Excise your options

In the not-too-distant past, people with arthritis were advised to avoid exercise. Too much strain on the joints, the thinking went. But now, with a good deal of research behind them, experts are saying not only that exercise is good for people with arthritis but that it’s actually an essential part of a treatment plan for most people. In fact, recent guidelines from the American College of Rheumatology recommend that exercise be a mainstay of treatment for osteoarthritis of the hip and knee. The benefits are believed to far outweigh the risks for most people with rheumatoid arthritis as well.

How exercise helps
For people with arthritis, exercise offers a host of benefits. It helps:

• relieve pain and stiffness
• maintain normal joint movement
• protect joints from further damage
• increase muscle strength and flexibility
• keep bones strong
• control weight, which means less stress on joints
• improve energy levels
• promote sleep
• improve cardiovascular health
• improve mood and overall well-being

Simply put, says the American College of Rheumatology, people who are physically active tend to be healthier and happier and to live longer than those who are inactive. “Many people with arthritis stop exercising to avoid pain,” observes Robyn Stuhr, executive vice president of the American Council on Exercise. “But that leads to a downward cycle where they become less flexible and weaker and have less stamina. Eventually their joints stiffen, and they actually experience more pain.

“Don’t let yourself get into that cycle,” she urges. “A program of regular exercise can make a real difference in how you feel, in terms of both your arthritis and your overall health.”

Planning a program: What sorts of exercise should you include?
“Exercise” doesn’t mean that you have to sign up for a killer aerobics class, says Stuhr. Exercise can include recreational activities like dancing, golf (see box), tennis, pool exercise, and tai chi. In general, though, your exercise program should include a balance of three kinds of exercise: flexibility (stretching or range-of-motion), strengthening (resistance), and endurance (cardio or aerobic) exercises. All are important in different ways, says Stuhr.