When you live with a chronic illness such as arthritis, you battle pain and ache daily. It is not easy to deal with, and it can up your chance of getting depressed.
Medication alone will only help the medical part, but for the functionally part, you will need to engage in some kind of activities to strengthen your joints and muscles. According to the Arthritis Foundation, these five exercises seem to be suitable for most arthritis suffers. Before you start, make sure to check with your physician for approval.
Walking
Start out with just five minutes of walking daily, and slowly increase your time. It is suggested to walk at least 30 minutes a day, five days a week.
Walking has many benefits: lower cholesterol, managing weight, controlling blood pressure, decrease the risk of heart attack, lower the risk of stroke, relieve arthritis and back pain, and strengthen muscles, bones, and joint.
Cycling
Cycling can boost up your metabolism level, even if you only do a small amount. It is a great way to improve balance and coordination.
The benefits of cycling include: minimize the risk of heart disease, diabetes, strokes, and cancer. Cycling can also help controlling blood pressure, and building stamina.
Aquatic Exercise
Water support your body since its buoyancy will not pulling you down. Water also massages your body as you exercise.
The benefits of aquatic exercise are: reduce pain, increase flexibility, building strength and endurance for joints, reduce blood pressure, stress, and the risk of injury.
Tai Chi
A series of these slow flowing movements can improve mobility, flexibility, relaxation, and breathing.
The many benefits of Tai Chi include: relieve chronic pain, reduce stress, improve muscle, increase resilience, reducing anxiety and depression, lower blood pressure, and improve everyday functioning.
Swimming
Water seems to bring clarity to the mind and calmness to the body. Swimmers are known to be addicts because all of their body elements crave for the total workout.
The benefits of swimming are endless. Your whole body works as you swim, conditioned your cardiovascular, strengthen muscles, build endurance, flexibility, and lower the risk of injury.
Check out additional information on the Arthritis Foundation website. They offer many exercise programs that can help you reduce arthritis pain and get better control of this disease. Getting fit is the first priority. You may have arthritis, but it does not have you.
May is Arthritis Walk month. Join in this event to mark a new beginning, and enhance the quality of life.
