Arthritis pain can be alleviated in many ways. Although it may sound unusual, exercise is a very important treatment for arthritis. Arthritis causes stiffness and pain in the joints – arthritis exercises can help relieve the stiffness, which will help lessen the pain. Exercise is essential to the overall health of your body. Those who adhere to a regular exercise routine are better able to fight off the effects of many illnesses and are able to decrease the stiffness and pain associated with arthritis.
Before Arthritis
Exercise is important for everyone. It is important to begin an exercise regimen early in life and maintain a regular routine. Some of the overall benefits of exercise include:
• Improves your body’s ability to fight infections.
• Improves sleep quality.
• Helps you to lose weight if you are overweight.
• Helps you to gain weight if you are underweight.
• Help you to maintain your weight if you are at a healthy weight.
• Keeps your blood circulating, which makes your brain work better.
• Lowers your risk of illnesses such as diabetes, cancer, and heart disease.
The key to maintaining a healthy exercise regimen is to know your body’s limits. Over exercising can cause the symptoms of arthritis to begin earlier than what is normal. The key is to begin an exercise regimen and stay consistent.
First Signs of Arthritis
Even a regular exercise regimen will not completely prevent arthritis. Arthritis happens as the body ages naturally – and can occur in people who do everything they can to take care of their bodies. When you begin to notice the first signs of arthritis – stiffness or pain in certain joints – you need to learn the most effective of lessening the effects of arthritis. Arthritis exercises can help you to ease the pain and stiffness of arthritis and prolong the need for medications. Some of the benefits of arthritis exercises include:
• Strengthens muscles around the joints.
• Relieves joint stiffness.
• Increases joint flexibility.
• Increases your endurance levels.
• Relieves joint pain.
Beginning an Exercise Regimen in Arthritis
If you begin noticing symptoms of arthritis and you do not have a regular exercise regimen, it is not too late to begin. However, at this point you will have to begin your exercise routine with the goal of not aggravating the joints affected by arthritis and causing the symptoms to worsen. The most important types of exercises for arthritis suffers are:
• Range of motion – these exercises help you to maintain or increase flexibility by helping to maintain normal joint movement and help relieve the stiffness that can occur with arthritis.
• Strengthening – these exercises are designed to strengthen the muscles around the joints so that the joints and muscles work together. If the muscles are weak, the joints will take all of the pressure and wear and tear of the joints occurs more quickly.
• Endurance – these exercises help you to maintain overall body health including weight management and cardiovascular fitness. Extra weight on your body puts more pressure on the joints causing premature wear and tear. Keeping the blood flowing correctly helps all of your body parts work together as they should.
When you begin an arthritis exercise routine, you should begin slowly and build up as your body gains strength. Listen to your body – it will let you know if you are trying to do too much too soon. Here are some pointers on getting started with your exercise regimen:
• Discuss arthritis exercises with your physician.
• Exercise under the supervision of a physical therapist or trainer, if possible.
• Warm up and stretch your body before you begin exercising – range of motion exercises.
• Start slowly – you should begin strengthening exercises with the smallest amount of weight and build to larger amounts as your body can handle it.
• Aerobic exercises – once your body becomes accustomed to an exercise regimen, add aerobic exercises in order to improve your cardiovascular health.
• Recreational exercises – once your body becomes accustomed to an exercise regimen and you have added aerobic exercises, you can begin to add recreational exercises such as biking and swimming.
• Have fun – this is one of the most important aspects of your arthritis exercise regimen. If you choose a recreational exercise that you enjoy, you are more likely to maintain your routine and get the most benefit.
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