Arthritis is a condition that affects the joints. This painful condition makes the joints inflamed, and in a few cases, also causes degeneration of the joints as well. Arthritis can affect all the joints around the body.
Since joints play a crucial role in movement and mobility, those suffering from arthritis then have an extremely hard time being mobile.
Other symptoms of arthritis include pain in the joint and peripheral area, alongside tenderness, swelling, and redness of the joints. Arthritis can be very challenging to live with. There are, however, some ways, that you can improve your symptoms.
Alongside following the regimen set up by your Orthopedic Surgeon, you can also take up exercise to improve the signs of arthritis.
Benefits for exercising for arthritis
Exercise helps in keeping the joint moving and thus helps in preserving the range of motion of the joints. In some cases, exercise can also help in improving the range of motion.
Furthermore, exercise helps in improving circulation, which then facilitates in increasing the delivery of the nutrients to the joints and also aids in the removal of the waste products from the joints.
Forms of useful exercises
People suffering from arthritis cannot do all forms of exercise. Moreover, the aim of exercise, amongst other things, is to improve the symptoms of the disease. Hence, there are a few specific exercises that are especially beneficial for them. These include:
Endurance exercises
These exercises help in increasing your heart rate. Alongside improving heart health, endurance exercises also increase physical strength, so help in making your muscles stronger. All this then helps in improving your arthritis symptoms.
These should ideally be done 3 times a week. However, endurance exercises cannot be performed by those suffering from certain types of arthritis, like rheumatoid.
Exercises for improving range-of-motion
Easy to do, exercises that help in improving range-of-motion involve light stretches that aid in keeping the joints moving. Stretching also helps in making the joints mobile and less stiff. And most importantly, these exercises are ideal for improving the range-of-motion, that arthritis has a grave impact on.
These exercises should be done every day for maximum impact.
Strengthening exercises
These exercises help in making the muscles stronger. Since muscles support the joints, therefore, it helps in the movement of the joints.
Tips to do exercise
Exercise helps in improving the symptoms of arthritis, and certain tips can help in improving the impact of exercise.
Start gradually
It is imperative that you slowly build your stamina. Starting off with too much at the start will overwhelm your body. It can also aggravate your symptoms of arthritis as well. Therefore, build your regimen gradually.
Do not overdo it
Exercise is not easy, so it is natural to be out of breath and slightly out of your comfort zone during the routine. However, make sure not to overdo it.
A sign of pushing yourself too far is extreme pain during exercise or pain that does not recede after the exercise. In such cases, you need to listen to your body, and take the regimen down a notch.
Joint becomes hot to touch
If your joint becomes hot or warm to the touch, then it is a sign from your body that you need to stop exercising, and not just in the moment, but take a few days to break. Get back to it when you feel better.
Be careful about your motion
Your motion should be in-line with your breathing. If your motion is not smooth, and jerky instead, it can then stress your joints. Thus, make sure that your movement is not hard on your joints. Remember, the point is to improve your symptoms and not aggravate it.
Do it regularly
The key to improvement lies in being regular. Therefore, do the stretching daily, and regularly exercise otherwise. You should work with your Orthopedic Surgeon in devising an exercise plan that best fits your condition.
