7 Benefits of Exercise for Individuals with Arthritis
Exercise is one of the most effective ways to improve arthritic pain, stiffness, and decreased range of motion in your joints. Arthritis is a chronic, progressive condition that causes inflammation, pain, and stiffness in one or more joints. The goal of an exercise program for those with arthritis is to preserve or restore range of motion and flexibility in affected joints, increase muscle strength and endurance to take stress off of arthritic joints, and increase aerobic conditioning to reduce health risks associated with a sedentary lifestyle. Check out seven benefits of exercise for those with arthritis and our tips for how to exercise safely with arthritis!
Understanding Arthritis
Arthritis is one of the leading causes of joint pain among American adults. Arthritis is a chronic, progressive condition that can cause inflammation, swelling, pain, and stiffness in one or more joints.
The most common type of arthritis is osteoarthritis, which causes the cartilage around joints to break down, causing the bones to rub together and resulting in inflammation and pain. Osteoarthritis most commonly affects the hands, hips, knees, and spine.
Rheumatoid arthritis is another type of arthritis that is caused by auto-immune disease or dysfunction in which the immune system attacks joints, inflaming the linings of the joints and causing swelling. It affects the hands, wrists, and feet initially but can progress to the hips and knee if untreated.
7 Benefits of Exercise for Those with Arthritis
Many with arthritis tend to avoid exercise due to fear of aggravating their symptoms of inflammation, pain, stiffness, and swelling. However, research has shown that exercise is the most effective non-drug treatment for reducing pain and improving movement in patients with arthritis, particularly those with osteoarthritis. Exercise can help reduce symptoms, improve joint motion and function, enhance coordination and balance, and increase strength.
Here are 7 benefits of exercise for individuals with arthritis:
Exercise stimulates joint lubrication. Each joint is surrounded by a synovial membrane, which produces a fluid that allows bones to move past one another more smoothly. Engaging in exercise helps to stimulate the production of synovial fluid, which helps prevent stiffness and keeps joint agile.
Exercise helps reduce inflammation. Arthritis causes chronic inflammation in your joints, causing joint damage and persistent pain. Exercise helps combat inflammation by promoting the release of anti-inflammatory cytokines in the body.
Exercise strengthens the muscles around joints. Both aerobic and resistance training can strengthen the muscles, ligaments, and tendons surround arthritic joints. Strong muscles act like a brace to protect the joint and reduce the stress and load placed on your arthritic joints. Having strong quadriceps muscles in the thigh and strong hip muscles are essential to support an arthritic knee, while strong muscles in the low back can better support your spine and hips, which can be affected by arthritis.
Exercise increases blood flow to joints. Aerobic exercise elevates your heart rate, which increases blood circulation throughout your body and to your joints. Exercise-induced increased circulation brings a steady supply of nourishing oxygen and nutrients to the synovial membranes of your joints, which are essential for joint repair and maintenance. Exercise also triggers a process called autophagy, in which damaged cells in the joint are broken down and removed.
Exercise helps to maintain joint flexibility. Regular exercise can increase range of motion in your joints, which relieves pain and stiffness. Active range of motion exercises and stretching can help maintain flexibility in affected joints and surrounding muscles which contributes to better posture and improved function.
Exercise improves balance and coordination. Balance and coordination training can help reduce the risk of falls that could further injure arthritic joints. Improved balance and coordination through single-leg balance training and dynamic balance exercises enhance your body’s ability to protect and stabilize joints during daily activities.
Exercise promotes a healthy weight. Regular exercise can help you maintain a healthy weight. Excess weight places stress on weight-bearing joints like the hips, knees, and ankles. Exercise can help you lose excess weight by burning calories and building lean muscle mass. Research has shown that losing one pound of weight results in four pounds of pressure being removed from the knee.
