Arthritis Exercise
One Way to Relieve Pain & Stiffness in Your Joints (part 2)
By Shelley Hitz
Even when you cannot make it out to walk or to an
aquatics or yoga class, there are exercises you can do daily to improve
flexibility, strength and conditioning when you suffer from arthritis.
You can flex your legs while sitting in a chair facing
forward, simply by moving your leg outward while keeping your foot
on the floor and holding it there for a few seconds, then retracting
it until your foot is behind you, then alternating to the other leg.
Interlocking your fingers and slowly flexing your wrists to the left
and the right for a few minutes a day can help tremendously to increase
flexibility and reduce pain in the wrist area.
For your upper back, you can stand upright in front
of a table, then lean over and place your hands on the table and tuck
your chin back toward your collarbone. Once positioned as such, lift
your upper back upward and simultaneously take a deep breath. Hold
that position for 5-10 seconds and then relax while exhaling. While
doing this, lower your spine slowly as you move both shoulder blades
forward as if toward each other. Repeat this exercise for 10-15 repetitions.
For the shoulders and middle back, start again from
an upright position standing as straight as you can, reach back and
lock the fingers of both hands together. Breathe slowly and deeply
and lift upward with your shoulders while at the same time, exhaling.
Be sure to keep your chest up and your chin in. Repeat this for about
10-15 sets.
For the shoulders and upper chest, choose a free corner
of the room to stand in and place your hands on the opposite sides
of the corner. Take a step back about 18 inches from the corner. You
now should be facing the corner directly with your hands on both of
the walls with your body some distance from the wall itself. Keeping
your chest up after inhaling, lean in toward the corner while exhaling.
Repeat this exercise for 10-15 sets.
Whatever exercise program you choose, be sure to breathe
properly when exercising. Oxygenation is important to any exercise
regimen as it promotes a healthy heart rate and reduces fatigue; additionally
oxygenation helps circulation, which is vital to achieving the flexibility
and strength that you are trying to achieve in battling arthritis.
Also, listen to your body. It is natural to feel a
little fatigue and soreness when starting a new exercise regimen,
However if the pain of soreness persists for more than one hour, or
you have a decrease in mobility that lasts longer than an hour, then
the regimen should be reduced until the soreness desists.
Also, look for signs of increased swelling of joints
or any persistent increase of weakness; these are signs of activities
that are too strenuous and a reduction in activity will be necessary.
Just remember to take all new exercise regimens slowly at the start.
The idea is to increase flexibility not train for the Olympics.
Written by Shelley Hitz, Licensed Physical Therapist
and Certified NASM Personal Trainer. If you have arthritis, she can
design an online exercise program for you! Contact her today at http://www.onlinefitnesscoach.com
or sign up for her FREE Exercise Advice Journal at http://www.abs-exercise-advice.com/journal.html.
