Staying supple

Whether you are old or young, your body needs exercise to keep it supple and healthy. Exercise is the key to feeling good.

Exercise can open doors to:

• increased mobility
• more personal energy
• more enjoyable and active leisure time
• reduced stress levels
• personal weight control
• less risk of high blood pressure
• decreased accident risk
• more restful sleep
• stronger bones
• reduced risk of heart failure
• new friendships.

For people with arthritis, exercise can also:

• keep your joints mobile and reduce joint pain
• increase your muscle strength
• prevent joint deformity
• maintain and increase your ability to perform daily tasks
• increase your general fitness and sense of wellbeing.

A good fitness programme is possible for people of all abilities, sizes, ages and attitudes. It includes exercises for cardiovascular fitness, strength and endurance, and for flexibility.

Cardiovascular fitness

This is sometimes referred to as endurance, stamina or aerobic exercise. It increases the heart's ability to pump blood and the blood vessels' ability to carry blood to the muscle cells.

Muscular strength and muscular endurance

Put simply, with adequate strength you can perform an activity for a short time, but muscular endurance lets you continue for longer. Muscular strength is needed to stand up, muscular endurance is what keeps you standing.

Flexibility

Flexible muscles help you to move your joints, to bend, stretch, and twist easily and safely. Maintaining good joint movement reduces the risk of injury and the possibility of soreness.

A good exercise programme has three parts

Warm up routine

Flexing and strengthening exercises lead to a gradual increase in your activity level. It raises the temperature in your muscles and joints, and safely prepares your heart to work harder with more vigorous exercise.

Aerobic activity

This uses the large muscles of your body in a rhythmical continuous activity. The most effective activities involve your whole body. Walking, swimming and cycling are good examples of aerobic activity.

A cool down routine

A short, five or 10 minute, period of exercise after you have finished a more vigorous activity which helps your body gradually relax again.

If you have arthritis

• Before commencing any fitness programme check with your doctor or health professional that it is an appropriate programme for you. This is especially important if you have had joint replacement surgery.
• Take some time to increase your knowledge about arthritis. Your Arthritis Foundation field officer or a health professional can advise you and there are some good books available to get you started.
• Protect your joints during a 'flare'. It is wise to discontinue aerobic exercise, but it is important to move your joints through a full range of movements each day. Stretch and flex exercises are most suitable when your joints are sore and inflamed.
• Don't use medications to disguise pain when exercising. Pain is a signal you may be overdoing it. Slowing down or stopping when exercise is too strenuous can save you lots of aches and pains.
• If you have sustained a sports injury, arthritis may occur. Although exercise is still essential for good health, check with your health professional that your fitness programme is suitable for affected joints.
• If you feel increased pain, that lasts more than two hours after exercising, try fewer repetitions or leave out the exercise that seems to be causing pain, but don't quit! Always do stretch and flex warm up activities before your aerobic activity and remember to devote five to 10 minutes to a cool down period after vigorous activity.
• Don't overdo your exercise programme. The goal should be to do aerobic exercise most days, stretch and flex daily, aiming to build up your programme over a period of time.
• Choose your equipment and your footwear very carefully. Good quality supportive shoes are essential. They should be correct in length and width with shock-absorbing soles and insoles.
• If you are thinking of purchasing a cycle, rebounder or similar type of exercise equipment, try to borrow one before purchasing just to make sure you know what you are getting.
• Don't be deterred if you don't notice immediate results. Rome wasn't built in a day and miracles are rare. Your arthritis has probably developed over many years so it is unreasonable to expect immediate improvements.
• If you plan to visit the gym, community exercise group or low impact aerobic class, be sure to tell the instructor you have arthritis, and that you may need to modify some of the movements to meet your needs.
• Activities suitable for people with arthritis include dancing, aquacise, cycling, low impact aerobics, swimming and a supervised exercise programme at a gym and walking.

How to get started

• be sensible, choose something that you enjoy, suits your lifestyle, time available and financial situation, will achieve your goals, and is appropriate to your present level of fitness
• start off with success in mind
• set your goals - they can be anything you want and might be to cover more distance, lower your heart rate or to lose 10kg in weight
• get the O.K. from the doctor - it makes good sense to obtain clearance from your doctor before you start vigorous exercise, particularly if you are over 35, and especially if you have arthritis
• choose the time and place to exercise - your exercise programme can be as simple as a brisk walk each day during the lunch break, or you can plan to work out under the guidance of trained personnel at a local health and fitness centre. Remember too, there are many community groups, including the Arthritis Foundation, running excellent exercise and fitness programmes at very little cost. Check your local newspaper, public relations office or Citizen's Advice Bureau
• make a contract with yourself: six to 12 weeks is a reasonable time commitment for a new exercise programme
• make an exercise diary or calendar - put your diary where you can see it and fill it out every day
• start your programme gradually. Start off your new activity for 10 to 15 minutes and work up from there
• for good health and wellbeing, aim for 30 minutes aerobic activity most days of the week. Give your plan a chance to succeed. When it comes to your personal fitness, sticking with it the way you want to makes you a winner!
• review the programme after six weeks - it's your programme and it should be enjoyable. If it's not fun, try something else!
• reward yourself for a job well done when you reach your first goal - then set your next goal with confidence.
• stay with it!  When it comes to your personal fitness programme you can be a winner.

Related topics

What is arthritis? See Arthritis

Original material supplied by Arthritis New Zealand. Reviewed by everybody, July 2005.