Ask the average person on the street if exercise is beneficial and they’ll likely say that it is, even if they don’t exercise regularly themselves. Indeed, most of us take it for granted that a program of regular exercise can improve both physical and mental well-being.
But is it safe or even prudent to exercise if you have rheumatoid arthritis?
According to the American College of Rheumatology, it is. People with arthritis who exercise regularly typically have less pain, more energy, improved sleep and better day-to-day function than people who do not exercise.
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“In general, exercises should be low-impact, safe and functional,” says Kimberly Steinbarger, a physical therapist in Bangor, Maine and the academic coordinator of clinical education in the School of Physical Therapy at Husson University. “Anything that utilizes the full range of motion available to their joints, and makes them feel like they are working, without strain, is key.”
Walking, swimming and biking are all good. Gentle stretching exercises like yoga or tai chi can help improve flexibility, strength and balance.
A study by researchers at Johns Hopkins University echoes these findings. The study, which investigated whether yoga was safe and beneficial in people with osteoarthritis and RA, found that participants reported substantial improvements in physical and general health.
During the study, participants attended two 60-minute yoga classes a week for eight weeks, and practiced an additional hour each week at home. Classes were taught by certified yoga instructors who had experience teaching people with physical limitations, and yoga poses were modified to account for any reduced joint mobility or physical restrictions of the participants.
Twenty percent of participants reported improved scores in walking, pain, energy, mood and the ability to complete physical tasks at work and home, compared with a control group who did not exercise.
Importantly, these benefits were still evident nine months after the study’s end.
[See: How to Practice Yoga When You Have Arthritis or Another Chronic Condition.]
“People with arthritis who are considering yoga should discuss with their doctors about which specific joints are of concern,” suggests Dr. Clifton O. Bingham III, a rheumatologist in Baltimore, professor of medicine at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine and one of the study’s lead authors.
“Find a [yoga] teacher who asks the right questions about limitations and works closely with you as an individual, and about how to modify poses to suit your needs,” says Bingham. “Start with gentle yoga classes.”
Apart from general health advantages, research indicates that people with RA can derive specific benefits from exercise.
Exercise can improve cardiorespiratory and cardiovascular fitness and decrease the rate of strokes and heart attacks, one the major complications of RA. It can also slow or prevent rheumatoid cachexia, the loss of muscle mass and strength that occurs in approximately two-thirds of people with RA.
An exercise program can be tailored to address specific issues. For example, a person who has difficulty moving around the home can start by moving from a sitting to a standing position as many times as is safely possible in one minute.
If necessary, you can start by using your hands to help you push up and out of the chair, with the goal of eventually being able to stand up without using the hands. “Then you can increase the number of repetitions,” says Steinbarger, who also suffers from RA herself.
Once that becomes too easy, you can do mini-lunges or squats while holding on to a heavy table or the sink, if balance is not an issue.
Walking is probably the easiest exercise program to start because no equipment is required. People with RA can start walking around the home and progress to outside, slowly increasing distance and speed. “This can be done even if you use an assistive device for ambulation, such as a cane,” notes Steinbarger.
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“Slower gait velocities are a good indicator of fall risk, so gradually moving faster, if it is safe for you to do so, can really help with balance and mobility,” she adds.
Strength training using light weights or resistance bands can help increase muscle strength. However, you may want to check with your doctor or consult a personal trainer first to make sure you don’t have specific problems with the joints of your fingers and wrists that could interfere with strength training.
People who are physically active live longer and are happier and healthier than those who don’t, including people with RA. You can adjust or adapt any form of exercise that you choose in order to accommodate your situation and physical limitations.
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How Yoga and Other Exercises Can Relieve Symptoms of Rheumatoid Arthritis originally appeared on usnews.com
