While you may worry that exercising with osteoarthritis (OA) could harm your joints and cause more pain! research shows that people can and should exercise when they have osteoarthritis.
In fact, exercise is considered the most effective, non-drug treatment for reducing pain and improving movement in patients with osteoarthritis.
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- Exercise maintains the joint’s full range of motion.
- Exercise strengthens the muscles that support the joint.
- Strong muscles help the joint absorb shock.
- Reduces joint stiffness
- Builds flexibility and endurance.
- Improves your mood and self-esteem.
- Helps you sleep better.
- Keeps weight under control.
- Gives you more energy.
Befor you start exercising
- First, talk to your doctor about the best types of exercise for you.
- It is best to start slowly.
- It’s always smart to start your workout with a warm-up. But people with OA may want go one step further to warm their muscles. Taking a warm bath or applying heat packs to joints may be helpful before you work out.
Best exercises for you
Aerobic exercise strengthen the heart, make the lungs more efficient reduces fatigue and builds stamina, while helping control weight by increasing the number of calories the body uses. Examples of this type of exercise includes walking, jogging, bicycling, swimming or using the elliptical machine.
Free and easy on the joints, it improves circulation , lowers blood pressure and, strengthens the heart. It also lowers the risk of fractures (by stopping or slowing down the loss of bone mass) and tones muscles that support joints.
These exercises help maintain and improve muscle strength. Strong muscles can support and protect joints that are affected by arthritis.
These exercises include gentle stretching and movements that take joints through their full span. Doing these exercises regularly can help improve the flexibility in the joints. and maintain your ability to move your joints through the full motion they were designed to achieve.
Regular aquatic exercise can help relieve pain and improve daily function in people with hip and knee OA.These are particularly helpful for people just beginning to exercise as well as those who are overweight.
water exercises do not involve swimming, rather they are performed while standing in about shoulder-height water. The water’s buoyancy helps relieve the pressure of your body’s weight on the affected joints (hips and knees in particular), while providing resistance for your muscles to get stronger.
Regular yoga can help improve flexibility of the joints, strengthen muscles, and lessen pain. Some yoga positions can add strain to your hips, so if you feel discomfort, ask your instructor for modifications.
Relive your Hip pain
If you have osteoarthritis of the hip, Regular physical activity can help strengthen muscles, improve balance, and make your hip joints more stable.
Balance exercises
Performing balance exercises three days a week can decrease your chances of falling and help you to feel more secure. Examples of exercises that help with balance include:
- tai chi
- standing on one foot
- slowly walking backwards
Exercising an arthritic knee
Exercise doesn’t have to be hard . In fact, gentle, low-impact exercises are best for knee arthritis. They minimize stress on the joint as they increase its flexibility and strength.
low-impact exercises for knee:
The best exercises for arthritis back pain
exercise can be one of the best ways to relieve arthritis back pain.
When considering back pain from arthritis, always Work your posture
Whenever you sit or stand, make sure you exercise good posture. This not only helps align your spine, it also can alleviate joint pain. Good posture places less pressure on joints, so it decreases wear and tear.
Side stretches
Back muscles help protect your spine. It’s important to work these muscles through light strength training exercises to help keep them strong.
A “W” stretch is an easy arthritis-friendly exercise.
Despite all the workouts available, walking remains a tried-and-true form of exercise. Not only is it low-impact for achy joints, it also provides cardiovascular benefits.
Relive Painful arthritis hands
Hand exercises can help strengthen the muscles that support the hand joints. This can help you perform hand movements with less discomfort.
You can do these easy exercises anywhere and anytime your hand feels stiff.
Repeat every exercise a few times on each hand.
- Curve all of your fingers inward until they touch. Your fingers should form the shape of an “O.”
- Hold this position for a few seconds. Then straighten your fingers again.
- hold your hand out with all of your fingers straight.
- Then, slowly bend your hand into a fist, placing your thumb on the outside of your hand. , don’t squeeze your hand.
- Open your hand back up until your fingers are straight once again.
- Place your hand flat on a table, palm down.
- Starting with your thumb, lift each finger slowly off the table one at a time.
- Hold each finger for a second or two, and then lower it.
- Do the same exercise with every finger of your hand.
- Rest your hand on a flat surface, with your plam facing down.
- Move your thumb away from your hand.
- Start with your index finger, move it up and toward your thumb.
- Follow with moving your middle,ring and small fingers one at a time up and toward your thumb.
- Start in the same position as in the last exercise, with your left hand held up straight.
- Bend your thumb down toward your palm. Hold it for a couple of seconds.
- Straighten your thumb back up.
- hold your left hand out with all of your fingers straight.
- Bend your thumb inward toward your palm and Stretch it to reach the bottom of your pinky finger with your thumb
- Hold the position for a fiew seconds, and then return your thumb to the starting position.
- Place the pinky-side edge of your hand on a table, with your thumb pointed up.
- Holding your thumb in the same position, bend the other four fingers inward until your hand makes an “L” shape.
- Hold it for a couple of seconds, and then straighten your fingers to move them back into the starting position.
- To exercise your wrist, hold your right arm out with the palm facing down.
- With your left hand, gently press down on the right hand until you feel a stretch in your wrist and arm.
- Hold the position for a few seconds.
Repeat 10 times. Then, do the entire sequence with the left hand.