Making Exercise Part of Your Life

Exercise is meant to be a healthy habit, like brushing your teeth. Once you've got your therapeutic and fitness routines solidly ingrained into your life, and you feel ready for more, branch out into recreational activities that give you real pleasure. And if you feel up to it, try reclaiming some of those household chores that just got to be too much because of your arthritis. Visit Managing Daily Activities for some great ideas.

If you're working or are contemplating returning to work, all the more reason to get fit. It may seem like a lot to juggle, but very few people with arthritis who neglect their therapy and fitness routines last very long on the job. It's a tough issue that you can explore in more depth by visiting the Arthritis News archives. Look up a three-part series of articles called 'Arthritis and the Workplace.'

Finally, as you embrace a full, active life again, remember: Recreational and household activities can't replace your therapeutic exercises, which are designed to correct specific problems your arthritis is causing you. They're the foundation that makes all the rest possible.

The Choice Is Yours

Everyone has their own way of approaching exercise. Choose strengthening and endurance activities that you enjoy in settings you enjoy whether they be indoor or outdoor, winter or summer, alone or in a group. Whatever gets you motivated: walking, swimming, gardening, cross-country skiing, chasing butterflies, painting the garage.

Make a list of fitness activities you really would like to do - even if some of them may seem a little farfetched for now. Research has shown that programs that focus on performance objectives rather than on pain-reduction are more likely to succeed in counteracting the impact of arthritis.

Next do a little research in your neighborhood about community resources: exercise classes, aquafitness, mall walking, and so on. If you want to start your search now, check TAS Programs to learn more about exercise options available in your part of the country. Once you've decided what mix of activities you want to do and what programs are available locally, it's time to build the components of your program.

To learn more about specific range-of-motion, stretching and strengthening exercises for all your body's major joints, be sure to visit Selecting Joint Exercises for Arthritis.

This page was last reviewed/updated on : 02/23/2008