If you suffer from stiff or achy joints, don’t do exercises that add stress to those joints. You may experience mild discomfort during exercising, but if the joint pain becomes moderate or severe, you should stop performing the exercise and see a physician before resuming it.
People with rheumatoid arthritis should not exercise during an inflammatory episode in which the joints are painful, swollen, red, or hot.
The following adaptations will help person with arthritis benefit from an exercise program without damage to the joints:
- warm up for longer period of time: 15-20 min. to promote flexibility and range of motion
- use exercises of mild to moderate intensity
- exercises should be performed slowly and with good control
- for aerobic exercises, the intensity depends on joint limitations, fatigue and ability to achieve training heart rate
- include aerobic exercises that keep weight off the affected joints, such as cycling, rowing, swimming, or water exercise
- use proper body mechanics – mainly maintain good posture
- include strength exercises to increase muscle tone and functional strength – increased strength surrounding the joints = joint protection
- strength training should focus on joint mobility and range of motion
- use light weight at a resistance of 40-60% of 1 rep-maximum for 15-20 repetitions in each set
- increase the use of isometric exercise, which increase muscular strength and endurance with no joint movement
- if you experience extreme fatigue at the beginning of a session you should not exercise that day; fatigue is a side effect of arthritis
- expect to feel discomfort and painful joint; if discomfort is greater than normal, discontinue the exercise or eliminate that particular movement from the workout
- follow the 2-hour pain rule, which means that you have overexercised if you experience excess joint pain or greater than normal pain 2 hours after your workout
- respect your own limits and find proper balance between rest and exercise
- water exercise – water supports the body, decreasing weight on the hips, knees, ankles, feet, and spine
- the water temperature for aquatic workouts should be 83 – 88 Fahrenheit; warm water helps relax muscles and decrease joint stiffness