Exercise Away Arthritis Pain

When joints are stiff and painful, it's only natural to want to take it easy. But an inactive lifestyle may cause a downward spiral of symptoms - leading to more pain, more stiffness, and a higher risk of disability. While it may seem to counter common sense, exercise is one of the best things you can do when you're feeling achy, tired, and stiff from arthritis.

Eight Ways That Exercise Helps Arthritis

1. Exercise maintains joint mobility. Like the gears in a machine, joints need to stay "well-oiled." When you move your joints during exercise, the body naturally produces proteoglycans, or fluids that joints need to function smoothly.

2. Exercise keeps muscles strong. Strong muscles can better support and protect joints. Muscles also operate somewhat like shock absorbers on a car. When in good shape, muscles can better absorb the stress of walking and other activities.

3. Exercise reduces pain. In one study, patients with osteoarthritis of the knee were able to reduce the amount of pain medication they took after participating in an eight-week walking program.

4. Exercise eases stiffness. People with rheumatoid arthritis cut the amount of time they were stiff each morning by 68 minutes after six weeks of regular exercise and physical therapy.

5. Exercise combats fatigue. People with arthritis report feeling less tired after they begin a regular exercise program.

6. Exercise helps with weight control. This is important because extra pounds put added pressure on some joints and can aggravate many types of arthritis.

7. Exercise improves overall sense of well-being. Research shows that exercise can actually improve mood and lessen depression and anxiety.

8. Exercise protects against disease and disability. Experts say exercise protects against most major health problems, including heart disease and osteoporosis. In addition, staying active may help prevent the disability associated with arthritis.

A Well-Rounded Exercise Plan

Experts say an effective exercise program for people with arthritis should include the following three types of activities. However, talk to your doctor before starting any exercise program. Your doctor can help you safely incorporate these activities into an exercise program that fits your needs and abilities.

Aerobic Activities

Exercise goal:

Aim for 30 minutes of aerobic exercise at least three times a week. Research indicates that brisk walking and other aerobic exercises can reduce arthritic swelling. Aerobic exercises bring many other health benefits, as well—such as weight control, increased fitness, and disease prevention.

What types of aerobic exercises are safe for people with arthritis? That depends on the type and severity of your disease. Some people with arthritis can enjoy a wide variety of activities, from hiking to aerobic dance. But others—such as those with osteoarthritis of the knee—may want to bypass high-impact activities. These include running and activities that involve a lot of jumping.

Low-impact sports like swimming or water aerobics are usually excellent choices for anyone with arthritis. In one study, people with osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis who participated in water aerobics reported less soreness and stiffness than those who walked for exercise.

But brisk walking and cycling are good low-impact activities, too. Walking provides an additional benefit that swimming and cycling do not: It's a weight-bearing exercise, which helps protect against osteoporosis.

Your doctor can tell you whether other aerobic activities, such as basketball, dancing, or running, are safe for you.

Aerobic Tips:

If you are already active, your doctor can assess your current workout program to make sure it is safe for your joints.
If you're just starting an exercise program, begin with short sessions of five to 10 minutes. Then, build up gradually, increasing the length of your sessions by 10% a week. So, if you swam for 10 minutes a session one week, aim for 11 minutes a session the next week.
Warm up and cool down with a few minutes of stretching. Ask your doctor what stretching exercises are safe for you.
Strive for an intensity in which you break a sweat but can still carry on a conversation.

Strength Training

Exercise goal:

Perform two to four times a week.

Strength training helps keep or make your muscles strong. Strong muscles help ease the strain on joints, which may help lessen arthritis pain. Research indicates that strength training also may prevent osteoarthritis—and possibly protect against further deterioration if you have the disease.

Other benefits: Strength training helps slow the age-related decline in muscle and bone, decreasing the likelihood of osteoporosis and disability. It also can boost the number of calories you burn—even when resting—because muscles use more calories than fat.

Once again, however, it's important to talk to a doctor or a physical therapist before beginning a strength training program. Some strength-training exercises may not be safe for arthritic joints. An expert can show you how to modify a specific exercise so it is safe. She or he may recommend an alternative exercise that works a specific muscle without hurting your joints.

Strength Training Tips:

Warm up and cool down with a few minutes of stretching. Ask your doctor what stretching exercises are safe for you.
Be sure to select exercises that work all the major muscles in your body. This includes your shoulders, back, chest, abdomen, legs, and arms.
Consider which strength training equipment will work best for you. Experts say people can gain similar benefits from hand and ankle weights as they do from machines. Empty milk jugs filled with sand or water, and elastic bands also work.
Begin with a weight heavy enough to make you fatigued after eight to 12 repetitions. Depending on how severe your arthritis is, you may need to start with no weights at all—or one- or two-pound weights. When you can comfortably lift a weight 12 times in a row, it's time to add more weight.
Lift slowly: Take three seconds to lift the weight, hold for one second, then take three seconds to lower the weight.
Don't work the same muscles two days in a row. Some people do all their exercises in one session and then take a day or more off between their second weekly session. Others do upper body exercises one day and lower body exercises on another—for a total of four sessions a week.

Range-of-Motion Exercises

Exercise goal:

Perform daily, or at least every other day.

Range-of-motion exercises involve moving your joints into various positions and then gently stretching. They're aimed at helping you maintain the freedom of movement you need to stay active. Experts also say these exercises may reduce joint pain and stiffness from arthritis.

Here's an example of one range-of-motion exercise for the knee: Lie on your back. Bend one leg at the knee, and bring it toward your chest. Then, holding onto your shin with both hands, gently flex the heel of your foot toward the back of your thigh as far as your knee allows. Hold for six seconds.

Simple stretching exercises also are helpful for maintaining flexibility, particularly before and after aerobic and strength exercises. Yoga, which emphasizes flexibility and stretching, has been found to help relieve arthritis, too.

Once again, your doctor is the best person to help you set up a flexibility program that safely fits your needs and your particular type of arthritis.

Range-of-Motion Tips:

Move with a slow, steady movement.
Avoid bouncing.

How to Cope with Exercise-Related Pain

Try to exercise at times when you have the least stiffness and pain.
Apply heat to sore joints before you start a workout. Heat packs or a warm shower or bath work fine.
Take aspirin or another pain medicine an hour before exercise to limit swelling.
After exercise, apply a cold pack—or a bag of frozen vegetables wrapped in a towel—on your joints to numb the nerves and reduce pain. Don't use cold packs, though, if you have poor circulation.
Practice stress reduction techniques to relax your muscles—and your mind. These have been shown to help relieve pain. For instance, try tensing and releasing the muscles in your body from your head to your toes.

A little stiffness or muscle pain is to be expected after exercising—especially if you haven't exercised in awhile. However, if you feel any new joint pain or have pain that lasts for more than an hour after exercising, skip your workouts for a few days. Talk to your doctor about your pain and how to best adjust your workout plan.

Putting it all together: Your Exercise Diary