Saturday, November 22, 2008

Control Arthritis Through Exercises

By Gary Pearson

Oftentimes people with arthritis find it challenging to perform certain types of exercise. Due to inflammation in the joints it can be difficult to perform traditional types of exercise, such as walking or lifting weights.

As soon as you are diagnosed with arthritis, you will have guidelines that you should follow with regard to your diet and your exercise routine - things you should do and things you should avoid, because there are foods and exercises that can help you keep arthritis in check. There are also foods that can aggravate arthritis and inflammation that you must avoid, like red meat, food additives, dairy products and processed foods.

Some of the most popular arthritis exercises include yoga, tai chi, water aerobics, weight training and muscle strengthening, range-of-motion exercises such as dance, and aerobic and endurance exercises such as cycling.

Before embarking on any type of arthritis exercise program it's best to consult with your healthcare practitioner to be certain the form of exercise you choose will not further aggravate your arthritis symptoms.

Nowadays, most of the major insurance companies provide their members with discounts to health clubs. Some even offer discounts on health products such as exercise videos and dietary supplements. Oftentimes policyholders are not aware of these discounts, so be certain to check with your insurance carrier to see if they offer these types of discounts.

In addition, many health clubs offer up to a 50 percent discount to certain insurance members. The majority of these clubs offer private sessions with a qualified exercise trainer. Many of these trainers are well-versed in helping clients develop an arthritis exercise program suited to their needs. Typically, the cost of a personal trainer is not covered and will be an out-of-pocket expense.

Another option which is rather more cost effective is to join the local YWCA or the YMCA. Water aerobics is a fairly popular activity in such institutions, and it's an activity that helps arthritis a lot. Not only is it helpful, it is also not a fatiguing activity and it is a lot of fun.

Regardless of the type of arthritis exercise program you choose, it's important to apply heat to sore joints to help warm them up and allow them to become more flexible prior to exercise. Heat is typically applied for 5 to 15 minutes.

Once you do apply heat, a few light stretches will get you all set for your exercise routine. Once you are done with the exercise, do some light stretches again and then cold packs to your joints to get any inflammation that might be present back under control.

It's important to choose an exercise program that you enjoy and one that does not cause you intense pain. If you dislike the form of exercise or if it causes an increase in pain, chances are you will not stick with the program.

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