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Arthritis & Exercise
Important Information You Need to Know
At The Kennedy Center for the Hip & Knee, we see people living with the effects of osteoarthritis every day. In an effort to keep our patients informed, we encourage you to read the following and be aware of the benefits physical activity plays in your health.
Stay Active
Recently, The Centers for Disease Control have focused their efforts on helping people with arthritis stay physically active. The U.S. Surgeon General has stated that regular physical activity is necessary for everyone to maintain normal muscle strength, joint structure and joint function. Moderate physical activity is recommended for everyone with arthritis because it has significant health benefits.
Benefits of Physical Activity
There are numerous benefits from staying physically active - the following are just a few:
1) Appropriate physical activity like walking helps improve your quality of life and manage arthritis pain while increasing function. Walking can be done at a gym, at home or outdoors in good weather and all it costs is a good pair of walking shoes!
2) Physical activity helps ease the symptoms of arthritis and can prevent further disability.
3) Staying physically active enhances confidence in your ability to exercise and continue your daily routine.
4) Consistent exercise can actually increase your physical abilities by:
Increasing strength
Boosting endurance and activity levels
Elevating moods
Fear of Exercise
It's common for people with arthritis to be fearful of physical activities. Because arthritis is painful, it becomes more difficult to exercise and the fear of pain often stops people from exercising. Unfortunately, not being physically active can lead to risk factors for various types of chronic disease.
Did you know that more than half of all adults with heart disease or diabetes also have arthritis? These chronic diseases make it vitally important for people with arthritis to get and stay active.
Research shows that pain, fear of pain, fear of worsening symptoms or damaging joints and lack of information on how to exercise safely prevent many people from being physically active.
What Can Be Done?
1) It's important to learn the proper techniques to manage arthritis. Self management programs such as the Arthritis Foundation's Self-Help Program can teach you to manage arthritis and lessen its effects.
2) Remain or return to being physically active. For people with arthritis, physical activities such as swimming, walking and biking have been show shown to have significant benefits. These include reducing pain, improving physical function and mental health and enhancing your overall quality of life.
3) Check local resources for programs that are available in your area. These include, but are not limited to, The Arthritis Foundation Aquatics Programs and Enhance Fitness Programs - both are safe exercise programs which have been shown to improve the health of participants
4) Consult your physician. Early diagnosis and appropriate treatment are especially important for people with inflammatory arthritis. Your physician can prescribe a comprehensive plan of care for you, along with a safe and effective program of physical activity.
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