Diseases And Conditions

Nick Mutt asked:


Exercise is an important treatment in normalizing blood glucose level in type 2 diabetes as well as in type 1 diabetes. It is also important to know the type of exercise diabetics should undertake that involve minimizing the risks and at the same time deriving maximum benefits to normalize the blood sugar and giving good health. There are mainly three types of exercises – aerobic, anaerobic and stretching exercises.

Aerobic exercises – Aerobic exercises require increased amount of oxygen for prolonged period of time. They are beneficial to both the respiratory and circulatory systems of the body. This involves prolonged, repetitive use of large muscles of the body, which increase the body’s need of oxygen. These aerobic exercises are brisk or fast walking, jogging, swimming, cycling and skipping. These exercises help improve cardiovascular fitness.

Anaerobic exercises – Exercises which are of short duration like weight lifting and sprinting that is short distance but top speed running. They strengthen the muscles but are of little help to the cardiovascular system. These exercises are out of bounds for the people with diabetes, as many dangers are involved to them.

Stretching exercises – The stretching exercises are designed to strengthen the joints in the body and to improve their flexibility. They include the activities like yoga. They are useful as warming up or getting prepared for a more strenuous and prolonged period of exercise and also at the end as a cooling down exercise. They are also helpful to the joints and muscles of the body.

These exercises improve blood sugar regulation by increasing sensitivity to insulin, so that the body makes the optimum use of insulin. They also give an overall feeling of well being. The diabetic can select any of the following exercises involving aerobic activities like walking with moderate speed for about half an hour, jogging, if desired and possible, but one has to be cautious; cycling – stationary or outdoor and swimming.

While doing any of the above exercises, it is advisable to have 5 minutes of stretching exercises, both before the start of the exercise and at the end.

Disclaimer: This article is not meant to provide health advice and is for general information only. Always seek the insights of a qualified health professional before embarking on any health program.

Copyright © Nick Mutt, All Rights Reserved. If you want to use this article on your website or in your ezine, make all the urls (links) active.

Are you looking for Hair loss remedy? Get effective Female hair loss treatment. Also find useful Male hair loss treatment to prevent hair fall in men.

John mathew asked:


Diabetes means that your blood glucose (also called blood sugar) is too high. Your body uses glucose for energy. But having too much glucose in your blood can hurt you. When you take care of your diabetes, you’ll feel better. You’ll reduce your risk for problems with your kidneys, eyes, nerves, feet and legs, and teeth. You’ll also lower your risk for a heart attack or a stroke.

People with diabetes are encouraged to exercise regularly for better blood sugar control and to reduce the risk of cardiovascular diseases. The reason for this is that muscles which are working use more glucose than those that are resting.

Muscle movement leads to greater sugar uptake by muscle cells and lower blood sugar levels. Additional benefits of exercise include a healthier heart, better weight control and stress management. There are some exercise precautions which people with diabetes must take, however, when done safely, exercise is a valuable aid to optimal health.

Exercise, along with good nutrition, helps decrease body fat, which helps normalize glucose metabolism. Also, exercise helps ower coronary risk factors like high blood pressure and high cholesterol.

Cardiovascular training should be the foundation of the exercise program. Aim for at least 20 minutes of sustained activity three to five days per week. If one suffers from loss of sensitivity in the feet, avoid exercises such as prolonged walking, jogging or step exercises. Better choices for cardiovascular exercise would be swimming, bicycling, rowing, chair exercises and other non-weight bearing activities. Fluid intake is important during exercise, and especially so with cardiovascular activity and the diabetic exerciser. Consider a high-glucose sports drink like Gatorade or fruit juices over water, which can help keep blood sugar from going too low. Drink fluid before, during and after exercise.

Aerobic exercise

Since many Type 2 diabetics are sedentary and overweight, low-impact exercise such as walking or stationary cycling is recommended, along with enough exercise to promote weight management. Their goal should be to exercise five times per week, up to 40 - 60 minutes per session at a moderate intensity. This level of exercise can be reached gradually, starting as low as 10 - 20 minutes a few times a week for a person who has never exercised. Remember to increase only one factor at a time (days per week, length of session, or intensity).

Flexibility exercises -

Flexibility exercises, also called stretching, helps keep joints flexible and reduces the chances of injury during other activities. Gentle stretching for 5 to 10 minutes helps the body to warm up, as well as get ready for aerobic activities.

