Upper Body Dos and Don'ts
By Joe Mullich
Exercise is a must for keeping joints in good shape, but when a particular joint is affected by arthritis, you need to make some changes to your routine. Marjorie Albohm, a certified athletic trainer and director of orthopaedic research at Orthopaedics Indianapolis, has a few suggestions on activities that work best – as well as those to avoid.
Always check with your doctor or physical therapist before starting a fitness regimen, and if a movement causes pain, stop. If you feel joint – not muscle – soreness that lasts more than two hours after your workout, your regimen needs adjusting.
Lower back
Do: Walk on a level surface or in the shallow end of the pool; swim laps using the backstroke, the sidestroke or a snorkel for freestyle swimming; ride a bike that doesn’t require you to bend over too far (try a mountain bike on level ground or a recumbent bike); yoga and Pilates; leg- and core-strengthening exercises; use elliptical machines.
Don’t: Sports such as golf or tennis that involve arching and twisting your back; high-impact activities that involve running and jumping; toe touches; straight-leg sit-ups; double leg lifts; lifting weights above your waist.
Shoulders
Do: Walk on a treadmill or in the shallow end of the pool; ride a mountain bike that keeps you upright, or cycle on a stationary bike or recumbent cycle; use elliptical machines; lower-body strengthening exercises; yoga and Pilates poses that stretch the upper body; standing wall push-ups; warm-water exercises; shoulder shrugs.
Don’t: Overhead serves in tennis or volleyball; golf; rowing or canoeing; swimming the backstroke or freestyle;
lifting weights above your shoulders; some yoga poses, such as the Downward Facing Dog, that support weight on the hands, arms and shoulders.
Neck
Do: Walk on a treadmill or in the shallow end of the pool; ride a bike, or cycle on a stationary bike or recumbent cycle; swim, using the backstroke; use elliptical machines; do flexibility exercises (such as head turns and tilts); yoga and Pilates; tai chi; warm-water exercises.
Don’t: Overhead serves in tennis or volleyball; bikes with racing handlebars; any abdominal exercises with hands behind the head; ski machines; lifting weights above your shoulders; swimming freestyle or using the breaststroke; diving.
See dos and don'ts for lower body
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