Exercising when you have arthritis is very tricky, but it is possible. There are three main types of exercise that can benefit those that suffer from arthritis: range of motion, endurance/cardiovascular, and strength training exercises. These are great for improving the everyday lives of those that have this issue, and most people can do them with ease. However, it is not something that comes naturally to most people, and for this reason, it is important that you exercise in an intelligent manner, and even consult your doctor in many cases.
Sometimes, exercise can minimize arthritic pain, and this alone makes the difficulty of exercising well worth the effort. It strengthens the muscles and bones around arthritic joints, and this can take much of the pressure off of affected areas. It definitely doesn’t solve the problem, but it makes moving around much easier, and this essentially means that although the arthritic joints are still being impacted, there is less noticeable pain and fewer symptoms. The arthritis is still there, but it’s not in the limelight like it was before. It makes life far easier because it’s no longer at the forefront of the minds of those being affected.
There are about 50 million people in the United States alone that have doctor diagnosed arthritis, according to the Arthritis Foundation. Some estimates say that this number will go up to 67 million by the year 2030. That’s a huge number of people, and it is a problem that needs to be addressed. And because of the fact that exercise is such an important part of overall health, having something like arthritis have such a negative impact upon the lives of otherwise healthy people is mostly unnecessary. Arthritis is not a fatal illness, nor does it have a negative impact upon important indicators like blood pressure and cholesterol. But when things like exercise are sacrificed as a result of the disease, this is exactly what ends up happening. Unfortunately, a nonfatal disease like this can lead to obesity, heart disease, and major health problems when this occurs.
If you have arthritis, it’s important that you speak with a medical professional before starting any new exercise routine. Exercise can and will help, but you need to approach it intelligently.When exercise is done incorrectly, you can get hurt, and that completely defeats the point of doing it in the first place, no matter how well intentioned things might be. If you have a trained caregiver, having them learn how to effectively supervise and monitor exercise routines can increase your safety, too. Above all, remember that pain during exercise is not a good thing. You may have heard the phrase, “no pain, no gain,” but when it comes to things like strength training in the elderly, that’s not true. You’re not doing this to gain a bodybuilder’s physique, but rather to improve your quality of life. If you experience pain, check in with your physician to make sure that you are doing things right and get advice on how to approach this better.
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