Remember: Exercise is powerful therapy — so powerful that you shouldn’t try it without a little professional guidance. (After all, you’d never start taking extra-strong diabetes pills without your doctor’s okay.) Your doctor can help you fit exercise into your overall health plan. You may need to adjust your medications, carry snacks or drinks, or tweak your diet to help prevent hypoglycemia (low blood sugar). This can happen to people with Type 2 diabetes, but it’s much more common for people with Type 1. If you have this type of diabetes, you’ll have to work especially closely with your doctor to find the right balance of exercise, diet, and medications.

peterhutch asked:


Exercise is an important treatment in normalizing blood glucose level in type 2 diabetes as well as in type 1 diabetes. It is also important to know the type of exercise diabetics should undertake that involve minimizing the risks and at the same time deriving maximum benefits to normalize the blood sugar and giving good health. There are mainly three types of exercises - aerobic, anaerobic and stretching exercises.

Exercise is a vital part of the management of diabetes. All diabetics should aim to make exercise a part of their daily routine. Exercise can help to improve the quality of life for diabetics. But there are some safeguards to consider before you start an exercise regime. It is wise to consult your health professional before you begin. This would be true for anyone, but it is especially so for someone who suffers from diabetes.

That means that intense exercise can help to both prevent and treat diabetes. The most tissue damage occurs immediately after eating when blood sugar levels rise the highest. After you eat, sugar goes from the intestines into the bloodstream. The only places that sugar can be stored are in your muscles and liver. When your muscles are not exercised, they are full of sugar and sugar has no place to go after it enters your bloodstream.

Aerobic exercise, commonly referred to as cardio, raises the heart rate and the breathing rate while working major muscle groups. Cardio burns blood sugar and stored fat, and is recommended by most doctors for their diabetic patients. Dancing, swimming, aerobics, tennis, basketball, and bicycling are all forms of aerobic exercise. Cardio offers all of the benefits mentioned above, and is especially important for diabetics.

Exercises like jogging, swimming, fast walking and cycling are good for diabetics. These exercises help to keep cardiovascular system in good condition. These exercises should couple with stretching exercises as warming and cooling down exercises. A typical exercise session should consist of: 10 minutes of warming up exercise of stretching type; about 20-30 minutes of aerobic exercise and finally 5 minutes of cool down and stretching exercise.

A regular exercise program can help the body respond to insulin and is known to be effective in managing blood glucose. Diabetes types exercise can lower blood glucose and possibly reduce the amount of medication one needs to treat diabetes. Some are even able to eliminate the need for any medication. With exercise, one can also improve the circulation in many areas of the body such as arms, legs, fingers and the major joints.

Diabetes Exercise, along with good nutrition, helps decrease body fat, which helps control glucose metabolism. Exercise and good nutrition provide real physical payoffs–they are essential to controlling diabetes. Exercise can help prolong your life and get better the quality of your added months and years.

Alison Beckwith asked:


PRESS RELEASE

Contact: Alison Beckwith, 919-459-8157, abeckwith@919marketing.com

 

KDI Health Solutions Rolls Out Nationally Recognized Preventive Health and Chronic Disease Management Programs Across the Carolinas

 

Raleigh, N.C. – KDI Health Solutions, an emerging regional provider of community-based preventive health care and chronic disease management programs, announced today the launch of its services throughout North Carolina and South Carolina.  KDI’s award winning network of PharmD (Doctor of Pharmacy), residency-trained pharmacists provides a new health care services option to the thousands of employer groups and physician practices across the Carolinas. 

 

The KDI business model of deploying a team of highly skilled PharmD clinicians began with the “The Asheville Project”, a nationally recognized diabetes patient care program created for the city of Asheville, North Carolina. This revolutionary community-based program is generating measurable success; health care costs have dropped, fewer work days are being missed and city employees and retirees are living healthier lives.

 

Asheville City leaders confirm the dramatic results. “The adoption of the pharmaceutical care program is the best thing we have ever done for our group health plan,” says John Miall, former risk manager for the City of Asheville.  “Employees with life threatening diseases are healthier than they’ve ever been, and the city’s health plan has saved more than $2,000 in medical costs per patient each year.”

 

 “Employers are seeing a significant return on investment from our mobile, worksite-based health care services,” says Rebecca Chater, president of KDI Health Solutions. “Employer groups are proactively identifying and reducing immediate and longer term employee health care costs before they happen, while physician practices are providing more patient care in less time with better outcomes – it’s a true win-win for everyone in the health care ecosystem.”

 

The KDI employer program improves workplace productivity and reduces health care costs by providing a menu of worksite-based preventive and chronic disease management services: flu and pneumonia immunizations, health screenings and fairs, and private one-on-one counseling on medicine use and behavior modification. 

