Exercising and Arthritis - get moving for pain relief
Wednesday, July 4th, 2007 Subscribe To Our Feed
Arthritis can exact a terrible toll over the years; you can become stiffer and less mobile, finding it hard to do the simplest tasks. This makes exercise essential. By exercising, not only will you build your muscles so that there’s less pressure on your joints, but you will also maintain mobility.
Typically, when you are diagnosed with arthritis your healthcare practitioner will provide you with a comprehensive arthritis treatment plan that includes various types of arthritis exercises. This plan will also include any dietary restrictions and inform you of the various types of food known to reduce arthritis pain. Generally, this arthritis treatment plan will also include a list of foods known to aggravate arthritis symptoms such as red meat, dairy products, food additives, and processed foods.
Some of the most popular arthritis exercises include yoga, tai chi, water aerobics, weight training and muscle strengthening, range-of-motion exercises such as dance, and aerobic and endurance exercises such as cycling.
Before embarking on any type of arthritis exercise program it’s best to consult with your healthcare practitioner to be certain the form of exercise you choose will not further aggravate your arthritis symptoms.
Nowadays, most of the major insurance companies provide their members with discounts to health clubs. Some even offer discounts on health products such as exercise videos and dietary supplements. Oftentimes policyholders are not aware of these discounts, so be certain to check with your insurance carrier to see if they offer these types of discounts.
In addition, many health clubs offer up to a 50 percent discount to certain insurance members. The majority of these clubs offer private sessions with a qualified exercise trainer. Many of these trainers are well-versed in helping clients develop an arthritis exercise program suited to their needs. Typically, the cost of a personal trainer is not covered and will be an out-of-pocket expense.
Another option is to look into joining your local YMCA or YWCA. Oftentimes, these organizations offer water aerobics, which has shown to be effective in decreasing arthritis pain. Water aerobics is a very gentle form of exercise and can be performed by nearly everyone. It involves sitting in a shallow pool and conducting gentle resistance exercises.
Regardless of the type of arthritis exercise program you choose, it’s important to apply heat to sore joints to help warm them up and allow them to become more flexible prior to exercise. Heat is typically applied for 5 to 15 minutes.
After applying heat, you will want to perform gentle stretching exercises before and after the routine. Upon completion of the work-out, apply cold packs to sore joints to help reduce inflammation.
It’s important to choose an exercise program that you enjoy and one that does not cause you intense pain. If you dislike the form of exercise or if it causes an increase in pain, chances are you will not stick with the program.
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