Senior Fitness: Exercise helps ease arthritis pain and stiffness
Flexibility and Body Mobility Exercises like stretching and yoga are also important for people with arthritis to eliminate joint stiffness. Doing daily flexibility exercises helps maintain range of motion so you can keep doing everyday things like household tasks, hobbies, and visiting with friends and family. Balance Exercises like walking backwards, standing on one foot, and tai chi are important for those who are at a risk of falling or have trouble walking. Do balance exercises 3 days per week if you are at risk of falling. Balance exercises are included in many group classes. Ask your program specialist which balance program is right for you. What about Pain? It's normal to have some mild pain, stiffness, and swelling after starting a new physical activity program, however, use the 2-hour pain rule from the Arthritis Foundation: If something increases your pain 2 hours after the activity, you have done too much. Scale back and slow down.
An effective exercise program should contain a variety of activities with the intention of improving overall strength, endurance, balance, and function. It’s important to add variety into a program to minimize overuse injuries and to maximize overall success. Some of the following elements should be considered: Endurance and Cardiovascular Improvement Low-impact movement activities do not put stress on the joints and include brisk walking, cycling, swimming, water aerobics, light gardening, group exercise classes, and dancing. Muscle-strengthening Exercises include lifting weights, working with resistance bands, and yoga. These can be done at home, in an exercise class, or at a fitness center.
Source: CDC (CDC.gov), Arthritis Foundation (Arthritis.org)
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