How To Fight Arthritis
September 2, 2008
If, your arthritis makes moving painful, then why would you want to exercise? But, contradictory though it is, exercise seems to reduce arthritis pain. Lack of physical activity only results in stiff joints and weak muscles, worsening arthritis rather than making it better.
Apart from that exercise has other benefits, as regular workouts lead to healthier weight, lessening the pressure on your joints. For arthritis suffers it also means more energy and better sleep.
By now, you must be convinced about the benefits of regular exercise, but talk to a doctor before beginning any new exercise regimen. Low-impact exercises, such as, swimming and water aerobics are generally easier, with less post-workout pain. They are excellent choices, due to the fact that water reduces stress pressure on the joints. For those who dislike the water, then hitting the sidewalk and walking at a comfortable pace is their next best option. A great low-impact workout, you can walk almost anywhere.
People suffering from arthritis can do the following three types of exercise to relieve their suffering:
Flexibility exercises: Neck, back, arms and leg stretches reduce risk of injury, preparing you for more vigorous workouts. Work your way up gradually to 15-minutes of continuous stretching each day. A good idea would be to join a beginner yoga class.
Strength Building Moves: Reduce your pain by developing extra muscles to support your joints. Resistance exercises are the key to building muscles and involve pushing, pulling or bending joints against a force. You can also build muscles by walking as you push against gravity e.g. walking uphill. Unlike daily flexibility exercises, resistance exercises can be done twice or thrice a week, with a gap of a day or so between each session, allowing enough time for your body to recover.
Aerobic exercises: Anything that speeds up your heart rate or causes you to breathe harder counts as aerobic exercise. Aerobic workouts help to strengthen the heart, burn calories causing you to lose weight, and will most probably improve your sleep, as well. Half to one full hour of aerobic exercise, three to five days a week is a recommended must.
So, yes, it may be painful to move your body, but physical activity is the best way to lessen pain. You Arthritis sufferers can exercise safely by starting slowly and gradually increasing the intensity of their workouts. For less pain, exercise in short bursts instead of one long workout.




























