Osteoarthritis can be a difficult condition to live with. Movement can be painful and mobility a problem. But there are many things that you can do to help yourself and some things that will exacerbate things. In this article we will try to suggest things that can help, as well as things that can be unhelpful.
Should I exercise with Osteoarthritis?
Osteoarthritis affects the joints of the body, and some of the most difficult areas to cope with are when the pain affects the load bearing joints, such as ankles, knees and hips. The first reaction can, therefore, be to limit what you do exercise wise, but actually this can make things worse.
Osteoarthritis often occurs when joints are unevenly loaded, or when joints have limited support, making their movement patterns poor. One of the best solutions to osteoarthritic pain is to exercise and keep the joints strong. Osteoarthritis tends to be self limiting, meaning that if it hurts, you can’t do it. But many forms of exercise are accessible to people with Osteoarthritis.
Strength training using weights, or bands is almost always accessible, though you may want to have a health or fitness professional, such as ourselves, create you a suitable program. High intensity work outs involving jumping, or lunging, aren’t generally helpful and can inflame or irritate the joint.
Water based strength, is again a great way to improve strength in the joints of the lower body especially. Use a pool to do squats, lunges, balancing on one leg and even hopping. The water acts to support the body, giving it upwards buoyancy and this means less force goes through the painful joint, allowing you to perform these exercises without pain. Doing the same exercises out of the water would be more likely to irritate the joint and create pain.
What can I do in the Gym to help my joints?
The isolated gym machines are a great choice for anyone with Osteoarthritis wanting to stay strong. These machines ensure you only use the muscles intended, they are often not done while standing, meaning you feel less pain. You can control the weight easily and build up the strength slowly. In the case of the knees, doing leg extension and leg curls in the gym can really help to increase the muscle strength around the knee. Keeping the knee in great alignment and giving space to the joint.
If you have Hip Arthritis, using the adduction and abduction machines can help with strength around the hip joint. The seated row machines are very helpful if you have spinal pain or neck stiffness. Really anyone with osteoarthritis should make friends with their local gym. If you need a program creating, we are specialists in this area, and can certainly work with you to increase your strength both inside the gym and at home.
If you dislike the gym, all these exercises can be modified to use with resistance bands at home.
What Cardio exercises can I do?
If you have Osteoarthritis you probably won’t want to take up running. Though if you are already a runner, there is plenty you can do to ensure you are able to continue. The way your foot hits the floor really affects how the forces travel up your legs when you run, so altering your running gait may allow you to continue running without creating further issues. We offer a comprehensive service for runners where we can do just this, so do get in touch if you want to run but have osteoarthritis.
However, if you are a non runner, there are still many options available to you. Cycling is a great option as this has minimal impact on the joints, helps to strengthen the legs, as well as giving you a great cardio work out. These days there are all sorts of bikes available for outdoors including recliner, tandem or tricycle bikes.
Within the gym, the cross trainer is the perfect cardio exercise. The foot pads mean you need to keep your legs aligned correctly. There is little to no jarring in the joints, as the cross trainer creates a smooth movement, but you have to generate the movement on these machines by using your leg muscles. This increases your heart rate and has the added benefit of strengthening your leg muscles.
Swimming is another great cardio exercise for anyone with joint issues. There is no jarring of the joints, but swimming uses almost every muscle in the body, so you get a work out for your heart as well as your muscles.
Walking is another useful cardio exercise, though I have left it to last, as if you have severe osteoarthritis, walking can become too painful to complete regularly. If you are able to walk you should absolutely do so, if you are now getting to the point you can’t, come and have a chat with us about our APOS treatment options, as these can give you the strength you need to get walking again without pain.
To sum up, exercise is generally the best solution to Osteoarthritic pain, but it needs to be done carefully to ensure you don’t make things worse. High impact exercise isn’t a great idea but lower impact exercise such as Pilates, Thai Chi or any of the individual suggestions above may actually help your arthritic pain.
Before starting any exercise program it is a good idea to come in and let us assess you fully. This will enable us to create you a training program bespoke to you and your specific pain and difficulties. Get in touch and start getting your body working for you again.
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