Health & Well-Being-Got arthritis? Exercise!

If you have one of the seven common forms of arthritis, consider a pyramid of activity and exercise, which can help reduce the pain and inflammation, improve function, and reduce joint damage.

Your individual treatment plan must also include joint protection, medication, physical therapy, education, and possible lifestyle changes, which could include a balanced diet, weight loss, and rest as needed, as well as a program of exercise to strengthen muscles, improve joint range of motion, enhance cardiorespiratory endurance, and improve psychological well-being.

Writing in the May/June issue of the American College of Sports Medicine's ACSM's Health & Fitness Journal, David C. Nieman, DrPH, FACSM, outlines an exercise testing program for arthritis patients.

He advises checking for muscular strength and endurance, aerobic endurance, joint flexibility/range of motion, neuromuscular fitness, and functional capacity.

Based on the information gathered in those tests, the fitness professional can then provide an individualized program for each patient.

The chief goal of an exercise program for the arthritis patient should be to counter the effects of inactivity. Exercise should preserve or restore range of motion and flexibility around each affected joint, increase muscle strength and endurance to enhance joint stability, and increase aerobic conditioning to improve the patient's psychological state and decrease risks of the disease.