Exercise can ease rheumatoid arthritis pain



Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) can cause pain and stiffness that makes moving the last thing you want to do.

But staying active is important. Not only is it beneficial for your general health - it's also a way to strengthen your joints, improve your range of motions, and give you the opportunity to take part in the activities you enjoy.

For people with RA, it's best to take a cautious and strategic approach when starting an exercise program. An individualized program - ideally developed with the help of a physical therapist - can help you protect vulnerable joints while strengthening surrounding muscles. A well-rounded exercise program should include each of these elements:

Aerobic conditioning. Exercise that increases your heart rate and breathing rate has many benefits, including lowering your chances of developing conditions such as diabetes, stroke, and heart disease. It's especially important for people with rheumatoid arthritis because they are more people to developing heart disease than people without RA. When choosing aerobic activities, people with rheumatoid arthritis should consider low-impact exercises such as swimming, bicycle riding, and walking.

Resistance training. Weak muscles, whether due to inactivity or to the side effects of medications like steroids, can diminish your stamina and leave joints less stable. Isometric exercises - exercises that involve muscle contractions with no movement, such as clasping your hands and pressing your arms together - can be a great way to start resistance training. When pain is under control, free weights or weight machines are good options for building muscle and increasing strength.

Stretching and flexibility exercises. Joints damaged by rheumatoid arthritis don't move with the same ease or to the same degree (also called range of motion) as healthy joints. That makes activities that lengthen and strengthen the muscles surrounding your joints, such as stretching exercises, tai chi, and yoga, especially important for people with RA.

Balance exercises. Having rheumatoid arthritis can cause problems with gait and balance, leaving you more vulnerable to stumbles and falls. A physical therapist can recommend individualized balance-training exercises. These may include practicing standing on one leg or exercises to strengthen core muscles.





























Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The lowdown on glycemic index and glycemic load

Image
What are the facts about the glycemic load of foods? If you have diabetes, you probably know you need to monitor your carbohydrate intake. But different carbohydrate-containing foods affect blood sugar differently, and these effects can be quantified by measures known as the glycemic index and glycemic load. You might even have been advised to use these numbers to help plan your diet. But what do these numbers really mean---and just how useful are they? Glycemic index vs. glycemic load The glycemic index (GI) assigns a numeric score to a food based on how drastically it makes your blood sugar rise. Foods are ranked on a scale of 10 to 100. The lower of a food's glycemic index, the slower blood sugar rises after eating that food. In general, the more processed a food is, the higher its GI, and the more fiber or fat in a food, the lower it's GI. But the glycemic index tells just part of the story. What it doesn't tell you is how high your blood sugar could go when you
Read more

How to make one-on-one connections

Image
Making friends in your 50s and beyond isn't nearly as easy as it was when you were young. School and work provide the perfect opportunities to meet and interact with new people. Once you've retired, you might not have access to a robust social network. And if friends and family have moved away, your social circle can shrink even more. Yet it's never too late to seek out and develop new friendships. You just need to know where to look for them. The following are a few good places to start: Take up a hobby. Do you like to knit, paint, play bridge, or sing? Join a knitting club, take a painting class, join a bridge group, or audition for a chorus or musical in your area. Whatever your interest, there is likely a club for people who share it. Look to your local high school, colleges, community center, and senior center for programs tailored to your favorite hobbies. You can also try MeetUp (www.meetup.com), which matches people with local groups that fit their interests.
Read more

Daily skin care in 3 simple steps

Image
A widely-advertised facial moisturizer - claims to be the best on the market - and sells for $225 per bottle. Should you buy it? Another brand offers a complete skin care regimen - but it comes in 10 different bottles of lotions and potions that all need to be applied daily. Is it worth your time? Despite manufacturers' claims, many cosmetic products will remove more cash from your wallet than dirt and oils from your skin. You don't need an expensive or lengthy skin care routine - and the good news is, the most effective and reliable regimen is also quick and inexpensive. For daily skin care, you can limit your routine to three simple steps: cleaning your skin, protecting it from the sun, and tending to any specific skin problems you may have, such as dry skin, acne, or fine lines and wrinkles. Products for all three steps are available for very little cost at your local drugstore. 1. Clean your skin. Choose your skin cleanser based n whether your skin is dry or oily
Read more