Many of us middle age adults can agree, at some point, your body just starts hurting. It can be sudden or gradual, but we begin to notice pain in places we didn’t before. What can we do? How do we continue to exercise? Often people’s first reaction is that they should stop exercising to avoid more damage to their joints. But research has shown that regular, moderate exercise is better than no exercise at all even when it comes to arthritis. Exercise can actually reduce joint pain and stiffness, help to build strong muscle around the joints, and increases flexibility.
Starting an exercise program can seem like a daunting proposition. The important thing to remember is to start slow and make it fun. It is always good to start with flexibility exercises, which are basically stretching exercises that will improve your range of motion and help you perform daily activities.
When you have arthritis, you need strong muscles to lessen the stress on your joints. Strengthening exercises can help build your muscles so they can absorb shock and protect your joints from injury, as well as help you get around better. These exercises use weight or resistance to make your muscles work harder, thereby helping them get stronger.
Try to include aerobic activity in your fitness program three to four times each week, with a goal of working in your target heart rate for 30 minutes each session. You can work up to this goal slowly, starting with as little as 5 minutes and increasing as you get stronger and are able.
If you’ve tried exercising before, but were unsuccessful, don’t make a mistake by trying the same way this time. Do something new. Pick activities you can easily work into your day or find a buddy to exercise with. Bottom line just move..it does help relieve pain.