Activities to get you moving
Make time for exercise
Adding exercise to your daily routine can be as easy as walking to a colleague's desk to deliver a message rather than sending an e-mail. Martin suggests taking stretch breaks, parking further away from your destination, or simply making more than one trip to the car when unloading groceries. All of these exercises are low impact (meaning they don't exert too much pressure on joints) and may even help shed some extra pounds.
For some, losing weight can help to alleviate aches and pains. "Losing 10 pounds translates into a decrease in stress on the knees by 40 pounds," says Martin. "This decrease of stress could help manage joint pain." Here are some low-impact exercises for arthritis relief, to get you started:
- swimming
- water aerobics
- yoga
- pilates
- tai chi
- walking
Could your joint pain be arthritis?
If your joint pain doesn't go away in two to four weeks consult your doctor. However there are some telltale signs of arthritis that you should watch out for in painful joints, says Martin.
"Inflammatory, or rheumatoid arthritis, usually affects lots of joints and tends to be symmetrical, involving joints on both sides of the body (i.e., both hands, both elbows, etc.). However, if a person is diagnosed with degenerative, or osteoarthritis, this type usually affects a few joints and tends to be asymmetrical (“not matching”) swelling and pain in single joints that are not part of a pair (i.e. one knee, one finger, etc.)."
Pay attention to your body aches
Simply taking medication to manage pain is not enough for chronic joint pain or arthritis and exercising while taking pain medication can be dangerous warns Dr. Bourdon. "The old saying 'No pain no gain' is not true when it comes to your joints. A little soreness or stiffness may be expected from physical activities, but if you have pain or restricted mobility that doesn't resolve itself fairly quickly, consult a health professional."
For more information on joint pain related to arthritis check out Arthritis -- pain relief, treatment and more and 10 arthritis-friendly tools.
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Adding exercise to your daily routine can be as easy as walking to a colleague's desk to deliver a message rather than sending an e-mail. Martin suggests taking stretch breaks, parking further away from your destination, or simply making more than one trip to the car when unloading groceries. All of these exercises are low impact (meaning they don't exert too much pressure on joints) and may even help shed some extra pounds.
For some, losing weight can help to alleviate aches and pains. "Losing 10 pounds translates into a decrease in stress on the knees by 40 pounds," says Martin. "This decrease of stress could help manage joint pain." Here are some low-impact exercises for arthritis relief, to get you started:
- swimming
- water aerobics
- yoga
- pilates
- tai chi
- walking
Could your joint pain be arthritis?
If your joint pain doesn't go away in two to four weeks consult your doctor. However there are some telltale signs of arthritis that you should watch out for in painful joints, says Martin.
"Inflammatory, or rheumatoid arthritis, usually affects lots of joints and tends to be symmetrical, involving joints on both sides of the body (i.e., both hands, both elbows, etc.). However, if a person is diagnosed with degenerative, or osteoarthritis, this type usually affects a few joints and tends to be asymmetrical (“not matching”) swelling and pain in single joints that are not part of a pair (i.e. one knee, one finger, etc.)."
Pay attention to your body aches
Simply taking medication to manage pain is not enough for chronic joint pain or arthritis and exercising while taking pain medication can be dangerous warns Dr. Bourdon. "The old saying 'No pain no gain' is not true when it comes to your joints. A little soreness or stiffness may be expected from physical activities, but if you have pain or restricted mobility that doesn't resolve itself fairly quickly, consult a health professional."
For more information on joint pain related to arthritis check out Arthritis -- pain relief, treatment and more and 10 arthritis-friendly tools.
Page 2 of 2
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