With arthritis, knee joints can be painful and may frequently ache. Fortunately, exercise can help you to relieve pain and improve your mobility. While moving a stiff joint may sound counterproductive, health professionals agree that movement can help to reduce arthritic knee pain.
If you suffer from arthritis pain in the knees, exercise can alleviate joint stiffness; build endurance and flexibility; remove joint stress; strengthen muscles around the joints so your body will be able to better support and protect knee joints; and improve overall fitness.
People with knee pain due to arthritis can begin with 30 minutes of exercise, three times per week. Types of exercise that tend to benefit those with arthritis include walking, swimming, cycling and yoga. Even if you cannot do a full 30 minutes, we can make suggestions about how to break your exercise routine down into smaller, more manageable, parts. Even brief bouts of movement and exercise can keep the joints fluid and healthy.
The mood benefits of exercise are particularly important for people who suffer from arthritic knee pain. Coping with reduced mobility and pain can be depressing, which means that when exercise releases endorphins, nature’s “feel good” chemicals, you feel more positive.
Although exercise has many benefits for arthritic knee pain, you should still use caution. If you experience pain after exercising, it probably means that you did too much. If that occurs, ice your knees while making sure you take time out to rest.
Exercising under our guidance is important to prevent injury and ensure that you avoid excessive, strenuous activity. In this way, you can reap the benefits of exercise while relieving pain and feeling better about yourself.
Published by Pyramid Physical Therapy & Pilates, 4939 De Zavala Rd, Suite 103, San Antonio, TX 78249. This article is general information, not a diagnosis. If something hurts, come get it looked at.
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