Natural Arthritis Pain Relief - By Doing Simple Arthritis Exercises

Treating arthritis is not easy.

Apart from the regular medication, proper diet, rest and
relaxation, doctors also recommend arthritis exercises.
These are specially designed exercises for people with
different types of arthritis. Exercising is a must do for
all people suffering of arthritis because it will help them
increase the flexibility of the joints, increase bone
vigor, muscle strength and energy levels, so they will have
a better control of their weight and a strong heart. But
most of all, exercising will help keep joints completely
movable and will fortify the adjacent muscles. This way,
arthritis sufferers will experience less pain when
performing the everyday activities. So it is fair to say
that arthritis exercises are strongly recommended for
arthritis patients by all the doctors in the world.

But depending on the type of arthritis one person might
have, the doctor will recommend a certain type of
exercises. People should not choose the exercises program
on their own; instead, always ask your doctor what
exercises are recommended for their type of arthritis.
Depending on the severity of the condition and which joints
are affected, the doctor will propose a certain type of
exercising program.

There are three types of exercises: range of motion,
strengthening and endurance. Range of motion exercises, for
example dancing, are the ones that move the joints in all
directions, as far as possible. These are the easiest type
of exercises recommended for all types of arthritis because
they will keep the joints mobile and will prevent
stiffness. Doctors advise their patients to perform a range
of motion exercises every day, or at least every other day.
The number and intensity of exercises can be gradually
increased as the patient gets in shape.

Strengthening exercises include isometric and isotonic
movements. Isometric exercises are the ones that work the
muscles without moving the joints, while isotonic exercises
work both the muscles and the joints. Both types of
movements help with building strong muscles around the
joints that are causing problems. Stronger muscles will
better support the joints, meaning pain will be reduced and
the patient will move more easily. Unless the patient has
swelled joints or severe pains, the doctor suggests doing
strengthening exercises every other day.

Endurance exercises are the ones that improve the
cardiovascular condition by increasing the heart rate for
at least 20-30 minutes. Not all arthritis patients can
perform endurance exercises. Depending on the patient's age
and physical condition, the doctor will recommend or not
endurance exercises and also the type of exercises.
Walking, bicycling or swimming are the best choices because
their joints are not that stressed by these type of
activities. For example, making exercises in warm water
will help in two ways: the warm water will aid by
decreasing the pain and relaxing the muscles, and at the
same time the water will be supporting the body, this way
placing less stress on the joints. Endurance exercises
should be performed three times a week for about 20-30
minutes.

There are also other types of simple exercises that can be
done by all arthritis patients. The every day activities
can be easily transformed into arthritis exercises. In the
morning when you get up and get dressed, try to amplify
your movements, this way the morning stiffness of your
joints will rapidly disappear. Also, take every chance to
do some household activities like: wash the car or do the
dishes because these movements will help decrease the pain
from your joints. When you watch television, during the
commercial breaks get up of your chair and do something;
even small movements burn calories and help you reduce your
weight. You can also park your car a little further away
from office or home as walking will do you good.

Before beginning an arthritis exercises program, always
consult an experienced doctor or a physical therapist. They
are the ones that can advise what exercises are recommended
for specific types of arthritis. They can suggest a
particular type of exercises for inflamed and swollen
joints or certain exercises for particular joints. The
exercising program should be started with easy exercises,
but the difficulty of the movements should be gradually
increased. The patient should also be careful to thoroughly
warm up before starting the exercises and cool down after
finishing the program.

Although exercising is good for arthritis patients,
occasionally some people can get into some uncomfortable
conditions: augmented weakness, constant fatigue, joint
swelling or pain that lasts more than one hour after
exercises are finished. This means that exercises are too
strenuous and the patient should talk to his doctor and
make the necessary changes in his exercises program. After
finding the ideal arthritis exercises program, the only
thing that patients have to do is to strictly follow it and
the improvements will soon appear.