How to Reduce Arthritis Joint Pain With Exercise

How to Reduce Arthritis Joint Pain With Exercise By Ken Eng

When a person is first diagnosed with arthritis, probably the last thing on their mind is exercise. They know how much they experience on a daily basis without exercise so the thought of doing more physical activities is the far from appealing. Despite this initial reaction however, Doctors do recommend that people who suffer from arthritis carry out frequent and regular exercise to help reduce arthritis' effects on the joints.

One of the first benefits doctors explain to their overweight patients with arthritis is that doing regular exercise can help lose weight. As a result, this reduces the strain on the affected joints and can help reduce the amount of pain. If carried out regularly, exercise will help reduce stiffness whilst at the same time maintaining mobility and increasing flexibility and stamina. It is important to note however that hard, high-impact exercise should be avoided and patients should stick to light or moderate forms of exercise such as swimming which will help with exercise but also limit the stress on joints.

It is common in both people with and without arthritis to put off starting their exercise but it is undoubtedly one of the surest ways to help reduce joint pains if done correctly. A patient can break into it slowly however by starting off with slow and easy stretches designed for flexibility and work their way up to more demanding exercises. Flexibility exercises such as slow stretching will help improve a patient's mobility around the home. Swimming pools are also a great way to exercise because they can reduce body weight on the knees, ankles and hips.

Exercise Programs Need To Be Comfortable

As a patient grows in confidence with their exercising and feels more comfortable with what they're doing, they can then move onto weight training. This will help muscles build strength around the aching joints which helps reduce the amount of stress the joint takes. Muscle training will take stress from the aching bones and joints and reduce pain. For example, short walks build up leg muscles which would help in cases of ankle arthritis. Yoga is an excellent way to battle arthritis as its entire exercise routing focuses on muscle strength and flexibility.

By exercising regularly, you are not only helping to battle arthritis but are also help strengthening your entire body, including your heart muscle. This reduces the chances of you developing coronary problems in later life. The reality is that many will avoid exercise when they have arthritis and these people will usually end up leading a less happier lifestyle and let their condition get the better of them. This can also see other illnesses develop that are unrelated to arthritis.

While there is the excuse that exercising more will cause arthritis pain to grow, not exercising at all can actually cause worse things to happen in your body. To prevent this from happening, comfortable, low-impact exercise routines will help reduce the pain and strengthen the joints and this will allow the patient to live a happier lifestyle despite the arthritis.

Need more information about arthritis exercise? Then head over to The Herbal Community. It is a fast growing social networking site strictly devoted to herbal remedies, holistic healing and anything to do that is natural and healthy. It's completely free to use and anyone can join!

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Ken_Eng

Arthritis Therapy Requires Movement and Exercise

Arthritis Therapy Requires Movement and Exercise By Ken Eng

Cheap Exercise Treadmills

You know you need to exercise to build up your body's strength against arthritis, but your body aches too much to even move. This is the vicious circle of arthritis. You may be unable to take part in the things you used to do, but there's nothing stopping you from keeping active. The most difficult thing about arthritis therapy is starting it. As with any program, it gets easier the more you do it. Don't demand too much of your body and start small and work your way up but never compare your own progress with others as everyone's body is different.

Go for a Swim

You need to give your body exercise with lower stress levels. This can be achieved through non-aerobic exercise or low-impact exercise. Swimming, including water aerobics and water walking is the choice of many as their arthritis therapy. These exercises can be fun and pools are available all over the country. You should check to see if your own YMCA or local health club has a pool and, if you are of appropriate age, discounts for seniors. Senior centres are now a major part of many towns and cities and they offer many activities for seniors, including pool access.

Try some Tai Chi

If you're not too much into getting wet, there are several easy and interesting arthritis therapies that you can do at home instead. Non-aerobic exercise has been around for centuries. Yoga, pilates and martial arts are a few of the oriental techniques you could use. They promote balance, physical strength, coordination and above all, a peace of mind and opportunity to relax. Of these techniques, Tai Chi is the most gentle and is regularly recommended to people suffering from arthritis. Make sure you let your instructor know of your arthritis condition so that you don't hurt yourself during lessons.

Get Green Fingered with Gardening

Failing all of the above, getting your hands dirty in your garden is the arthritis therapy of choice for many. This therapy gets you outside, gets you interacting with neighbours and also gives you the freedom to show your creative side. It generally consists of gentle, repetitive movements that can be made even easier with specific arthritis equipment available to gardeners. Gardening is never out of your age range. Because of its nature, it helps you keep your joints moving whilst improving your self-worth. It can fit any home because pots or planters can be used in place of a garden if all you have is a yard. Senior centres also usually contain a communal garden for arthritis therapy.

Need more information about arthritis therapy? Then head over to The Herbal Community. It is a fast growing social networking site strictly devoted to herbal remedies, holistic healing and anything to do that is natural and healthy.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Ken_Eng