Arthritis is the swelling and tenderness of one or more joints. It is an autoimmune, inflammatory and chronic disease. The disease, depending on each person, swells and causes pain when touching or straining one or more joints.
Among the symptoms is also stiffness, so the conditions can be intensified depending on the severity. Also, It is one of the main conditions that impact older people.
The most affected joints are the wrists, hands, feet, spine, knees and jawaccording to the National Institute of Health of the United States (NIH, for its acronym in English).
One of the most frequent causes of this disease is the deterioration of the cartilage that protects the joint, which prevents friction between the bones and provides smoothness to movements. Nonetheless, Not all arthritis is the same, so they require different treatments.
More women than men suffer from arthritis, especially rheumatoid arthritis. Other known types of arthritis are: osteoarthritis, thumb arthritis, juvenile idiopathic arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, reactive arthritis, septic arthritis, ankylosing spondyloarthritis, fibromyalgia, gout and osteoarthritis.
Regarding the treatment of this condition, it is possible to resort to medications prescribed by the doctor, surgery (in severe cases) and lifestyle changes. Regarding this last aspect, you can do exercises that reduce pain and inflammation.
In fact, the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) listed some advice with which it is possible to enter the exercise when suffering from arthritis:
Why perform physical activity with arthritis?
Although you should be careful not to perform activities that involve the effort of the joints, it is important that the body is in movement as this can relieve pain and therefore improve quality of life.
The recommended activities in which it is not necessary to put pressure on the joint area. Among the recommended walking, cycling and swimming. This will also help treat conditions like diabetes or heart disease.
How much physical activity to practice?
It is necessary to adjust the pace of physical activity depending on the symptoms of arthritis. But even if the pain is intense, it is better to do some exercise than to do nothing. In this case, it is better to consult an expert, since he will take into account the condition and what practice to do so that the joints are not affected.
How to exercise regularly?
- Start slowly. First, perform exercises that are not very intense and for a short time. Then, increase the intensity and the minutes in which it is done. You can start with five minutes a day and gradually increase from there.
- Modify the exercises that are performed on those days when the pain is intense. You should not stop doing physical activity, just adjust it for arthritis symptoms.
- Perform exercises that do not involve straining the joints. As stated, the recommended ones are walking, biking, swimming, and sometimes dancing.
- Recognize the places where each person feels comfortable to be active. Safety is also important when choosing a location, for example, that the surface is even, that there is good lighting and that there are no obstacles that could cause injuries.
- Before starting and during the development of the disease, go to the doctor to resolve any doubts you may have.
What types of activities to do?
The CDC stated that exercise is best focused on low-impact aerobic activity. To obtain health benefits, over time, you must have at least two hours of the activities mentioned above.
It is also important to strengthen the muscles by lifting weights and stretching to increase flexibility.