Health News
Aerobics for Arthritis
December 15th, 2010
Overview
About 22 percent of adults in the United States have doctor-diagnosed arthritis, the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention reported in October 2010. The pain and inflammation caused by arthritis may limit your mobility and activity level. Aerobics, when performed safely, can improve your current arthritis-management program. Consult your doctor before beginning any new exercise regimen.
Benefits
Aerobics offers many benefits to arthritis sufferers. In general, aerobics will help you control your weight, maintain proper cholesterol levels, improve your blood pressure and decrease your risk of heart disease and diabetes. As an arthritis sufferer, aerobics helps strengthen your muscles and bones, improve your flexibility, and decrease your arthritis pain by reducing inflammation. It can also increase your sense of well-being, allow you to sleep better, improve your energy level and help you cope with your arthritis diagnosis, the Arthritis Foundation notes.
Types
Aerobics can take many different forms. Choose low-impact aerobics, such as walk aerobics, cycling classes, water aerobics, dancing or low-impact aerobic classes. Other beneficial aerobic activities include gardening, brisk walking and swimming. Avoid high-impact aerobics and aerobics that require a lot of twisting, rapid stops and rotations, advises physical therapist Lisa Konstantellis, the section manager of the Joint Mobility Center at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York City. She further encourages all arthritis patients to include five- to 10-minute warm-up and cool-down periods as part of any aerobics session.
Starting Aerobics
The Arthritis Foundation recommends including 30 minutes of aerobic activity into your fitness program at least three to four days per week. Aerobics should cause you to work out at an exertion level of six, on a scale of one to 10, where one equals very little exertion and 10 equals maximum exertion. If you have not worked out before, start out with a five-minute warm-up, followed by a five-minute aerobics session and a five-minute cool-down. As your endurance and mobility increase and your pain level decreases, slowly add time to the aerobics portion of your workout until you can sustain a 30-minute aerobics session.
Precautions
Aerobics may cause soreness and aching in arthritic joints and the muscles around these joints, but should not cause sharp pain. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advise that you contact your doctor if you experience stabbing pain, pain that causes a limp, pain that lasts longer than two hours after exercise, pain that worsens at night, pain that does not respond to your normal pain remedies or increased joint swelling. You can help manage normal soreness caused by exercise by temporarily reducing the frequency or duration of your aerobics, decreasing the impact of your aerobics and wearing properly fitted, supportive shoes.
Considerations
Aerobics is only one part of a quality treatment plan for your arthritis. Consult your health-care team determine what aerobics will provide you with the most benefits. A quality arthritis-management plan includes aerobic exercise, strength-training exercise, flexibility exercise, anti-inflammatory medication and proper diet, explains Dr. Brian Bacot, an orthopedic surgeon at Comprehensive Orthopedic Global in the U.S. Virgin Islands. Without proper treatment, your arthritis can lead to permanent disability.
SOURCE: Hospital for Special Surgery
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