain. A medical provider can help you determine what a healthy weight looks like for you.
- Exercise can support your joints. by building up other parts of the body, including muscles. Physical activity increases the amount of blood flowing to the muscles that support your joints. This helps decrease the forces that the joints undergo on a day-today basis.
- Exercise can promote better sleep. Arthritis symptoms may flare up when your body isfatigued. Getting enough quality sleep is an essential part of managing the disease.Regular physical activity can tire out the body and mind in a good way, allowing you tosleep well.
- Exercise can give your mental health a boost. Research has shown that mental health and arthritis are connected in a cyclic way. Having depression can worsen pain, and being in pain can cause depression. People who exercise experience less stress and reduce their likelihood of mental health issues such as depression.
While you can benefit from nearly any type of physical activity, some activities may feel better on your joints. The key is to find joint-friendly exercises you enjoy—and to do them regularly.
The Basics of Exercising With Arthritis
Health experts, including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, recommend most adults get at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity each week. There’s no need to jump in and get it all at once. In fact, it’s better to break exercise down in smaller increments across the week, such as 30 minutes per day or even multiple 10-minute sessions a day.
To hit the “moderate” intensity you need, you should be able to continue talking as you exercise, but not be able to sing. Moderate-intensity exercises are activities you can perform for a while without being uncomfortable.
The ACR outlines four types of physical activity that can help people with arthritis maintain good health and quality of life.
- Aerobic exercise includes activities that get your heart pumping faster by working
muscles in the body in a repetitive manner. Brisk walking, dancing, mowing the yard or
gardening are examples of this type of activity, which helps boost your heart and lung
function. - Body awareness exercises include activities that help improve balance, posture and
coordination. Tai chi and yoga are two examples of body awareness activities that can
help you become more aware of your joints’ position and function. - Flexibility exercises work exactly as the name indicates—they’re designed to help you
improve your flexibility. This can be especially beneficial for joints affected by arthritis
and the muscles that surround them. These movements, like body awareness exercises,
are included in yoga and tai chi. - Strengthening exercises include movements designed to build muscle. These can
include lifting weights, using resistance bands or relying on your own body for
resistance. Strengthening your muscles reduces stiffness and helps keep your joints
strong.
Finding the Right Type of Exercise
While everyone can benefit from regular physical activity, the best exercise for you may vary depending on the type of arthritis you have. Research has shown, for example, that people with rheumatoid arthritis benefit from weight-bearing activities, experiencing reduced bone loss and joint damage.
People with osteoarthritis, the most common type of arthritis, benefit most from a well-rounded exercise program that includes all types of activity.
Which type of exercise is right for you? If you’ve recently been diagnosed with arthritis, you may benefit from working with a physical therapist, who can help you identify the activities that will help you most. A physical therapist can also teach you specific movements that will help you strengthen and support your joints while taking strain off of them.
In general, look for joint-friendly activities. Even low-impact exercise can still have a big impact on your overall health. You may want to avoid movements that put a lot of pressure and weight on your joints. These include jumping, running, doing high-intensity interval training or playing tennis.
Exercising in water can be particularly good for your joints. If the water is waist-deep, for example, it lessens the weight on your body by up to 50% compared with exercising on land. Water aerobics, swimming and even simply walking in water can give you a good workout that’s kind to your joints.
You can also take your walk to dry land. Brisk walking, either outside or on a treadmill, is another joint-friendly workout that still gets your heart pumping.
Take steps toward less arthritis pain. Find an arthritis expert or request an appointment online to schedule a consultation.
