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Osteoarthritis: Exercising With Arthritis
There are several types of exercises that you can do to help keep your muscles strong and reduce joint pain and stiffness:
- Aerobic activity
strengthens your heart and lungs and builds your
endurance. For aerobic exercise, you
can:
- Walk outdoors through your neighborhood or on city paths. Or you can walk indoors on a treadmill or at the mall.
- Do water aerobics. You might try walking in water that is up to your waist or your chest (if walking outdoors or indoors isn't comfortable for you). The water helps take the weight off painful joints. And it provides some resistance.
- Swim at your local health club, YMCA, or neighborhood pool. Many locations offer classes designed for people with arthritis. Swimming is a great choice for people with hip or knee arthritis, because water takes weight off the joints while also providing some resistance.
- Bike outdoors or inside on an indoor bike.
- Be more active in your daily routine. Vacuuming, housework, gardening, or yard work can all be aerobic.
- Strength exercises improve and keep the muscles in
your body strong. Strength exercises include:
- Lifting light weights or dumbbells or using elastic tubing. You can use these at your local health club, or you can buy them to use at home.
- Using an exercise machine at home or weight machines at your local health club.
- Range-of-motion exercises help keep you flexible
and prevent more damage to your joints.
Range-of-motion exercises include:
- Stretches that move your joints through their entire range of motion. For example, stretches for the legs include calf stretch, quadriceps (thigh) stretch, and hamstring (tendons in the back of the knee) stretch.
- Exercises that target a certain joint such as the knee in order to improve motion in that joint and prevent more damage. An example of this is a quadriceps stretch to keep your knees flexible.
To learn specific exercises that can help stretch and strengthen your hands and knees, see:
If you have arthritis of the knee, you can try wearing shock-absorbing shoes, wedged insoles, or cushioned shoes to help reduce stress on the joint by shifting weight off of it. Taping the kneecap in a certain position may also help reduce pain. If you and your doctor find that taping helps you, you can learn how to put the tape on by yourself.
If an activity makes you feel sore, try something else. You can also change how you do the activity. Here are some things you can try:
- Rest between each exercise or activity.
- Decrease your speed.
- If you like to walk or swim, go a shorter distance. You might take two or three short walks in a day rather than one long walk.
- Do a shorter workout, then rest and do a little more later.
- Lift less weight.
Ask your physical therapist or doctor
Talk to your physical therapist or doctor before you start an exercise program. Ask what kind of exercise is best for you. He or she can help you learn the right way to do the exercise. Also ask:
- How to exercise if a joint is sore or if a joint is swollen.
- Whether you should take nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) to make it easier for you to exercise or use ice after you're done exercising.
For more information, see:
What to do when your joints hurt
If your joints hurt, try to rest them. Use assistive devices that can help you do your daily activities with less stress on your joints. Your doctor may suggest over-the-counter medicines to help reduce pain in your joints.
Other steps to help get rid of pain and stiffness include heat or cold therapy. You can use heat and cold therapies before or after exercise. It just depends on what works better for you.
For heat therapy, you can:
- Put a warm towel on the joint that hurts.
- Put a hot pack on the joint that hurts.
- Take a warm bath or shower.
- Get water therapy in a heated pool or whirlpool.
Cold therapy may relieve pain or numb an area. Use a cold pack (such as a bag of ice or frozen vegetables wrapped in a thin towel).
It's still important to try to exercise a little, after your pain is relieved. Walking is a great way to stay active. If you have pain when you walk, or if you want to switch back and forth between walking and other exercises, try walking in waist- or chest-deep water, swimming, or riding an indoor bike.
Test Your Knowledge
If your joints hurt, you should not exercise through the pain.
TrueIf your joints hurt, try taking a short rest, using assistive devices to reduce stress on your joints, or applying heat or cold therapy to relieve pain and stiffness. After your pain is relieved, try to do a little exercise, which will help relieve joint stiffness and pain.
FalseIf your joints hurt, try taking a short rest, using assistive devices to reduce stress on your joints, or applying heat or cold therapies to relieve pain and stiffness. After your pain is relieved, try to do a little exercise, which will help relieve joint stiffness and pain.
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Where can you learn more about exercise and osteoarthritis?
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Osteoarthritis: Exercising With Arthritis
| By: | Healthwise Staff | Last Revised: April 8, 2011 |
| Medical Review: | Anne C. Poinier, MD - Internal Medicine David A. Fleckenstein, MPT - Physical Therapy | |
© 1995-2011 Healthwise, Incorporated. Healthwise, Healthwise for every health decision, and the Healthwise logo are trademarks of Healthwise, Incorporated. This information does not replace the advice of a doctor. Healthwise, Incorporated disclaims any warranty or liability for your use of this information. Your use of this information means that you agree to the Terms of Use. How this information was developed to help you make better health decisions.
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