Exercises such as walking, yoga, pilates, water sports can help people with rheumatoid arthritis relieve pain and stiffness.
Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic autoimmune arthritis disease, causing an active inflammation, causing swelling, heat, redness and pain. Patients are at risk of disability, damage to many other organs such as eyes, heart, lungs, skin, blood vessels …
The stiffness of the joints can give rise to the mentality of moving, but the patient should try to maintain the movement as much as possible. Exercise brings many benefits for people with rheumatoid arthritis such as reducing pain symptoms, improving joint function, increasing movement range and good for mood. Regular exercise also helps maintain a healthy weight, avoid overweight, obesity – a very common condition in people with rheumatoid arthritis.
Stretch
According to American arthritis organization, stretching can improve flexibility, reduce stiffness and increase the range of motion. Typically, the stretching exercises are moving the joints in the knees, hands and elbows gently, slowly.
Patients should start by walking on the spot or swinging when sitting or standing for 3-5 minutes. Then perform each stretching movement for 20-30 seconds before relaxing. Repeat each stretching movement 2-3 times.
Walk
Walking is a low impact exercise to enhance physical strength, cardiovascular and joint health, as well as improve mood. Patients need to wear suitable shoes, drink enough water even when walking gently. Start at a slow speed, then increase the speed when possible.
Tai Chi or Yoga
Both extremes, yoga combined with deep breathing and flexible movement, gentle posture, meditation. These exercises increase flexibility, balance and range of motion, reduce stress for people with rheumatoid arthritis.
Walking, cycling are exercises suitable for people with rheumatoid arthritis. Artwork: Nguyen Dong
Pilates
Pilates is a low impact exercise to improve flexibility, improve joint health. Pilates postures activate the core muscle, focusing on movements to improve balance. Newly pilates should start slowly and practice with coaches for instructions on proper postures.
Underwater
Water helps to support body weight by reducing gravity, meaning that underwater exercises do not affect the joints much. Swimming, gymnastics underwater and other gentle underwater exercises can enhance flexibility, range of motion, strength and regulate rhythm. People often call these exercises a form of hydrotherapy.
Cycling
Rheumatoid arthritis increases the risk of cardiovascular disease, while cycling can improve cardiovascular function. Patients can ride outdoor bikes to breathe air or ride a fixed bicycle to exercise joints in a safer environment.
Exercise enhances strength
Consolidate muscles to increase the strength of affected joints, and relieve pain and other symptoms. Using resistance wire is a way to challenge the body and build muscles over time.
The muscles grow at different speeds depending on the age, gender and gene of each person. It usually takes a few weeks or a few months of operation and continuous training, the new muscle changes become clear. Some strength exercises such as lifting weights, using a fixed weight training machine, exercising with resistance wires, exercising with body weight such as push and bend.
Hand exercises
Sometimes rheumatoid arthritis can cause patients to limit the use of hands and wrists, causing loss of grip, dropping objects. Fold your wrist up and down, slowly bend your fingers, spread your fingers on the table and squeeze a soft ball that can help increase strength, flexibility in your hand.
Gardening and other activities
Garden -like activities may benefit people with rheumatoid arthritis. The patient avoids bending and twisting, causing lower back pain; Should hip when gardening.
To increase safety and comfort when exercising, people with rheumatoid arthritis should be persistent to achieve results. Can do many different exercises and combine daily habits to avoid overwork in a specific muscle or joint group. Listen to the body, reduce the intensity of exercise when it feels pain and discomfort.
Use the right equipment such as yoga carpets, shoes and support clothes, resistance wires to exercise more comfortably. Refer to physiotherapy experts to help build safe and appropriate exercise habits.