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How can exercise help if you have arthritis?

Contrary to popular belief, you can't "wear out" your joints just from doing normal, healthy activities; nor should you stop exercising if you have arthritis.

In fact, keeping the joints as mobile as possible is the best advice that people with arthritis can follow, as it's very important to keep the muscles that support the joints strong and flexible.

"It's very important to keep the muscles that support the joints strong and flexible”

Although the natural temptation for people with painful joints may be to sit around doing nothing, this will lead to increased muscle weakness and more painful joints, as well as low mood.

That's why the Arthritis Research Campaign brought out its guide called Keep Moving, which aims to encourage people with arthritis to do just that, and to offer a few tips and practical pointers along the way.

The pull-out guide gives examples of stretching and strengthening exercises as well as suggesting more general cardio-vascular exercises which will get the heart and lungs pounding and give you lots more energy.

Exercise need not involve equipment, and often the simplest exercises are the best.

• Stretching exercises help ease aches and pains as well as getting the best movement from our joints.
• Strengthening exercises are important because we rely on our muscles to support our joints and keep them in the right position when we move. If muscles are weak, joints can become unstable, and this can be painful.
• Fitness exercises, which can be as simple as walking a bit further or faster than you normally do, or cycling or swimming.

Remember - a few simple exercises can make you feel better about yourself and your arthritis.

www.arc.org.uk

Copyright © 2007 Arthritis Research Campaign

This information has been provided by the Arthritis Research Campaign, a medical research charity that raises funds to promote medical research into the cause, treatment and cure of arthritic conditions, educates medical students, doctors and allied healthcare professionals about arthritis, and provides information to the general public.

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