If you have been told you have osteoarthritis or joint inflammation/arthritis, you may worry that exercising could harm your joints and cause more pain. However, research shows that people can and should exercise when they have osteoarthritis. Exercise is shown to be the most effective non-drug treatment for reducing pain and improving movement in people with osteoarthritis.
Speak with our doctor or physiotherapist about exercising with joint arthritis and the specific exercises that best suits your condition.
Three kinds of exercise are important for people with osteoarthritis: exercises involving movement, also called flexibility exercises; endurance or aerobic exercises; and strengthening exercises. Each one plays a role in maintaining and improving your ability to move and function.
There are also exercise using tools such as Ball, Resistive band, Weights, Loops and more that can help you reduce the force on the specific body part or apply force and work on muscle strengthening better.
Flexibility: Range of motion refers to the ability to move your joints through the full normal motion which your joints were designed to achieve. When you have joint arthritis, pain and stiffness make it very difficult to move the joint, which can make even the simplest tasks challenging. An example is shoulder pain and raising your arm to get dressed.
Range of motion exercises includes gentle stretching and movements that take joints through their full span. Doing these exercises regularly( ideally a couple of times every day) can help maintain and even improve the flexibility in your joints.
Cardio/Aerobic: These exercises strengthen your heart and make your lungs and breathing more efficient and reducing fatigue, so you have more stamina throughout the day. Aerobic exercise also helps control your weight by increasing the number of calories your body uses. Furthermore, this type of exercise can help you sleep better and improve your mood.
How much aerobic exercise should you do? Current guidelines suggest 150 minutes of moderate-intensity (fast walking) aerobic exercise per week, or 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity aerobic(running) exercise per week, or a combination of moderate and vigorous exercise.
Strengthening: Strong muscles can support and protect joints that are affected by arthritis. Strengthening exercises help maintain and improve your muscle tone and strength. In our physio session, we prescribe suitable strengthening exercises for you to do on your own pace at home.