If you’ve been diagnosed with arthritis, exercise and physical therapy may be the furthest thing from your mind. However, arthritis exercises are one of the best things you can do to relieve joint pains and aches. The exercises that work best for you will depend on the type of arthritis you have, and the joints involved.

Arthritis Exercises – Can You Reverse Your RA?

Arthritis is a chronic condition so it’s likely to stay with you for life. While arthritis exercises exercise cannot reverse arthritis, they can slow its progress and make you feel better in yourself.

Exercise can help manage symptoms of this condition by strengthening the muscles around your joints. Aerobic workouts help you maintain heart and bone strength. What’s more, exercise improves your sleep, helps you lose weight and is great for your overall physical and mental wellbeing.

Elderly man sitting on a chair smiling with a woman behind doing arthritis exercises to regenerate damaged nerves.

The best exercises for arthritis are stretches and gentle movements to increase your flexibility. Low-impact aerobic exercises such as walking or swimming are beneficial. Everyone is different, so you will benefit from focusing on joints that are causing you problems.

Hand and wrist exercises, knee exercises, stretching out your elbows and rolling your shoulders are common focus points/exercises. By sticking to a regular exercise plan, you should expect to see satisfying results.

Can Exercise Make Arthritis Worse?

If you push yourself too hard and strain yourself, you risk making arthritis pain worse. That’s why gradually introducing arthritis exercises into your daily life is best. A physical therapist can show you how to ease yourself into a new exercise regime and stay safe.

Variety is key here – doing different arthritis exercises reduces the risk of muscle and joint overuse, which could aggravate symptoms. On days when arthritis symptoms and pain are worse, you could lower the intensity of the exercise or shorten the exercise time.

Always warm up with gentle stretches, make sure you have suitable equipment such as comfortable shoes, and stay hydrated.

Can Arthritis Exercises Relieve Pain?

If you don’t do enough exercise, your joints can become even more stiff and painful. Keeping your muscles and surrounding tissue in good shape is vital for maintaining support for your bones. Lack of exercise weakens those muscles, which puts added strain on your joints and makes pain worse.

Arthritis exercises, when done correctly and at your own pace, increase your flexibility, build strength, and reduce flare-ups.

Here at Haym Salomon Home For Nursing & Rehabilitation in Brooklyn, our trained therapists offer the highest quality of care to those with rheumatoid arthritis. We have lots of experience in helping patients with different levels and types of arthritis. In addition, we personally assess our clients and offer tailored arthritis exercises and physical and other rehab therapy to suit their needs.

Do contact us if you would like to find out more about care services and rehab therapy. Feel free to walk in to talk to us and things for yourself. We are here to answer any question and concern you may have.

This content comprises informative and educational resources only and can not be considered as a substitute for professional health or medical guidance. Reliance on any information provided in this article is solely at your own risk. If you have any inquiries or apprehensions about your medical condition or health goals, talk with a licensed physician or healthcare provider.