Most arthritis patients live in a dilemma of whether they need to minimise their joint movements or increase them. Although your joints hurt when you do some physical activity or even move around, researchers feel it’s the best thing to do, as it helps in maintaining a better blood flow & also keeps the joint warmer. Another advantage of better blood flow is that in addition to the joint, it also decreases the chances of dementia.
Excessive weight is one of the major causes of arthritis & joint pains with other causes being genetic problem, old age, injury, illness etc. So, regular walking, mild exercises not only help keep the joints better but also help in losing excessive weight. It’s always better to start your day with some walking or warm up exercises as it reduces body stiffness & helps in controlling muscle & tissue related injuries. So, if you are eager to sort out your joint pain problems, here are few things you can do to start off in the right direction.
1. The simplest & most effective exercise which does not require any training, equipment or much effort is walking. It helps keep the body warm, maintain good flow of blood & also helps reduce weight by burning extra calories.
This being a low impact activity takes less effort & provides good results. Swimming, especially in salt water is also good for the joints as it gives a soothing effect & protects against extra force. Another useful exercise is cycling, uses low effort & is very effective in burning calories, improving flow of blood & keeping the body fit. In case you don’t have the time, will to go for cycling outside, you can always pick a recumbent cycle which provides almost same results. It’s very effective in exercising & toning muscles of thigh & back.
2. Make sure that the exercises or activities you select are steady & do not involve random movements, start-stop steps etc. This is important as such activities usually take their toll on joints, especially in case of people with arthritis. Tennis is believed to be a very effective exercise & is good for people of all ages. However, it’s important to go slow & not stress your joints much. Tennis tournaments for aged people act as a great source of motivation & you can test your skill in such a tournament. You can also try skiing as it not only helps burn calories but also helps keep joints in good shape.
If you are looking for indoor activity, you can browse through options like elliptical machines & similar products which are convenient to use & provide good results without the risk of causing injury.
3. A major requisite to keep your joints healthy & problem free is to keep your muscles fit, toned & injury free. Muscles hold the joints in place & help in various body movements. So, it is important to keep them in good shape as healthy muscles prevent any stress building on joints & drastically reduce chances of joint related problems. Proper exercising of muscles helps in avoiding joint problems & pains. One should mainly focus on muscles of legs, back & hands as they involve maximum movement in day today activities. Healthy & toned muscles can help in pain & problem free lifestyle.
With the help of these simple techniques, one can avoid serious problems related to arthritis & drastically minimise joint pains. Its important to make these simple tips part of your daily lifestyle so that you can avoid arthritis related problems in later stages of your life. In addition to these, there are more ways to keep yourself fit & avoid problems arising out of arthritis.
