What is the best exercise for arthritis relief?

Arthritis is a disease characterized by inflammation of one or more joints in the body. It can be accompanied by redness, increased skin temperature, pain and restriction of movement.

Similarly, according to the portal Cinfasalud, from Spain, other common signs such as fever, fatigue, loss of appetite or weight loss appear. According to experts, there are many types of arthritis, but the most common are osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis (RA).

The former occurs with age or after trauma or other injury to the joint, while the latter is an autoimmune disease that occurs in young adults in which the body’s own defenses attack the lining of the joints.

Information from the Spanish healthcare company Sanitas ensures that if arthritis becomes a chronic disease, which is common in older people, treatment focuses on controlling symptoms, especially pain, and improving functionality or preventing it from worsening further .

One of the best ways to ease the discomfort of this disease is exercise, as it increases strength and flexibility, reduces joint pain and helps fight fatigue, according to the research institute Mayo Clinic.

Moderate exercise can relieve pain and help maintain a healthy weight, which is also important for relieving discomfort. Experts say that with a good exercise program, it helps to strengthen the muscles around the joints; help maintain bone strength, provide more energy, control weight, improve quality of life and balance.

Lack of exercise can make your joints more painful and stiff. Lack of physical activity weakens the muscles that support your bones, which puts more stress on your joints.

Aerobics

The indicated exercises depend on the type of arthritis and the affected joints; however, they are generally favorable. One of the recommended practices is aerobics or resistance, which improves general physical condition. For example, it contributes to the health of the cardiovascular system, helps control weight and gives a person more stamina and energy.

Examples of low joint impact aerobic exercise include walking, cycling, swimming and using an elliptical machine. The ideal, experts say, is to perform 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise per week. It is recommended to divide this time into blocks of 10 minutes so that the joints do not suffer.

“Moderate-intensity aerobic exercise is safest and most effective if you do it most days of the week, but even a few days is better than doing nothing,” he says. Mayo Clinic.

How to take care of joints?

To take care of your joints, it is important to start your movement little by little without demanding too much because the muscles can become overworked and worsen joint pain. The experts from Mayo Clinic make the following recommendations:

– Keep the impact low. Low-impact exercise, such as stationary or recumbent bikes, elliptical machines, or water exercise, helps reduce stress on your joints as you move.

– Apply heat. The heat can relax your joints and muscles and ease the pain you had before you started. Heat treatments should be warm or warm, not so hot as to cause pain, and should be applied for about 20 minutes.

– Move carefully. Joints should be moved gently first and then begin with range-of-motion exercises for five to 10 minutes before moving on to other strengthening or aerobic exercises.

– Go slow. Perform the exercises with slow and light movements. If you feel pain, it is important to rest. Sharp and stronger than usual pain in the joints can mean that something is wrong. The intensity should be reduced if swelling or redness of the joints is observed.

– Put ice afterwards. Apply ice to joints for up to 20 minutes as needed after activity, especially if it has caused joint swelling.