De-Conditioning another Key Issue of Arthritis

One of the biggest problems arthritis sufferers must battle is not moving around a lot because you anticipate pain. This is easy to understand, you want to be still and not move the painful part. With osteoarthritis you need to move. If you don’t move, muscles become weak and joint lubrication decreases. When muscles become weak and joint lubrication decreases, arthritic pain becomes worse. Move! Swim! Dance! Walk the Mall! Walk the dog! Get up, get out and move! 

Movement is the best thing you can do for your muscles, joints, your mood and perception of pain. Movement will make muscles and tendons stronger and more supportive. The longer you go without using a painful joint the more difficulty you will have getting it to move again without pain. So, if you have not been moving around much, start out slow but move and keep moving.

Here are a number of suggestions for activity made by the Arthritis Foundation:

• Stretch your legs to keep joints and muscles flexible and keep your calf muscles strong and flexible. 

• Take a hike—choose your favorite spots and make plans to walk them at least once a week. Walking is the ideal exercise for most people with arthritis—it burns calories, strengthens muscles and builds denser bones all without jarring fragile joints.

• Listen to your favorite music—it can lighten your mood and may even help you forget your pain for a little while. Make a tape of your favorite upbeat tunes and listen to it when you need a lift.

•  Exercise in water--the water’s buoyancy reduces wear and tear on sore joints. 

•  Sign up for a class that makes exercise fun, for example: country line dancing, ballroom dancing, swimming, Yoga or Tai chi.

•  Play in the dirt—buy seeds for three of your favorite vegetables or flowers and plant a garden.

•  Have a good laugh—read a book of jokes, rent a funny movie or watch your favorite sit-com or stand-up comedian

•  Play it safe in the sun: wear sunglasses, a hat and sun screen as some types of arthritis and certain arthritis medications can leave you more vulnerable to the sun’s harmful rays.

 
You can contact your local chapter of the Arthritis Foundation (www.arthritis.org or 800-568-4045) or other organization (http://aarp.org) to get plugged into activities available in your community.