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Exercising with Arthritis

Exercising with arthritis can help reduce stiffness and improve joint mobility. High impact exercises can exacerbate the condition, so low impact gentle exercises

Exercising with arthritis has been shown to help reduce pain symptoms.

Arthritis can result in impaired coordination and poor posture, and it also affects balance. Exercising can help improve overall body functioning and can help improve reduce risk of falling. Exercising with arthritis has shown to be helpful in managing arthritis.

Exercising with arthritis can help reduce stiffness and improve joint mobility. High impact exercises can exacerbate the condition, so low impact gentle exercises are best for reducing pain and inflammation. The American College of Rheumatology recommends exercise as a tactic for managing arthritis.

Benefits of Exercise

In addition to reducing joint pain, exercising with arthritis has been shown to increase strength, flexibility, and energy. Exercise can also help with managing a healthy weight reducing pressure on the joints.

Keeping everything in balance, an exercise program should aim to workout out your heart, increase muscle mass, and maintain healthy weight – all while not aggravating arthritis symptoms.

There are four types of exercise that are great for helping with arthritis related pain and reduced mobility.

Flexibility Exercises

Range of motion and stretching exercises, like yoga or Tai Chi, are good for arthritis. These exercises can help increase flexibility in joints and muscles, as well as improve posture. Performing range of motions exercises 5-10 times in the morning help to reduce joint friction. And it’s recommended to stretch 3-5 days a week.

Strengthening Exercises

Strength exercises aim to improve muscle mass so as to reduce stress on joints. These workouts can help improve bone density and reduce inflammation, which contributes to arthritis.

People with arthritis should aim to do some sort of strength exercises 2-3 times a week. Light hand-held weights or resistance bands are two easy forms of incorporating strength workouts into daily life.

Aerobic Exercise

Aerobic exercises get movement into the larger muscles in rhythmic and repetitive ways, helping to improve heart and lung function along with muscle strength. They can also help with maintaining healthy weight and improve mood, sleep, and general health. Dancing, bicycling, and walking are some of the most common and low impact forms of aerobic exercise. It’s recommend to get at least two and a half hours of aerobic exercise each week.

Body Awareness Exercises Activities like Tai Chi and yoga are body awareness exercises that help improve posture and balance. They can also help improve proprioception, coordination, and relaxation.

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