3 Guidelines For Proper Osteoarthritis Exercise

Curious as to how exercise can affect your joints affected by osteoarthritis? Interested in finding out what exercises are best for you and what a good exercise program for osteoarthritis should consist of? If you are, then this article is for you.

Can exercise help with osteoarthritis? And if so, what exercises are safe and recommended?

Exercise can improve an existing osteoarthritis condition, as well as help prevent it from forming in other joints not affected by arthritis. Doctors commonly recommend exercise for those suffering from osteoarthritis.

Studies have shown that exercise can help reduce morning stiffness by increasing circulation. Exercise can also increase joint stability by strengthening surrounding muscle and improve a person’s ability to accomplish day to day tasks.

What Exercises Should I Be Doing?

When it comes to osteoarthritis and exercise, there are a few factors to consider when determining what’s best for you. First off, you need to know what you are trying to accomplish.

You want to be able to work your entire body evenly with proper form. You want to strengthen your body while keeping it limber with a good stretching routine.

Most exercises are okay for people suffering from osteoarthritis. When choosing which exercises are best for you, it’s kind of trial and error. If you have arthritis in your knees, running may not be the best idea. A non-impact running replacement, such as biking, may be a good replacement as well as a well-tailored lower body routine.

Remember, exercise is meant to improve your arthritis, not make it worse. If an exercise is hurting you, don’t give up, find yourself an exercise that works that muscle group without pain or discomfort.

What Should My Intensity And Frequency Be?

Your exercise program should start off easy and increase in difficulty according to your progress. It is sometimes hard to find that fine line of how hard you should be training. You should exercise hard enough that you can feel the effects the next day, but not so hard they you are very sore and your day is hindered due to muscle or joint soreness.

Most regular gym members train around four days a week. I have personally found this to be a good number of sessions a week. It is a good idea not to train all four days then take three days off, but rather spread the work-outs throughout the week. It is also a good idea on your days off to have active rest. This means you can still do something active like walking in the park, or a sport you enjoy, but does not mean you can vigorously work a muscle that has not had adequate time to recover.

I usually like to give a well worked muscle about five days to recover before I work it hard again.

Do I Need A Personal Trainer?

For beginners, it’s a great idea to hire a personal trainer. It is always important to have the proper information and instruction when starting any new exercise program and even more important if it is your first time around the block.

Educational videos and articles can help, but nothing beats having an expert by your side making sure everything goes according to plan. It is very easy for people whom are new to the gym or an exercise program to be doing thing slightly different than how they were meant to be done; and improper form can cause major long term problems we want to avoid.

It might be difficult finding a personal trainer with osteoarthritis and exercise experience. You may have to settle for a trainer with little or no experience with arthritic clients, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t going to do a great job.

A good trainer will be able to work around your individual needs regardless of what they may be. Remember to keep your trainer informed as to how you are feeling during and after exercise. That information will help him or her determent what is best for you.

Want to learn more about osteoarthritis and exercise? Or maybe what the best foods for arthritis are? Just click the links and check them out.

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