Arthritis and Exercise
Gabe Mirkin, M.D.
When you have arthritis, your joints hurt you wake up, but you
force yourself to get out of bed and as you keep on moving, the
pain lessens. Is your body trying to tell you something when you
feel better after you start to move? Many studies have shown
that bed rest worsens the pain of arthritis, and a strength
training program can help to control it.
Most people with arthritis think they should rest their muscles
and joints, but resting is the worst thing you can do. When you
move around, the cartilage in your joints acts like a shock
absorber. Resting weakens cartilage and increases its likelihood
to break. Resting also weakens muscles so they can’t control the
joints, allowing more wobble of the joints with each movement
and increasing cartilage damage.
People with arthritis should exercise, but they should not jog,
run or engage in sports that cause your feet to pound on the
ground, such as tennis or rope-jumping. When you hit the ground
hard with each step, your foot stops suddenly and the force is
transmitted up your leg to your knees and hips. This force can
break cartilage. Choose an activity with smooth motions such as
cycling, swimming or rowing. You can pedal a bicycle because
pedaling is done in a smooth rotary motion that does not jar
your joints.
People with arthritis should also lift weights because this
strengthens muscles to stabilize joints, and helps to strengthen
cartilage to protect it from breaking. Ideally, everyone with
arthritis should have access to weight machines and be taught
how to lift weights with proper form, in sets of ten, two or
three times week. The combination of a smooth, continuous
exercise and a supervised weight lifting can help protect you
from further joint damage and reduce your pain.
About the author:
Dr. Gabe Mirkin has been a radio talk show host for 25 years and
practicing physician for more than 40 years; he is board
certified in four specialties. For more information and hundreds
of health and fitness reports, visit www.DrMirkin.com If you have
pain in multiple joints or sudden onset of joint pain, read
about reactive
arthritis
