Exercising with Joint Pain

Exercise is crucial for people with arthritis. It increases strength and flexibility, reduces joint pain, and helps combat fatigue. It helps strengthen the muscles around your joints; help you maintain bone strength; give you more strength and energy to get through the day. Though you might think exercise will aggravate your joint pain and stiffness, that’s not the case. Lack of exercise actually can make your joints even more painful and stiff. That’s because keeping your muscles and surrounding tissue strong is crucial to maintaining support for your bones. Not exercising weakens those supporting muscles, creating more stress on your joints. But it is important to talk to your doctor before exercising so he can advise you on types of exercises are best for you and depends on your type of arthritis and which joints are involved. I have been going swimming more this summer plus walking and I can tell a big difference in my pain when I do have it.