Exercise For Arthritis- Fitness Exercises For Arthritis

Regular exercise is desirable for keeping your joints healthy. Your joints will remain more mobile if you move them daily. People who are suffering from arthritis should make it a point to exercise their joints regularly so as to effectively control the disease. The bone and muscle strength of Arthritis patients can be increased by doing exercises specially meant for the purpose of treating Arthritis. However, it is still advisable to consult your doctor before beginning with any of the exercises. The article lists down some exercise for Arthritis and explains how to go about it. Read on to know fitness exercises for arthritis.

Fitness Exercises For Arthritis

Cervical Flexion And Cervical Extension: Cervical flexion includes bringing your chin to your chest and cervical extension implies looking up to the ceiling. Tuck your chin in and bring your head forward gently. Make an attempt to make your chin touch the chest. Now, bend the head backwards and let it go as far as it can. You need to repeat this exercise as many as five times. People who suffer from pain in the back of their neck will benefit a lot from forward head flexion.

Lateral Flexion: Try to bring your right ear to your right shoulder as far as you can. Take care not to rotate or turn your head while doing this neck stretch. Now, bring your left ear close to your left shoulder. Repeat if for five times for bringing relief.

Rotation Of The Cervical Spine: In this exercise you have to stretch your head to the right as far as you can while trying to bring your chin over your shoulders. Make sure that you don’t bring up your shoulders when you do this exercise. Hold the same position for about 3-5 seconds. Now do the same with the left side of the neck and repeat the exercise for 5 times.
The last part of the neck stretching exercise involves standing on your feet apart. Keep your hands behind your back. Bend from side to side but don’t bend with your waist and hips. Just bend with the upper back area. After holding the movement for 3-5 seconds, do the same thing with the left side.

Stretching Exercises

Stand two feet away from the wall to stretch your calves. Place both your hands on the wall and lean towards it. Keep your back straight and feet flat during the exercise. Keep the same position for about 10-20 seconds. Then, relax your body and do it again.
To stretch your hamstrings, lay flat on your back. Now, bend your knee and bring your thigh back and hug it with the chest. Hold it for 20 seconds at the point where you feel tension in your back. Then, release your body and go for the other leg.
For the upper body, stretch the upper body muscles. Stand and hold your arms right in front of you for up to 5 seconds. Now, relax your body and repeat the exercise for 10 times. Then, stretch your arms behind you so straight that your shoulder blades meet. Hold the position and count till five. Repeat the exercise 10 times.

Other Exercises

Walking: Walking is an excellent exercise, which can help bring relief to people who are suffering from arthritis. It helps in maintaining joint flexibility and strengthening the bone.

Yoga: Yoga relaxes stiff muscles, relieves pain, eases sore joints and improves the range of motion. However, caution should be observed while doing yoga, when the disease activity is flaring. Putting excess pressure on the joints should be avoided at such a time.

Warm Water Exercise: Warm water provides support to the body when the joints are moved to their full range of motion. Such exercises help build strength and ease stiff joints as well.

Cycling: Both indoor and outdoor cycling helps in arthritis. Cycling equipment can be adjusted according to individual physical limitations. It is a good low impact exercise option.

Running/Jogging: Jogging or running on softer surfaces proves yet another effective exercise for arthritis.If you have arthritis in your lower extremities walking or other gentle forms of exercises is a better option.

Tai Chi: Tai chi can be described as a gentle form of martial arts exercise, which originated in ancient China.Itsfluid and flowing circular movements help improve the range of motion.

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