Should i exercise with arthritis

Water Walking. Do It Safely: Take a class with an instructor who can teach you proper form. Do It Safely: Learn to swim properly to minimize your injury risk, and choose a stroke that is most comfortable for your joints. For example, your legs are relatively straight in freestyle, making it a good choice for someone with hip or knee arthritis — unlike the breaststroke, which could aggravate pain in these joints.

Bocce is done in a relatively upright position so bending and lunging are at a minimum, says Reyes. Cautions: Holding and tossing the bocce ball might aggravate hand, wrist, elbow or shoulder arthritis. Use clubs with a lightweight, graphite shaft and a perimeter-weighted head for better shock absorption and pull them in a wheeled cart.

To warm up, stand in place and gently rotate your body to the right and left as you pretend to swing a club, says Stuhr. Try a few gentle swings with a light iron and then do the same with your heavier driver. Cautions: Sometimes you have to scale back in order to enjoy the game long term.

If you hurt after a few holes, take a break or stop playing for the day, says Stuhr. Do It Safely: Wear comfortable, non-slip shoes. Cautions: This could aggravate shoulder or elbow arthritis if you push the puck too hard, and knee arthritis if you lunge too deeply. Do It Safely: Start slowly, 10 to 15 minutes at a time three or more days per week for a week or two, increasing duration by five to 10 minutes per week, advises Reyes.

Cautions: Walking downhill can stress your knees. Do It Safely: Adjust the seat height so that when your leg is extended on the down pedal, your knee is slightly bent. If you ride outside, wear padded cycling gloves to absorb shock and avoid handlebars that cause you to hunch over, which increases stress on your hands, wrists and elbows. Cautions: Upright stationary and outdoor bikes can aggravate back or knee problems.

The solution might be a recumbent bike, which supports your back with your legs extended. Do It Safely: A lesson is the best way to learn how to coordinate your arms and legs and how to fall and get back up with minimal strain. Cautions: Not recommended for someone who has moderate to severe arthritis in the upper or lower body.

Do It Safely: Start with minute sessions for the first few weeks, increasing time by five to 10 minutes a week. Begin at the lowest easiest slope and resistance settings. Cautions: If you have balance or coordination issues, this may not be the machine for you. Do It Safely.

Try a one-on-one session with a certified teacher or find a class that addresses arthritis needs. Always move within a pain-free range and work at your own pace. Recent studies found that yoga improves fibromyalgia symptoms and reduces disease activity in RA. Do It Safely: Learn a comfortable resting pose to do in lieu of those that might cause discomfort. If you have severe arthritis, consider a chair yoga class. In the meantime, focus on rest, ice or heat therapy, and anti-inflammatory pain medications.

See Applying Heat vs. Cold to an Arthritic Joint. For example, if your hip is hurting, take a break from walking and try water aerobics for a few weeks instead. See Water Therapy for Osteoarthritis. You can also ease joint pain by using a warm compress on the joint for 10 minutes before you start exercising, and then applying ice for 10 minutes after.

The goal is to "work around" your arthritis pain in order to remain active without making your symptoms worse. If you're not sure what exercise options are best for you, talk to your doctor. A physical therapist can also help you find stretches and exercises that you can do at home to stay active and strengthen your joints without injuring them. So, why not just do it? Pain, stiffness or fatigue get in the way of getting you up and moving.

Plus, if you know how to get started, you can easily overcome your reluctance and get your exercise routine underway! Here are some helpful tips he recommends to make the most of starting and building an exercise routine if you have arthritis. Calabrese typically suggests starting with low-impact aerobic exercise.

Activities such as speed walking, riding a stationary bike and swimming get your heart rate up without beating up your body.

If you prefer more social exercise, ask about options for classes. For example, low-impact aerobics can be a great workout for people with osteoarthritis, but you should probably avoid the butt-burning — and injury-inducing — high-impact variety. Get your plan to do real workouts on your calendar.

To get the maximum benefit from exercise, you need to make time to focus on it. Work with a professional to pick an exercise, then start by doing 20 minutes, three times per week. Over time, as you get more fit, you can try adding more time. If your doctor offers physical therapy as a treatment option, take it.