Recommended Exercise Programs for Arthritis
The goal of an exercise program for those with arthritis is to preserve or restore range of motion and flexibility in affected joints, increase muscle strength and endurance to take stress off of arthritic joints, and increase aerobic conditioning to reduce health risks associated with a sedentary lifestyle.
Physical therapists are highly qualified to design a customized exercise program for arthritic patients to help them restore function and mobility without aggravating symptoms. A physical therapist can evaluate and test an arthritic patient’s current muscle strength, aerobic endurance, joint range of motion, neuromuscular fitness (such as gait analysis), and functional capacity to complete activities of daily living.
An exercise program for arthritic patients should include:
Aerobic exercise: Aerobic exercise involves working large muscle groups and increasing your heart and breathing rate. Aerobic exercise builds endurance and stamina and strengthens the cardiovascular system. For those with arthritis, it is best to begin with low-impact aerobic exercises like walking, biking, aquatic exercise, or using an elliptical or treadmill.
Resistance training: Resistance training involves using resistance bands, hand weights, or weight machines to build strong muscles to support and protect joints. Strength training helps reduce the load and stress on an arthritic joint and can also reduce bone loss due to inactivity, inflammatory arthritis, or use of certain medications.
Range of motion and stretching exercises: Active range of motion and stretching exercises help maintain flexibility in affected joints and surrounding muscles, which contributes to better posture, reduced injury risk, and improved function. These exercises can also lessen stiffness and helps arthritic joints gradually regain full range of motion.
Balance training exercises: Balance, coordination, and proprioceptive training through targeted static and dynamic balance exercises can help reduce the risk of falls in arthritic patients and enhance the body’s ability to stabilize joints during daily activities.
Aquatic therapy exercises: Exercising in a warm water therapy pool can be very beneficial and safe for arthritic patients, particularly those that are just beginning an exercise program or have severe pain. Exercising in water reduces pressure on joints by minimizing weight-bearing stress and decreasing swelling, which provides temporary pain relief. Aquatic exercise also helps build strength due to the greater resistance in water against your body’s movements than gravity and improve your balance as you can move more easily in water without pain due to the buoyancy of water.
Research has confirmed that exercise can be safe and beneficial for those with arthritis. The FAST Clinical Trial (Fitness Arthritis and Seniors Trial) evaluated the effects of exercise on those with knee osteoarthritis, involving 439 adults aged 60 and older. Participants were randomized into an aerobic exercise, resistance exercise, or control group who did health education. At the close of the trial, researchers found that both aerobic and resistance exercise were associated with significant improvements in symptoms of physical disability, reduced pain, and improved physical performance. Long-term studies have also shown that even for those with inflammatory arthritis like rheumatoid arthritis (RA), exercise can be beneficial, reducing bone loss and RA-associated small-joint damage without increasing pain or disease activity.
Tips for Exercising Safely with Arthritis
When exercising with arthritis, keep in mind these tips to safely exercise without aggravating symptoms and to reap maximum benefits from physical activity:
Before an exercise workout, always warm up, gently stretching your joints and muscles and engaging in gentle range of motion exercises prior to aerobic or strength training. A warm-up pre-workout improves circulation and increases the temperature of your muscles and joins so the body is less stiff and risk of injury is reduced.
Use heat before exercising to relax your joints and muscles and lessen pain 20 minutes before your workout.
Start slow and gradually increase duration and intensity of exercise as tolerated. Do not overdo it and stop if you experience significant pain and rest.
Begin with low-impact exercises such as stationary biking, walking, or exercising in water to minimize stress on your joints while still improving your fitness and mobility.
Vary your exercise routine day to day to avoid joint overuse from repetition, engaging in aerobic exercise one day and strength training the next.
Avoid rapid or repetitive movements on affected arthritis joints.
Take time to cool down after a workout to help return your heart rate to normal. Gently stretch and use ice to address any pain or swelling post-workout.
Work with a physical therapist who can design a customized exercise program tailored to your specific ability, goals and arthritic condition.
