We have gone over why you should exercise to control arthritis, but what are some exercises you can expect?

The types of exercises you focus on will depend on many factors like the type of arthritis, age, and weight. But here are some types of exercise you might see worked into a plan you make with your doctor or physical therapist. These exercise types primarily focus on strengthening muscles, increasing flexibility, and increasing endurance. Oklahoma Pain Treatment Centers lays these exercises into a few main groups.

Strengthing:

These types of exercises focus on strengthening and maintaining the muscles the surround and support your joints. An example of this type of exercise includes weight training. Remember your muscles need time to heal, so don’t work out the same group of muscles (leg muscles, arm muscles, core, etc.) twice in a row. You’ll probably start with a three-days-per-week program, but you’ll eventually only need to work out twice a week.

Range-Of-Motion:

Most of these exercises can be done daily and focus on keeping your joints and muscles free and flexible. These include such exercises as rolling your shoulders back and forth or raising your arms up and down. These are simple exercises that keep your joints supple and loosen stiffness.

Aerobic:

These exercises are designed to increase your endurance and give you more energy. Now, it’s important to note that all aerobic activity is not meant to be kept at an intense running pace. Walking, cycling and swimming are good examples of the kind of aerobic exercise we’re talking about. If you’re wondering what kind of pace to strive for, then go for a pace where you can still maintain a conversation with heavier breathing. If you don’t overdo it, you should be able to do these exercises every day.

There are some examples of exercises to help stave off arthritis’s effects. These programs can work even better with other treatment options. Call Dr. Christensen at Oklahoma Pain Treatment Centers today (405-751-0011).