Strength Training for Arthritis Pain
Your knees or hips or back are stiff and sore and sometimes hurt with certain movements, so why would you want to strength train or do other types of exercise? Simple: Exercise is crucial for people with arthritis of all kinds because it:
- Increases strength and range of motion
- Reduces joint pain
- Helps combat fatigue
- Keeps your muscles and surrounding tissue strong, supporting your bones
- Helps with weight loss or maintenance, in turn putting less stress on your joints
- Improves balance
- Helps you sleep
- Eases depression
Not exercising weakens those supporting muscles creating more stress on your joints. When you move more throughout your day, you’re increasing the lubrication in your joints, increasing your fitness level so everything is easier to do!
For best results, attend a class specific for arthritis. A warm water class can be a great way to start; ideally find a qualified trainer to create a program for your specific needs. Other tips:
- It is important to start slowly, and warm up with some range of motion exercises for your joints.
- For strength training results you should strength train two times a week, with an exercise for every major muscle group. Just don’t do this two days in a row. Give your body a recovery day.
- Train at a time of day when your symptoms are better and keep impact activities low. It may help to use some heat prior to exercise and ice afterwards.
- Progress slowly in intensity and/or duration. This is key!
It is very common to have muscle soreness as you adapt to the exercise but you should not experience sharp pain. If you have a flare up, take a rest day or do an activity that is low impact, shortening your duration and/or intensity.
Exercise is one of the best treatments for arthritis. Starting with light cardiovascular activity and easing into strength training will help reduce inflammation that causes pain. You may think exercise will aggravate your joint pain but that is not the case. It is the lack of exercise that can make your joints even more stiff and painful.
