Exercise to relieve pain, by Kelly Turner of Grounded Fitness
And here is the second half of the Grounded Fitness blog team. Please welcome Kelly Turner as she discusses exercise and arthritis.
Exercise to Relieve Arthritis Pain
When I tell people i am a personal trainer, their first question is usually, “so you scream at people all day and make them run until they throw up?”
Only sometimes.
While I do work with a lot of in shape individuals, the majority of my clients are older women with health issues (injuries, back pain, scoliosis, etc.) looking to either maintain or improve their quality of life.
Exercise isn’t just about gaining muscle or losing weight, it is also a great pain reliever.
Arthritis is a joint condition that makes everyday tasks more difficult and very painful. Exercise can not only alleviate a lot of the pain, but it can also help improve the afflicted joint’s range of motion, prevent further deformities, reestablish coordination, and improve functional capabilities.
If you have arthritis and are looking to start a fitness program, you need to consult with your doctor and/or physical therapist first, as there are certain things you need to keep in mind:
1) Avoid exercising during acute flair ups, as it will worse your condition, (no pain, no gain does not apply here.)
2) You will need to stick to low impact activities such as swimming, or using a rowing motion or recumbent bike to avoid putting extra stress on the joint.
3) You will need to extend both your warm up and cool down to ease the joints into and out the exercise.
4) Isometric exercises (exercises where there is no joint movement, such as pushing against a stationary object) to strengthen joint structures and surrounding muscles while placing the least amount of stress on the actual joint.Don’t ever let pain or a physical ailment keep you from staying active and healthy. Most of the time, in even the most severe cases, those with medical issues can benefit from a few simple exercises everyday.
Now go run until you throw up. NOW!
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