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Exercise And Arthritis
Your bones hang out in a lot of joints. Knee joints. Hip joints. The joints in your fingers and the joints in your toes.
Wherever
bones meet, there is also cartilage, a rubbery, protective layer that
ensures your joints bend smoothly and painlessly. But even cartilage
cannot do this tremendous job alone. A thin membrane called the
“synovium” provides fluid that lubricates the moving parts of the
joint. When the cartilage wears out of the synovium becomes inflamed,
the result is generally a case of “osteoarthritis” or “rheumatoid
arthritis.”
In osteoarthritis, the cartilage can be eroded so
much that bone does rub on bone. Thos type of arthritis develops
gradually over a lifetime as a simple result of the wear and tear
placed on your joints over the years. Very few people escape some
degree of osteoarthritis, though the severity varies a great deal.
As
a matter of fact, if you are over the age of 50, you are likely to have
at least one joint affected by osteoarthritis. Osteoarthritis affects
men and women equally and is by far the most common type of arthritis,
with almost 16 million Americans in the list.
In rheumatoid
arthritis, damage to the synovium is at the source of trouble. Doctors
and researchers are not absolutely sure what causes it, but most think
that rheumatoid arthritis is a disease in which the immune system
actually attacks certain tissues in the body, including those that
connect the joints and the synovium.
Rheumatoid arthritis begins
with swollen, red, stiff, and painful joints, but it may progress until
scar tissue forms in the joint or, in extreme cases, until the bones
actually fuse together. Almost 75% of the 2 million people with
rheumatoid arthritis in the United States are women. The disease can
hit as early as teen years.
Exercising Your Prevention Options
Investing
a little time in developing a good weight-bearing low-impact exercise
and stretching plan can add up to great results when it comes to
staving off arthritis pain. Strong muscles help protect the joints from
wear and tear, and the movement keeps joints flexible.
That is
why the quest for fitness is at hand, even if you are 50 years and
over. However, most Americans over 50 are still right where they always
were sitting back and watching others jog by. Most of them contend that
that is just for people who have been athletic all their life, or some
say exercise is for young people and engaging into exercise will do
them more harm than good.
There are still some that insist on
excusing their selves in exercise routines because they do not just
have time or they have less energy than ever before. These are all lame
excuses. Hence, it is time to start to get rid of those pains. Start
exercising.
Consequently, preventing arthritis is not an exact
science, but physicians have discovered a few ways to lower your risk.
Here is how:
1. Do not weight around
The single most
important measure anyone can take to prevent osteoarthritis of the knee
is to lose weight if they are overweight. Extra weight puts extra
stress on your knees. If you are 10 pounds overweight, for example, you
put 60 pounds per square inch of extra pressure on your knees every
time you take a step. That extra pressure can slowly but surely erode
the cartilage in your knees, leading to arthritis.
A study has
clearly supported the theory that weight loss weighs in on the side of
prevention. In the study, overweight women who lost 11 pounds or more
over a 10-year period decreased their risk of developing osteoarthritis
of the knee by 50%.
2. Stretch those muscles
Any kind of
stretching is good as long as you do not bounce, which can lead to a
muscle pull. This is according to some of the professors of clinical
medicine in New York City.
Try to hold a slow, steady stretch
for 15 to 20 seconds, then relax and repeat. It is best to flex up by
stretching before any exercise, especially running and walking. But it
is also a good idea to stretch each day. Ask your doctor to teach you
stretches that focus on potential arthritis trouble spots, such as the
knees or the lower back.
3. Walking is always the best exercise
Take
a good long walk at least three times a week or participate in a
step-aerobics or low-impact exercise routine maximum results. There is
no proof that running is bad for the joints, but remember, it may
aggravate an injury if you already have one. Just remember to check
with your doctor before starting a new exercise program.
The
bottom line is that of all the healthful habits, exercise is the most
important. This is because people are designed to be active. Hence, it
is really important for people to exercise in order to stay healthy and
keep those joints free from wear and tear.
Just keep in mind
that the unexercised body, even if free from the symptoms of illness or
problems like arthritis, is not at its full potential. Hence, start
exercising right now!
Richard
Dowell,
http://Best-Fitness-Program.com
Helping You Find Your Own Fitness Program
Permission granted to
copy/reprint this article so long as the author's credit and website
link are included.
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