Osteoarthritis Exercises

Proper Exercise for Those with Osteoarthritis

In some cases, the need for medicinal treatment can be put on hold if the patient implements an exercise program to help relieve the pain. Along with nutrition, exercise is one of the most natural ways your body can repair itself and strengthen it against deterioration.

Not just for people with osteoarthritis, exercise not only strengthens your muscles, but is alleviates pain and stiffness and increases mobility by making sure your joints are more flexible. It also releases endorphins, which give you a sense of overall accomplishment and satisfaction. If you have ever heard the term "runners high" - this is where that term comes from. Runners produce endorphins after lengthy strenuous running, and those endorphins help to mute the effects of pain on the body.

If left unused for a long period of time, joints begin to break down and become stagnant. They need motion in order to remain healthy. If your joints are feeling stiff – particularly in the morning when you first wake up – you may need to add some mild activity to your life.

A side benefit to adding exercise to your daily regimen is that it will naturally aid you in the weight loss arena. If you’re already at your goal weight, then it can help you maintain that weight as you age. Excessive weight on load bearing joints such as the knee or hip can cause osteoarthritis, or aggravate existing osteoarthritic conditions. Lowering the amount of weight on a joint with osteoarthritis will most certainly help to cut down the pain levels as you will have reduced the pressure that is constantly placed on the joint.

Depending on the severity of your arthritis, you may have to start out small, doing simple stretching exercises, or you may be able to sign on for an aerobic program that adds resistance training to strengthen your muscles.

Patients in recent studies have shown great overall improvement once they began an osteoarthritis exercise program – with less disability and increased capacity to perform daily tasks. Of course, overdoing it will only worsen the problem.

For osteoarthritis sufferers, exercise should be done in short but frequent bursts. It’s best to find a physical therapist or certified instructor familiar with the disease who can help you develop the proper training.

Three Types of Osteoarthritis Exercises

Exercise can be divided up into three types – stretching or range of motion exercises, strengthening exercises, and aerobic exercises. For stretching, you might want to try Yoga or Tai Chi for flexibility and stress-relief for dealing with the pain.

Strengthening is important in fighting off the disease because it builds muscle tissue that supports the joints and prevents further damage. Resistance exercises are best for strength training, such as pushing and pulling against a static item.

Lastly, aerobic exercises contribute to healthy weight maintenance, and reduce inflammation in the joints. Make sure you stick to low-impact aerobics that will support and not injure your joints and muscles. As an example, swimming is a great no impact exercise that places very little stress on your joints.

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