We all know that physical activity is good for us, but exercising when you have osteoarthritis has some added challenges. There are 32.5 million adults in the U.S. living with osteoarthritis, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. That's a lot of people who have to consider the dos and don’ts of exercising with osteoarthritis.
Osteoarthritis, which is also the most common type of arthritis, is what happens when the cartilage (a type of connective tissue) in a joint starts to break down, changing the bone. It can lead to pain and stiffness. Some physical activities you did in the past may become hard or impossible to do.
Key Takeaways:
Osteoarthritis is a degenerative joint disease that can make exercise and daily activity painful or difficult, but certain exercises can actually help with the symptoms. Low-impact cardio activities like swimming can be great for people with osteoarthritis because they put less stress on the joints than high-impact activities like running and jumping. Other strengthening exercises like hip bridges, mini squats and clamshells can help reduce pain and improve joint flexibility and stability.
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Even with best intentions, you might face these challenges when exercising with osteoarthritis:
These challenges are based in physical changes due to the osteoarthritis, but there are things you can do to regain your strength and stability.
For example, if you have knee osteoarthritis, weakness in the muscles that support the knee might make you feel unstable while........