What type of exercise is beneficial for managing arthritis and joint pain?
This often is a question that the team at Active EP get asked regularly. There isn’t just one particular type of exercise or activity that is recommended for people with arthritis and joint pain, but the research is in support of exercise as a form of management for arthritis and joint pain. Here is just a quick overview on the types of exercise that may have benefit for managing joint pain:
Strength training: Strength/resistance training can improve the strength of the muscles surrounding the affected joint, which can often become weaker as a result of inactivity and pain. Maintaining strength is vital for maintaining independence as weak as in assisting in reducing stiffness.
Flexibility and balance: maintaining flexibility is important for keeping our joints moving more freely as a result of stiffness. Balance training is another important feature of your exercise program, as improving balance reduces the risk of falls.
Hydrotherapy: water based exercise is a great way to build strength, ease joint pain and to build fitness- water based exercise takes pressure off your body and off painful joints and may be more suitable for people who find exercise on land to be painful. We can create an exercise program that is water based to help you achieve your goals.
Aerobic/endurance exercise: Aerobic based exercise strengthens the heart and make the lungs more efficient. Aerobic exercise also reduces fatigue and builds stamina, while helping control weight by increasing the number of calories the body uses. Examples of this type of exercise include walking, jogging, bicycling, swimming or using the elliptical machine.
Walking: Free and easy on the joints, walking comes with a host of benefits. One major benefit is to our heart and lungs- reducing the risk of heart disease and helps lower blood pressure. Walking is good for our mental health, and can also improve bone strength as we get older.
In the end, it is important to find a form of exercise that you enjoy. Regular exercise reduces pain, maintains muscle strength around affected joints, reduces joint stiffness, prevents functional decline, and improves quality of life. Exercise can provide the same symptomatic relief as prescribed medications but without the side effects!
Source:
Arthritis Australia website (n.d). Living with arthritis: Physical activity and exercise. Retrieved from: (https://arthritisaustralia.com.au/managing-arthritis/living-with-arthritis/physical-activity-and-exercise/)
Exercise Right Website (n.d), Arthritis and Exercise: What you need to know. Retrieved from https://exerciseright.com.au/arthritis-exercise-what-you-need-to-know/)