Living with Arthritis? 6 Beginner Exercises to Try Now

Are you living with some form of arthritis like rheumatoid arthritis (RA) or osteoarthritis (OA)? May is Arthritis Awareness Month and we’d like to discuss one of the best ways to manage arthritis symptoms– exercise.

Arthritis affects an estimated 40 million Americans (many of them are children). Conditions like osteoarthritis are leading causes of disability and lost wages each year. While there are medications available for arthritis, clinical trials have shown that lifestyle habits like diet and exercise have a massive impact on a patient’s symptoms.

It may seem crazy, but regular exercise is extremely important if you have been diagnosed with arthritis. Strength training, low-impact aerobics and stretching exercises can provide significant benefits, such as:

• Build new muscle
• Prevent stiff joints
• Improve heart health
• Heighten overall mood
• Reinforce bones

Listen to Your Body

When it comes to exercising with arthritis, you’ll need to listen carefully to your body. It’s obviously not a good idea to push yourself when your joints are inflamed. We are not recommending that you should push through significant pain. You want to develop an exercise plan that works for your condition and can be maintained for the long run.

Why not make this Arthritis Awareness Month the start of a new and healthier management plan? We have a several beginner exercises which can help get you started on the right track!

(Please be sure to consult your doctor before starting a new exercise regimen.)

1) The Chair Stand

If you want to start building leg muscles this May, this is a great exercise to try.

Here’s how you do it:

1. Start out sitting in a chair of normal height
2. Stand up from the chair
3. Then lower yourself as if you were going to sit down, but don’t actually sit all the way

Video Demonstration:

Exercise Tips:

• The focus should be on controlling the motion, so don’t be afraid to use your arms if needed
• Start out doing reps of 10 to 15
• Increase the challenge with a lower-height chair, decrease it with a chair that’s taller

2) Yoga

If you’re suffering from swollen and tender joints, practicing yoga can be of great benefit to you.

Video Demonstration:

Benefits of this type of exercise:

• Deep relaxation techniques help promote an improved immune system and can reduce joint inflammation
• Arthritis patients can improve their movement and mobility through routine stretching
• More intense options like hot yoga and flow should be avoided as they can apply excess pressure on affected joints

3) Go for a Walk

This is such a great method of gentle exercise for people living with osteoarthritis, unless the knees have become too impaired. Walking can also help you lower your risk of developing other health conditions like diabetes.

Benefits of this type of exercise:

• Great form of aerobic exercise that can strengthen bones
• Start out by taking 30 minute walks three times a week
• Increasing your walking distance will help improve your endurance

4) Pilates

Here’s another great exercise for building stronger muscles while not exacerbating your chronic symptoms.

Benefits of this type of exercise:

• Pilates is great for stabilizing your joints and strengthening supporting muscle groups
• We recommend trying routines like the “shoulder bridge”

Here’s how to do it:

1. Lay on your back with your knees bent and arms along each side of the body
2. Exhale slowly as you contract your ab muscles and lift the pelvis
3. Inhale through the nose and hold this raised position (don’t arch your back or overflex the knees)
4. Lower your pelvis to the ground while exhaling slowly
5. Repeat

Video Description:

5) Aquatic Aerobics

If you’re suffering from significant joint pain or have advanced arthritis, aquatic aerobics may be the best way to get regular exercise.

Benefits of this type of exercise:

• The natural buoyancy of the water helps relieve pressure on the joints
• Water jogging belts can allow you to move without putting excess pressure on key joints like the hips and knees
• There are plenty of gyms which have a pool perfect for aquatic aerobics

6) Stretching

Stretching is an important part of any regular exercise routine. If you’re living with gout or rheumatoid arthritis, then it’s something that you can’t afford to skip. That being said, it’s not hard to overdo when stretching, so please be careful.

Benefits of this type of exercise:

• Proper stretching routines will help improve your range of movement and mobility
• Stretching can prevent stiffened joints after a good workout
• It can be done almost anywhere without the need of any special equipment

A great hamstring stretch for arthritis sufferers:

1. Make a loop with a nylon strap or similar material
2. Place ball of foot in a loop and grasp the ends with each hand
3. Straighten out your leg
4. Lift up the leg and gently pull on the straps

Video Demonstration:

There are plenty of great routines out there if you’re living with arthritis. The worst thing that you could do for your long-term health is avoid exercising because you’re fearful for your joints. In order to keep your joints as healthy as possible, you need to stay active when possible.