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May is National Arthritis & Osteoporosis Awareness Month
Wise Moves: Staying active with arthritis
A generation ago, it was commonly believed that exercise contributed to arthritis. While it’s true that some kinds of activity can worsen joint pain, we now know that regular low-impact exercise reduces arthritis symptoms over time. Staying active strengthens the muscles that support joints, relieving pressure and improving balance.
Low-impact activities that raise your heart rate can reduce arthritis pain and stiffness over time. Here are recommended activities for different problem joints:
- For shoulder pain, try yoga and tai chi.
- For back pain, try walking.
- For hip pain, try dancing.
- For knee pain, try the recumbent bike.
- For foot or ankle pain, try pool therapy and swimming.
“Not only does exercise keep joints strong and flexible, it also helps with pain relief for osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, fibromyalgia and a host of other conditions,” say Ricky Moore, an Aetna fitness coach who works with members with arthritis. Cardio exercise also helps control weight. For every pound of weight loss, experts say, you remove four pounds of pressure from your knee and hip joints. Weight loss also reduces your risk of many other health conditions, from heart disease to cancer.
Brisk walking, swimming, cycling and yoga are all great forms of exercise for people with any type of arthritis. “Swimming is probably the most gentle on the joints and allows you to work your full range of motion,” says Kelly Sems, MD, a rheumatologist and Aetna medical director, who notes that “swimming” can mean water aerobics or even walking in a pool.
With any activity, you should stop exercising if your pain increases after 5-10 minutes. Try something gentler instead or avoid working the problem joint until you’ve built up more strength and stamina. Start with 10-15 minutes most days of the week. Slowly work your way up to 30 minutes a day of moderate activity. Each week, increase the duration or intensity of your workout but not both at the same time. If you’re already fairly active, aim for at least 150 minutes of moderate activity per week or 75 minutes of vigorous activity.
Experienced athletes say that recovery time is a vital part of any training program. Resting allows your muscles and other tissues to rebuild. Give yourself a day off from exercise if you haven’t slept well the night before or you’re fighting a cold. You may also want to skip a day when the weather is sweltering or frigid. For relief from minor discomfort after exercise, these tried-and-true remedies can help:
- Ice packs. Apply to your sore joint for 10-15 minutes to bring down swelling.
- Topical pain relievers. Try balms with active ingredients like menthol (found in Bengay®) or capsaicin, derived from chili peppers.
- Gentle stretching. Stretching signals your muscles that it’s time to relax and rebuild. Note: Stretching before exercise doesn’t help performance and could strain tissue and joints.
For information about staying active with arthritis, visit here.
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