You have joint pain and exercise hurts; but not being active can make the pain worse. Research shows that exercise, physical therapy, and lifestyle changes could keep you active, reduce joint pain, and, in some cases, even slow the progression of the condition causing your joint pain.
A study published a couple of years ago in BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders showed that patients with osteoarthritis of the knee who followed a program which included exercise felt less pain immediately and down the road.
Functional strength training consists of strength, endurance and balance exercises designed to help the movements you make everyday like walking or carrying laundry. Functional strength training is better for joint pain than many traditional strength training exercises. What you want to be doing are exercises that include moving your joints in an active range of motion. Making a large circle with your arm is using a full range of motion. These kinds of exercises can help reduce inflammation. Swimming or getting into a pool, doing yoga or getting on stationary bikes will all help.
The point is to strengthen the muscles in, for example, your joint that bears the weight. So in the example of the knee, biking and left lifts will do just that.
Another study showed that physical therapy can bring pain relief, and may be an alternative to surgery. This study was published in the New England Journal of Medicine
Obesity is horrible for your joints. Every pound you gain equals four pounds on your knees. Think about that if you know you should lose weight but aren’t motivated to.
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