Don’t worry. This isn’t an article telling you now that you have osteoarthritisyou have to give up all strenuous and high-impact activity and invest in a pair of walking shoes. Why give up the things you love when you don’t have to? By making small tweaks to your exercise routine, you can continue to move and groove as you’ve always done. It’s time to exercise smarter and keep your joints healthy and strong. Here's how to exercise with osteoarthritis:
Don’t start cold
Don’t ever start working out before your body is warmed up. Whether you like to exercise before the sun comes up or run outside in the winter, always perform a fewwarm-up exercises to increase blood flood and body temperature. This way, your joints will become more mobile and loose during increased activity.
Switch up your routine.
One of the best ways to increase risk of injury and joint pain is to stick to the same routine day after day, month after month, year after year. Even athletes are prone to osteoarthritis because of the constant wear and tear on their joints. So instead of sticking to the status quo, try mixing it up. Alternate cardio with strength training days or try something new like kickboxing, swimming, yoga or pilates.
Get in the Water
Many adults who suffer from arthritis add swimming or water aerobics to their exercise routines. The buoyancy of the water makes exercises safer because it reduces impact on the joints. It also provides more resistance than air to movement, helping to increase muscle tone and burn more calories.
Incorporate Strength Training
Try adding two to three days a week ofstrength training, 30 minutes for each session. In particular, choose exercises that help support and stabilize your joints. Pilates, band-resistance training, body-weight exercises and core and weight training are all great options for improving strength.
Take a Joint Supplement
Taken together, glucosamine and chondroitin ingredients help reduce inflammation, improve joint mobility and slow the progression of osteoarthritis. Flexify Advanced Joint Support contains chondroitin sulfate and glucosamine hydrochloride.
Rest and Recover
Getting adequate rest and recovery after exercise isn’t good only for those with arthritis: Anytime your body is pushed and challenged physically, it requires a rest period to recover and rebuild. The American College of Sports Medicine recommends taking at least one day of rest before working similar muscle groups again. Repetitive or extensive training without adequate rest and recovery could lead to overtraining syndrome, which increases risks for injury and illness.
Stretch Regularly
Too many people see stretching as an optional part of their workouts. It shouldn’t be. Stretchinghelps increase mobility in joints and flexibility in muscles. It prevents injury, improves performance and even helps you burn more calories.
Back to the Basics
If you’re thinking, “These are basic exercise principles that have been around for a long time,” you’re right! As fitness fads come and go, these old-timers are always relevant. Why? Because they work, especially for those suffering from osteoarthritis. They help protect and strengthen your body — and joints — for the long haul.
