Your doctor or physical therapist can help you choose the exercises that are best
suited for you. The following types of exercises may offer the most benefits to
people with
RA:
Aerobics
Aerobic exercises may help keep your weight down and improve your overall health.
They also may help keep your lungs, heart and muscles functioning properly. Aerobic
activities engage the bigger muscles of the body in rhythmic and repetitive movements.
Some studies show that these exercises also may reduce inflammation in painful joints.
Good examples of aerobic exercises include walking, swimming, dancing, rowing, aquatics
and bicycling. Daily activities that may provide aerobic benefits include mowing
the lawn, raking leaves, playing golf and walking the dog.
Usually regular moderate aerobic activity for 30 minutes on most days of the week
is best. You can achieve this 30 minutes of exercise either in three 10-minute sessions
over the course of the day or one continuous 30-minute period.
Strengthening
Also called endurance and muscle conditioning exercises, strengthening builds strong
muscles, which can protect and ease the burden on painful joints. Strengthening
exercises may be done with small free weights, exercise machines, elastic bands
or resistive water exercises. Position is important in these exercises because you
can tear muscles and cause even more
pain and joint swelling
if you perform them incorrectly.
These exercises require your muscles to work harder than normal, but the reward
may be stronger muscles that are capable of working longer. Strengthening exercises
usually are done every other day.
Stretching
Also known as range of motion or flexibility exercise, this type of activity may
help relieve stiffness and keep joints flexible. Flexibility may improve functioning
and reduce the chance of injury. Stretching can be done daily, and it is recommended
that you do it at least every other day.
It is appropriate to put joints gently through their full range of motion once a
day and then rest during flares. Your doctor can tell you how long to rest when
you need to do so.