The Benefits of Exercise
Although you may know that exercise is good for you and important for managing osteoarthritis, you may still be hesitant to start an exercise program. Perhaps you’ve never exercised regularly and you’re not sure how to get started. Maybe you’re afraid that exercising will increase the pain in your already sore joints and cause more joint damage. You may think that exercise is too difficult because you can no longer move your body the way you could before osteoarthritis. Or, you may simply think exercise sounds boring.
Dispel those thoughts. The truth is, you don’t have to be an athlete or have your body in perfect condition to exercise and gain its benefits. Many forms of exercise can accommodate a wide range of abilities. You can start slowly with activities you are comfortable with and capable of doing, then gradually increase your levels as you feel capable.
Exercise isn’t a competition. Every bit you do benefits your body and mind – and will help protect your painful joints.You may need to adjust your mindset a bit. Don’t think of exercise as work or as a chore. Moving your body should be fun. Think of exercise as recreation and of your workouts as time you carve out each day to enjoy yourself and move your body.
Why Exercise?
No matter who you are, some kind of exercise is good for you, and research has shown that it can be especially helpful if you have osteoarthritis. The disease process – and the damage it causes – may lead to limited joint range of motion, decreased muscle strength and endurance, and general deconditioning. Exercising – even a little bit – is an important way that you can prevent some of these negative effects.
Research also shows that people with osteoarthritis have lower-than-normal cardiovascular fitness for their age and gender. Some studies have found that people with osteoarthritis who walked on a treadmill stopped as a result of fatigue and lack of conditioning – not pain. A modest exercise program will give your body the flexibility and stamina it needs to do the everyday activities you enjoy.
Studies suggest that losing weight, strengthening the quadriceps muscles (located in the thighs) and improving general fitness can reduce the effects of osteoarthritis on your body and prevent disability. Exercise can boost your weight-loss program, and can help reduce pain, fatigue and depression.
You may be afraid to exercise too vigorously for fear of causing pain or damage to your joints. This is a common concern for many people with osteoarthritis. Learning to tell the difference between the pain you experience from sore muscles after exercising and the pain caused by overuse or inflammation of joints is important.
Sore muscles are usually the result of overstretching or overuse after a long period of inactivity. This type of pain usually begins several hours after exercising and may continue for 24 to 36 hours.
If you experience muscle soreness, spend more time doing flexibility or warm-up exercises before proceeding to more vigorous activity. You may want to scale back your program until your muscles become more accustomed to exercise and more gradually increase your workout.
Overuse of joints is usually signaled by pain or swelling. If you notice these symptoms, treat the joint by elevating and resting it, and by using ice packs to keep swelling down. Review your exercise program with your doctor or therapist and modify it to avoid further injury to the joint.
One further note about pain: Exercise is one of the most effective nondrug tools you can use to reduce pain associated with arthritis. So exercise sensibly, but do exercise.
