Fitness Article

Make Joint Strengthening Exercises A Part Of Your Schedule To Fight Arthritis.

It is quite essential to incorporate joint strengthening exercises into our daily fitness routine. This is a necessity as they help in keeping health hazards such as arthritis at bay. This condition affects a large number of people every year and results in pain in the joints of the body. As a result the affected people are not able to move their limbs freely and this aggravates the process of aging. Arthritis often gives way to osteoarthritis in older adults. This develops over a period of time due to the wear and tear that the joints undergo. Injury, poor posture and obesity may hasten its development.

People suffering from arthritis should not keep away from exercises. In fact it is more of a necessity for them because exercise, especially joint strengthening ones prove to be a two way street. Not only do they help in relieving a person from joint pains but at the same time minimize the chances of future occurrences of serious pain. At the same time, people who have not been affected by arthritis can keep this condition at an arm’s length by doing joint strengthening exercises.

Let us take a look certain exercises that help in strengthening the joints and in this way prevent conditions such as arthritis from occurring in the first place. .

Start riding a bicycle

Unlike a lot of exercises such as dancing, aerobics, running or walking (however stroll walking or doing a light aerobics is also good and easy on the joints), bicycling is a lot gentler on the joints. It can also be done by people of all age groups. There is also a lower chance of spraining or hurting yourself. If you are not too comfortable with cycling on the track or around your neighbourhood, then you can always invest in a stationary exercise bicycle. In fact, you can make it less of monotony to bicycle in the house by stationing yourself in front of the television. This way you will be occupied and won’t notice the minutes fly by. Alternatively, you could also read a book, magazine or newspaper or simply listen to some nice music when you are pedalling away.

Stretch as much as you can

More often than not, people tend to neglect exercises that involve stretching. However, though they might not really help in losing weight (exercise is not meant only for losing weight or toning up but to keep the body young, fit and healthy) they are quite important because they help in strengthening the joints. Therefore, you must incorporate at least thirty minutes of stretching twice or thrice a week. It will even be more helpful if you could do it for a shorter span of about fifteen minutes every day.

Climbing stairs can be quite beneficial

This exercise is one of the most effective ways of strengthening the joints, muscles and bones of the lower body. The best part about this exercise is that you do not have to get membership in a gym in order to avail stairs. They are available everywhere, in the office, your house and the mall. So each day see that you do your share of stair climbing. And avoid using the elevator or the escalator if you have to go only one floor up. In fact you can use the elevator to get up five floors and then take the flight of stairs in order to reach your destination on the sixth floor.

Go for a swim

Swimming is an excellent exercise for the joints. The free flow of your limbs means that you won’t shock or hurt them unnecessarily. In fact even if you do not want to swim, you can always sit in the water and do some free style exercises such as a cycling motion, leg and arm flap under water. Water usually puts more pressure on your body as a result even the easiest exercise needs a bit of effort. This ensures that you having a good workout. At the same time the cool water lapping against you makes you feel totally relaxed.

Ask your trainer at the gym to help you with advanced levels of joint strengthening exercises

A moderate level of weight training is a good way to strengthen the joints. Some of these would include seated chest presses, leg curls and leg presses among others. Ensure that a trainer is always around to point out any mistakes that you might be making (it is best not to take chances especially if your joints are already weak.

If you are suffering from arthritis prior to starting the above mentioned exercises, then you need to be careful about certain things. To begin with consult your doctor before you start on any new fitness regime. Notify him immediately if you notice pain that continues over a period of time, any swelling in the joints, if you experience an increase in your level of weakness or if you feel fatigued all the time.

In case you think that some of these exercises are just too difficult for you to start with, then you need to gear up your body first by starting with simpler exercises such as stretching to strengthen the joints. And gradually you should introduce higher levels of exercises based on the endurance level of your body. Give your body some time to adjust to the new program and never overdo anything even if it seems easy and light on the body. Strenuous exercise does not necessarily translate into more effective exercise.

Always remember that inactivity is the worst enemy of a healthy body, therefore you should always engage yourself in some or the other activity. And while you are at it, do not forget to pay attention to exercises that strengthen your joints because this will help you to keep aging at bay and win over conditions such as arthritis. It is never too late to start exercising. What we must not forget is that exercise is a preventive measure, and prevention is always better than cure.