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Exercises That Can Help Arthritis

By: James Bartell Oftentimes people with arthritis find it challenging to perform certain types of exercise. Due to inflammation in the joints it can be difficult to perform traditional types of exercise, such as walking or lifting weights.

Normally, a health practitioner will provide a comprehensive arthritis treatment plan if and when you are diagnosed with arthritis. This plan includes various types of exercise as well as dietary restrictions and benefits. Foods known to increases arthritis symptoms include red meat, food additives, dairy products, and processed foods.

Yoga, tai chi, water aerobics, muscle strengthening, and weight training are the most popular arthritis exercises. Also included are range-of-motion exercises lik dance, and endurance exercises like cycling.

It's best to talk with your healthcare practitioner before starting an exercise program because it's unknown whether a certain exercise routine will aggravate your arthritis symptoms.

Nowadays, most of the major insurance companies provide their members with discounts to health clubs. Some even offer discounts on health products such as exercise videos and dietary supplements. Oftentimes policyholders are not aware of these discounts, so be certain to check with your insurance carrier to see if they offer these types of discounts.

Along with health products, many health clubs offer a 50% discount to different insurance members, and sometimes even offer private personal training sessions. Many personal trainers are well-versed in finding an ideal arthritic exercise program for their clients. Personal trainers are not normally covered by insurance, though, and must be paid by out-of-pocket expenses.

You can also check out the local YMCA or YWCA. These organizations usually offer water aerobics, wchich are gentle and great for decreasing arthritis pain. All it involves are gentle resistance exercises while sitting in a shallow pool.

Regardless of the type of arthritis exercise program you choose, it's important to apply heat to sore joints to help warm them up and allow them to become more flexible prior to exercise. Heat is typically applied for 5 to 15 minutes.

You will want to perform stretch exercises after you apply heat to your joints and before you start your exercise routine. After you complete your exercises, use cold packs to help reduce inflammation on your joints.

It's important to choose an exercise program that you enjoy and one that does not cause you intense pain. If you dislike the form of exercise or if it causes an increase in pain, chances are you will not stick with the program.