Arthritis is a condition where the joints become painful and flammable. This is one of the most common disorders of the USA and widely noticed in older adults who are over 60 years and above.
Although there are more than 100 different kinds of arthritis, Osteoarthritis is one of the most common types of arthritis causing debilitating joint pain. Osteoarthritis often leads to physical disability and poor quality of life. It may be hard to believe but experts suggest that regular exercises can do the miracle.
Benefits Of Knee And Hip Exercises For Osteoarthritis
Some of the major risk factors of osteoarthritis are old age and overweight. Even though we cannot alter certain risk factors, yet we can modify our lifestyle and adopt certain changes to lower the risk of osteoarthritis.
Exercises can be dreadful especially when your joints become stiff and begin losing flexibility, but it can lower the joint swelling and pain. But you may worry about what type of exercises can reduce pain and improve movement. First, speak to your physician about the best kinds of exercise for you.
Your doctor might recommend for a warmup before beginning your work-out to loosen your muscles so it can help with your exercises.1,2
Why Warmup Exercises Are Important?
The warmup is something like preparing your body before stretching exercises. This type of activity can increase your body temperature thus eventually increasing blood flow in your muscles. Some of the warmup activities include
Hip Circle- This exercise activates muscles around the hip and makes you stronger faster.
Band Sidesteps: This is one of the great ways to strengthen the hip abductors and increase the MVIC in the exercises.
Torso Rotation Exercise – Torso rotation or abdominal rotation exercises acts as stabilizers and allow side to side motion. This can help improve strength, function, and mobility of the rigid bones.3
Exercises For Osteoarthritis Patients
Exercises are indeed effective to support strong muscles and increase your range of motion and mobility when you have osteoarthritis.
Knee Extension Exercises- Strength training for osteoarthritis can strengthen quadriceps and lower the pain in joint extremities. These exercises create a low impact on lower joints and this includes exercises using stationary or recumbent bicycles and elliptical trainers.
Aerobic Or Endurance Exercises – Most people with knee osteoarthritis will benefit from aerobic exercise because this is structured based on his/her level of intensity. Aerobic or endurance exercises can control your weight and improve your overall fitness. Managing your weight decreases the strain on affected joints. Exercises such as walking, bike riding, and swimming should be in your routine at least thrice a week for 30 minutes.
Range Of Motion Exercises – This is mainly oriented for improving the movement of a specific joint. Ideally, these activities must be performed once per day. Begin for a short time and slowly increase the duration for the amount of movement.
Other Activities For Osteoarthritis
Any movement, no matter how small, can help improve balance and promote relaxation.
Stay Active –Physical activity or exercise can enhance your fitness and decrease the danger of acquiring several diseases. Regular exercise and physical activity promote strong muscles and bones and improve overall health. When people stay active, they feel more energized and speed their recovery from injury or surgery.
Yoga – Practising yoga during flareups is often helpful in calming down the muscles that trigger the pain and ease the joint movements. Yoga is considered as a primary fitness activity that can significantly relieve joint tenderness, lessen pain and improve the range of motion in osteoarthritis.4,5
You may experience pain after you exercise if you haven’t been active for a while. Talk to your doctor when your pain is something serious.
- Benefits of Exercise for Osteoarthritis | Arthritis Foundation https://www.arthritis.org/health-wellness/healthy-living/physical-activity/getting-started/benefits-of-exercise-for-osteoarthritis
- 5 Exercises to Tackle OA Inflammation and Pain – Healthline https://www.healthline.com/health/best-exercises-for-oa-symptoms
- Exercise: Rx for overcoming osteoarthritis – Web MD https://www.webmd.com/osteoarthritis/features/oa-knee-hip-exercises#1
- Exercise helps ease arthritis pain and stiffness https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/arthritis/in-depth/arthritis/art-20047971
- Core Exercises to Relieve Back and Hip Arthritis Pain https://arthritis.ca/living-well/optimized-self/exercise-motion/the-right-exercise-mix
Also Read:
- Osteoarthritis or Wear and Tear Arthritis: Types, Causes, Symptoms, Treatment- Surgery
- Rheumatoid Arthritis (Chronic Inflammation of Joints): Types, Causes, Symptoms, Treatment, Surgery
- Stages and Progression of Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA)
- Exercising With Arthritis
- Self-Care Tips For Osteoarthritis Patients
- Diet Plan for Rheumatoid Arthritis
- Can Rheumatoid Arthritis Be Cured Completely?|Treatment Options For Rheumatoid Arthritis
- Massage Therapy For Osteoarthritis: Benefits of Deep Tissue Massage, Cross Friction Massage
