Those who suffer from osteoarthritis may be due to a joint that is not exercised, like any other Another organ in the human body that is rarely used tends to deteriorate.
In contrast, a joint that is exercised a lot and often without punishing it, is kept in better shape. For this reason, it is always recommended to people who have osteoarthritis that they exercise them carefully to stop their pain.
Physical activity helps to slow down the deterioration of the joints, reduces discomfort and allows us to feel much better. Nevertheless, when they tell us that we should exercise and that physical activity is beneficial, on many occasions we wonder exactly what type of exercise you need to do.
We are invaded by many doubts, about what is the best exercise that doctors advise, if aerobic activity is better or it is better to do bodybuilding exercises, if it is necessary to do sports every day or just three days a week will suffice. We will answer all these questions in this article.
Benefits of physical activity
Physical activity strengthens the muscles and tendons, allowing the body to better withstand the joint shocks caused by exercise. On the other hand, When a fall occurs, a well-muscled joint is always better protected.
Exercises You Can Do When You Have Osteoarthritis
Here we tell you what are the best exercises that can be done when you have osteoarthritis.
- Simple exercises relieve stiffness and maintain the movement of the joint, you can make movements in the shoulder drawing a circle, without forcing.
- You can also do exercises that maintain tendon flexibility and muscle strengthsuch as swimming a walk, aerobics, cycling, and even some resistance exercises using elastic bands.
- It is necessary to always consult the doctor when you have to carry out an exercise program so that it cannot endanger your health.
What is better aerobic exercise or strength exercise?
The best strength exercises to treat knee osteoarthritis are those that strengthen the quadriceps muscles that precisely support the knee joint.
If done correctly, manages to reduce the pain of osteoarthritis by 20%. This benefits the patient by allowing them to improve their physical condition, which is why it is best to perform exercises of aerobic physical activity such as swimming, cycling, or walking. Interestingly, when strength exercises and aerobic activities are combined in the same session, the benefit is less than when they are performed separately.
When the two activities are combined, less time is spent on each and this reduces your benefits. Although it could also be that the two types of exercise affect the joints differently so they interfere with each other.
While waiting for the reason to be clarified, the research results suggest that they want to combine strength and aerobic activitiesIt is preferable to practice them on different days than on the same day.
More frequent exercises or more intense exercise
Three sessions per week have been found to offer more benefits than one or two. Also, vigorous physical activity has not been shown to be better or worse than moderate activity.
Walk and walk
It is the safest and cheapest activity, Walking is something that everyone does, it does not require any physical training and it is possible that this exercise is very beneficial for all those who suffer from arthritis.
It helps to exercise the muscles of the legs and it reduces pain and disability of the affected joints.
Tai chi
Tai chi can be a very beneficial exercise to do when we have arthritis, just like aquagym or water gymnastics.
Tai chi is originally from China and is characterized by slow and fluid movements that, apart from benefiting us, can improve our balance, strength and control of our own body.
Older people who practice this sport, helps them to stay better psychologically, and improve their health in general. It also reduces the risk of falls. In people with osteoarthritis, it reduces pain and improves joint functions. What's more, has the advantage that if you start practicing at an earlier age, you can avoid the pain suffered by suffering from atritis.
Gymnastics in the pool
As for aquagym, it improves the flexibility of the knees and hips, as well as muscular strength and aerobic capacity. Improves the ability of the joints and that benefits they are kept for three months after the last session.
Types of exercises to avoid when we suffer from osteoarthritis
In the same way that we can know the best exercises to treat arthritis with exercises, we must also take into account what are the exercises that we should not do under any circumstances because it could be counterproductive for our body.
- Exercises that can traumatize more than one joint should be avoided that is already fragile. But it is possible to continue practicing a sport regularly as long as it is practiced in a reasonable way, make sure you have the right technique in the gestures and a good quality material.
- It is preferable to avoid sudden changes in the intensity and duration of the exercises, is one of the most common causes of joint injuries.
- Physical activity should be progressively ended, you should finish the exercise with a stretch, and at the beginning, you should also warm up before starting the stretch.
- It is preferable to avoid sudden changes in the intensity and duration of the exercises, because this causes more joint injuries. It is also imperative to progressively begin and end joint injuries.
- Sports that cause repeated injuries can also accelerate cartilage wear. when practiced intensively, gymnastics, classical dance or hockey. Back pain may be caused by activities such as skiing or horse riding.