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When you suffer from arthritis and joint pain, the last thing you may want to do is move around and exercise, but believe it or not, that is the best prescription to keep your joints flexible and to reduce discomfort.
You do not need to leave your home or learn complicated exercise routines to reduce the pain in your joints. The movements that will ease your pain are very simple and can be learned very quickly. It is easy to devise an exercise routine that will keep your joints from hurting and keep them flexible enough for you to go about your everyday activities.
There are three primary kinds of arthritis exercise. They will respectively enhance your flexibility, strengthen your muscles and joints, and maintain your overall fitness level. While each of these kinds of exercise will help your well being, the flexibility movements are the most important in extending your range of motion, which is the amount that a given joint can move in each direction.
Joints that are swollen and painful may take some time to limber up, but if you move them gently and patiently, you can eventually greatly increase your range of motion. A few simple exercises to improve flexibility are hip lifts, lower back rotations, back press and release, elbow bending, arm reaches, arm extensions and finger tip curls.
Once you work carefully with your physician to identify an exercise program that is right for you, try to do it twice daily. Each exercise should be done anywhere from 3 to 10 times. When you’re moving, do it smoothly and gradually. Bouncing or jerking will do much more damage to your joints.
One way that people can help remember to breathe when they do exercises for arthritis is to count the breaths out loud as they are taken. If anything more than moderate discomfort is felt, one should stop exercising immediately.
Many people believe that climbing stairs, getting dressed, cooking, and other similar household tasks will provide the same benefits as exercise. However, while it is important that people with arthritis continue their usual routines, there is no substitute for the types of movements found in exercises specifically designed to reduce the effects of joint pain.
There are three primary kinds of arthritis exercise. They will respectively enhance your flexibility, strengthen your muscles and joints, and maintain your overall fitness level. If anything more than moderate discomfort is felt, one should stop exercising immediately. Swollen and painful joints usually cannot be used to make quick movements. Gradual, gentle motion will eventually lead to increased range of motion and decreased pain. Maintaining daily activities, such as household chores, stair climbing, dressing, and so forth, are an important part of living with joint pain. However, these types of activities are not always enough. Ms. Kinsella, the author, recommends Flex Protex to aid with joint discomfort.
- Maria Kinsella
