Osteoarthritis is one of those terms that people automatically associate with aging and increasing joint pain. This is a chronic condition that causes the protective coverings at the end of your bones (cartilage) to wear down resulting in pain and stiffness in your joints, often caused from wear and tear over the years.
Although osteoarthritis is very common once you reach the age of fifty, that doesn’t mean that your health is on a downward spiral. In fact, there are many factors in your control to help minimise the joint pain and to help you maintain your fitness. Below we discuss 4 of the best exercises to try when managing osteoarthritis. These exercises will help you avoid a joint replacement surgery, as well as reduce joint pain, improve fitness, and allow you to continue doing all the activities that you love! Let’s take a look…
Aquatic Exercises
Due to the wear and tear over the years causing the osteoarthritis, you must choose an exercise type that doesn’t place a lot of further strain on your affected joints. Aquatic exercise is at the top of the list due to the weightlessness (buoyancy) one feels when they are in the water. This weightlessness causes minimal stress to the joints but still allows you to build up the muscle supporting your joints, resulting in less pain.
Swimming laps or performing aquatic exercises is also a great way to improve your cardiovascular fitness which involves both your heart and lung function, without having to worry about making the pain in your joints worse. Swimming pools are often heated making for a soothing environment for your painful joints, allowing for temporary pain relief and a comfortable exercise setting.