For a person suffering with arthritis, exercise is more than likely the last thing on their minds. If you suffer from joint pain, however, exercise not only helps maintain joint function, it also relieves stiffness and reduces pain and fatigue. What are the two best types of exercise to help relieve symptoms of arthritis?

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A person may think that exercise will aggravate their joint pain and stiffness, however that is not the case explained by the Mayo Clinic.

The site explained: “Lack of exercise actually can make your joints even more painful and stiff.

“That’s because keeping your muscles and surrounding tissue strong is crucial to maintaining support for your bones.

“Not exercising weakens those supporting muscles, creating more stress on your joints.”

Strength training

Strength training helps to build strong muscles which support and protect one’s joints.

Weight training is an example of a strengthening exercise that can help a person to maintain or increase their muscle strength.

It’s important to remember with strength training though that you should try not to exercise the same muscle group two days in a row.

Resting for a day in between will allow the joints to recover and reduce the chances of them being painful or swollen.

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Aerobic exercise

This type of exercising is about endurance and improving one’s overall fitness.

When it comes to aerobic exercising with arthritis, aim for low-impact workouts which are easier on the joints.

Examples include bicycling, swimming or walking.

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Always follow the advice from your GP or physical therapist advised Arthritis Foundation.

The site continued: “In general, range-of-motion exercises should be done every day.

“The weekly recommendation for aerobic exercise is 150 minutes of moderate-intensity or 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity or an equivalent combination.

“This translates into taking a 30-minute swift walk or bike ride five times per week.”

Physical activity is essential to optimizing both physical and mental health and plays a vital role in the management of arthritis.

Regular physical activity helps keep the muscles around the affected joints strong, decrease bone loss and may help control joint swelling and pain.

By doing regular exercises lubrication in the joints are replenished to the cartilage and helps to reduce stiffness and pain.

It’s always important to listen to your body and to not overly exert yourself especially if feeling any pain or discomfort. 

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