There’s few things that can bring a good workout routine to a hault quite like joint pain can. The problem with stopping cold turkey because of your achey joints is that the decreased activity levels, especially in people with actual rheumatoid arthritis, actually results in reduced muscle strength. And the reduced muscle strength can lead to further joint pain and disability.
Increased amounts of regular exercise can do the opposite, though, and help ease the symptoms of arthritis, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. People with arthritis that exercise have improved daily function, decreased depression, reduced pain, and better sleep.
Arthritis shouldn’t be an excuse not to exercise, but a reason to get started. Exercise can help you improve your fitness without hurting your joints, and helps strengthen the muscles around them and maintain bone strength. It also gives you more energy to get through your day to day life, and helps you fall asleep at night. Don’t forget that it also helps to control your weight, which improves the quality of your life
But always make sure to check with your doctor about fitting any new exercises into your treatment plan before starting.
How to Exercise with Arthritis
A big mistake you can make when it comes to strengthening their joints is to skip warm ups. You really shouldn’t though, as jumping straight into a workout without warming up your joints can increase joint pain, especially as you age or get wear and tear on your body. Your joints hurt more when the muscles and tendons are stiff and cold, and as we age, our mobility declines. Adding a thorough warm-up can help your body adjust to these changes, though.
Something as simple as five minutes of light movement is enough to get the blood flowing into your joints, warming them up and getting you ready for your workout.
Don’t forget to shake things up from time to time. To avoid overuse injuries, burnout, or just getting bored of a certain workout make sure not to do the same routine every day. Mixing up your workouts is important to avoid your muscles getting weak from overuse, which would make the joint itself take more impact. For example, one day do some light time under tension weight training for your chest, and the next go for a run to work your legs.
Alongside a proper warmup, stretching is very important to maintain joint health. Tight muscles will decrease normal movement patterns and range of motion, such as tight triceps pushing more heavily on an elbow which can cause more inflammation to an already compromised joint. So before and after your workout, be sure to stretch your major muscle groups for about twenty seconds.
One of the most beneficial kinds of exercise someone suffering from joint pain can do, surprisingly, is weight training. Strengthening your muscles allows your joints to take less of the load in your day to day life. When starting a strength-training program, a three-day-a-week program can help you jump-start your improvement, but two days a week is all you need to maintain your gains.
