arthritis exercise | Derek L. Hill, D.O.

Arthritis is a painful disorder; it can not only cause unwanted sensations in one or two of your joints, but it can also compromise your ability to do certain tasks in your daily life. Of course, just like any other condition, arthritis is something that you can control. One of the most common approaches in dealing with arthritis is through medication. However, this approach can cause harm in the long run. Medications may contain chemicals that can pose harm to your body after a certain period of time. Hence, taking the no-medicine approach is almost a must but seemingly impossible. This article talks about how exercise and weight loss can help arthritis.

Dealing with Arthritis without Medication

Is it really possible to cure arthritis and manage its symptoms without taking any medicine? Well, it is possible. By losing weight and exercising, you can help yourself deal with your condition. With this approach, you can set yourself free from the clutches of this condition and claim your life back.

How it Works

Arthritis is caused by inflammation of the joints, which means extreme pressure placed on your joints would result in pain. Therefore, reducing pressure on your joints would reduce the pain caused by the disorder. So, how do you reduce pressure on your joints? The best way to go about it is through weight loss. It’s quite easy to figure out; by losing some weight, you reduce the load your joints receive, which results to less pain and more ease in doing your daily activities.

Losing Weight to Cure Your Arthritis

If you want to lose weight then you will need to get some exercise. However, exercises for those who are suffering from arthritis are different. This is because people with the joint disorder are not allowed to do extreme exercises, since this can make the pain worse. So, if you are trying to lose weight to cure your arthritis then you have to engage in non-strenuous exercise to burn some pounds without causing any harm to your body.

Exercising is not only to get you to lose weight; it can further improve your health by promoting the production of natural chemicals in your body that reduces overall body pain. Hence, regular exercise will not only cure arthritis but other pain-causing disorders as well.

Walking

Fitness experts consider walking to be the best exercise for everyone. This simple daily activity can help you burn calories that have been putting unnecessary weight on your body, which causes arthritis symptoms to go out of control. If you have been living your life on the sedentary side then it’s time to make a change. Make walking a part of your daily routine. Doing it can be a little difficult, but you start enjoying it as soon as you get used to it.

Yoga

While popular in the fitness community, not a lot of people know of its potential when it comes to curing arthritis and physical injuries. The exercise primarily involves stretching and isometric activities, which can not only burn calories but also improve your strength and increase your energy levels. If you want to get started, simply enroll in a Yoga class offered by the local gym.

If you want to get rid of your arthritis naturally and restore your health then losing weight through exercising is the answer. While you’re at it, include healthy foods in your diet. Certain foods help reduce arthritis symptoms as well as prevent health problems.

Written by: John Huynh, Staff Writer for Pro Tennis Tips

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About the Author

John Huynh is a staff writer for Pro Tennis Tips, a website dedicated to helping others learn the ins and outs of tennis.

There are over 100 types of arthritis, including osteoarthritis, gout and fibromyalgia. Several of these forms can cause joint stiffness, inflammation and pain, making even the most simple of tasks increasingly difficult. Rising from bed in the morning is agonizing. Climbing up out of a chair is torture. So what are you supposed to do? How can you exercise when you can barely even move?

Movement produces a lubricant in your body that no pill or surgery can produce. The lubricant helps your joints move and eliminates joint pain in your knees, hips, shoulders, hands and back. A patient of mine, Carolyn, who was 62 years old and had so much pain in her knees that she chose to sit in a chair all day versus go through the strain of getting up. What she didn’t realize was that sitting still was actually making her arthritis condition much worse because you need to move to produce a lubricant that eases joint pain. That’s right, there’s no pill or surgery that can produce this lubricant. By the time she sought treatment, she was in a wheelchair and no longer able to walk.

The goal of arthritis treatment is to reduce inflammation, minimize pain and increase the ability to function. A functional workout can help do all of these things safely, by increasing blood flow and keeping our muscles and joints strong. With an exercise program that started Carolyn off with chair exercises and chair walking, she was able to regain her mobility and was no longer a prisoner of her wheelchair.

Walking helps protect areas of the body that frequently suffer painful and debilitating degeneration — especially knees, hips and shoulders. Starting a walking workout will build strength and stamina to help you face each day with vigor and vitality.

Start Off Slow and Increase as Tolerated

Start around the block, then around the neighborhood and then just keep walking around until you work your way up to a power walk. Take bigger steps and swing your arms. As the walk becomes easier, add light hand weights and you’ll strengthen muscles that support your joints and reduce joint pain.

Wear Good Fitting Shoes

Wear good fitting, comfortable closed toe shoes with good support that allow you to walk from heel to toe. Stiff shoes or old worn out shoes can cause you to have improper gait and that can cause head to toe joint pain. As a general rule, replace your shoes every 6 months.

Integrate Breathing Exercises into your Walk

Your body loves oxygen. The more oxygen you take in the healthier you get. Your heart is a muscle. When you put it to work it gets larger and stronger just like a bicep in your arm when lifting weights. This exercise makes your heart pump more blood that’s full of oxygen through your body even when you are at rest. This will reduce joint pain.

Every person over 90 is always asked, “How’d you do it?” And every person over 90 responds, “I kept moving. That’s it.” Your body is a biological machine. If you let it sit around for years unused and then try to start it up it’s going to cough, wheeze, sputter and come to a grinding halt. But if you work it, maintain it, nourish it with premium fuels, it will stand the test of time.

Written by: Suzanne Andrews, Founder of Functional Fitness with Suzanne Andrews, PBS TV

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