While many of your arthritis patients may cringe at the thought of excessive bodily movement, keeping a strict exercise regimen may help to reduce their symptoms and maintain joint function.
If your patients are struggling to upkeep excellent joint health, tell them to keep the following ideas in mind when they’re working out.
- Stretch it out. Stretching can increase your patients’ range of motion by improving their joints’ mobility and flexibility. Start by moving the targeted joint as far as it can go, and then try to deepen the stretch.
- Use resistance training. Tell your patients to use their own body weight to build muscle. Try lunges, step-ups and push-ups to get their joints moving and improve muscle strength.
- Increase endurance. Aerobic exercise will help to strengthen the heart and lungs and may help to reduce joint pain. However, make sure your patients stick to activities that don’t jar their joints. Recommend water aerobics or elliptical training for a low-impact, vigorous workout.
- Achieve better balance.Strengthen muscles and prevent stiffness through balance-boosting activities like yoga and tai chi.
Help your arthritis patients to understand that maintaining a regular exercise routine, while daunting, may help to greatly reduce the severity of their symptoms. With wonderful summer weather in full swing, it’s the perfect time for them to get outside and get active!
