How Arthritis Sufferers Can Feel Better – Exercise

"But I don’t want to go for a walk."

Barbara glared at him, then shook her head. "John, if you don’t get up out of that chair, you’re going to grow into it."

"But I’m comfortable!" John retorted.

"Look," she told him, "…I know you don’t want to, but you’ll feel better after. Really."

John looked at her doubtfully.

"Trust me," she said, and held out her hand.

When you’re fighting arthritis, exercise is often the last thing you want to do. That’s a shame, really, because it’s one of the first things you can do to help your body. Exercise does many good things for you, including:

• It give you energy.
• It helps you sleep.
• It gives you stamina.
• It keeps you fit.
• It helps you stay flexible.
• It strengthens your heart and lungs.
• It lifts your spirits.

A mild workout a few times a week can help you to avoid all kinds of problems. Dealing with arthritis is bad enough; who wants that and bad sleep too? Or any of the other problems that come with lack of exercise? Not you, that’s for sure.

But What To Do?

You may think that arthritis is a reason to not exercise… but the whole point of managing the condition is not letting it prevent you from doing what you want to do, right? So don’t be afraid to break a sweat just because of arthritis. There are ways of working around it. Choose your activities wisely, and you can make arthritis a non-issue. Remember, before you begin any exercise plan, be sure and consult with your doctor to help you stay healthy.

Swimming is a terrific choice, first because it gives you a great full-body workout, and second because it’s very gentle on your joints.

Cycling is another good choice because it is gentle on your joints. They say "it’s like riding a bicycle," and it’s true… once you’ve learned how to do it, you never do forget. Whether your bicycle is stationary or the good old-fashioned rolling kind, use a good quality one, and be safe.

Tai Chi is smooth and flowing and not hard to learn, and once you’ve done it for a while you will discover that it’s not as easy as it looks. Keep at it, though; the benefits are well worth it.

Running is a good choice if arthritis hasn’t affected your hips, legs and feet. If you decide to run, do not abuse your feet… get a good pair of running shoes (your doctor can recommend some) and use them.

Walking is a great choice if running won’t work for you. Again, wear a good pair of shoes, and go at as brisk a pace as you can readily handle.

Weight training can be beneficial, but keep the weights light and the number of repetitions high. If in doubt about how to proceed, talk to a trainer who is aware of your arthritis and get a recommendation.

As always, you should remember to warm up and stretch both before and after exercise. The stretching will increase your flexibility, reduce your risk of injury, and help you to preserve (or possibly even increase) your range of motion.

Ben has been writing articles online for over 6 years. Take a moment and visit one of his current projects which is about the best stainless steel juicer where you can read about the popular breville juice fountain.

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