 

KDI provides employers with a powerful health risk assessment solution called Know Your Number® that predicts the risk of their employee population developing chronic, obesity-related diseases such as diabetes, stroke and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

 

Using the Know Your Number® technology, KDI provides each employee with a confidential, easy-to-read report that not only predicts the onset of chronic diseases, but also educates them on the steps they can take to lower their risk.  Employers receive an aggregate report that enables them to focus health and wellness programs on the disease states prevalent in their workforce population and therefore proactively reduce health care costs.

 

In addition to employer groups, KDI also has a strong track record of helping physician practices provide more patient care in less time with better outcomes.  The KDI network of community-based PharmD professionals has provided American Diabetes Association recognized diabetes treatment programs to hundreds of physician referred patients, handles overflows for patient immunizations (e.g. flu shots, pneumonia and shingles) and is a reliable source for drug therapy support.

 

Physician practices partnering with KDI are seeing measurable results. Patrick Guiteras, MD with Chapel Hill Family Practice credits the program with making his practice more cost effective and helping his patients stay on track. “KDI provides diabetes education for our Medicare population.  A more educated patient allows us to spend more time focused on care and treating the disease.”

 

KDI’s innovative approach to diabetes treatment and drug therapy management is receiving accolades from industry experts. The company has been named the 2008 North Carolina Diabetes Association Provider of the Year, and last year was selected as the Outcomes Pharmaceutical Healthcare National Medication Therapy Management Provider of the Year.

 

 

***

 

About KDI Health Soltutions

Raleigh-based KDI Health Solutions is an emerging provider of preventive health and chronic disease management services to employer groups and physician practices.

 

KDI’s award winning workforce of PharmD, residency-trained pharmacists provides real community-based health care solutions to improve the health outcomes of employer and physician populations. KDI services include flu, shingles and pneumonia immunizations, health screenings and fairs, disease education programs and personalized counseling on medicine use and behavior modification. 

Peter Rodrick asked:


Diabetes means that your blood glucose (also called blood sugar) is too high. Your body uses glucose for energy. But having too much glucose in your blood can hurt you. When you take care of your diabetes, you will feel better. You will reduce your risk for problems with your kidneys, eyes, nerves, feet and legs, and teeth. You will also lower your risk for a heart attack or a stroke.

People with diabetes are encouraged to exercise regularly for better blood sugar control and to reduce the risk of cardiovascular diseases. The reason for this is that muscles which are working use more glucose than those that are resting.

Muscle movement leads to greater sugar uptake by muscle cells and lower blood sugar levels. Additional benefits of exercise include a healthier heart, better weight control and stress management. There are some exercise precautions which people with diabetes must take, however, when done safely, exercise is a valuable aid to optimal health.

Exercise, along with good nutrition, helps decrease body fat, which helps normalize glucose metabolism. Also, exercise helps ower coronary risk factors like high blood pressure and high cholesterol.

Cardiovascular training should be the foundation of the exercise program. Aim for at least 20 minutes of sustained activity three to five days per week. If one suffers from loss of sensitivity in the feet, avoid exercises such as prolonged walking, jogging or step exercises. Better choices for cardiovascular exercise would be swimming, bicycling, rowing, chair exercises and other non-weight bearing activities. Fluid intake is important during exercise, and especially so with cardiovascular activity and the diabetic exerciser. Consider a high-glucose sports drink like Gatorade or fruit juices over water, which can help keep blood sugar from going too low. Drink fluid before, during and after exercise.

Aerobic exercise

Since many Type 2 diabetics are sedentary and overweight, low-impact exercise such as walking or stationary cycling is recommended, along with enough exercise to promote weight management. Their goal should be to exercise five times per week, up to 40 - 60 minutes per session at a moderate intensity. This level of exercise can be reached gradually, starting as low as 10 - 20 minutes a few times a week for a person who has never exercised. Remember to increase only one factor at a time (days per week, length of session, or intensity).

Flexibility exercises -

Flexibility exercises, also called stretching, help keep joints flexible and reduce the chances of injury during other activities. Gentle stretching for 5 to 10 minutes helps the body to warm up, as well as get ready for aerobic activities.

Remember: Exercise is powerful therapy, so powerful that you should not try it without a little professional guidance. (After all, you had never start taking extra-strong diabetes pills without your doctors okay.) Your doctor can help you fit exercise into your overall health plan. You may need to adjust your medications, carry snacks or drinks, or tweak your diet to help prevent hypoglycemia (low blood sugar). This can happen to people with Type 2 diabetes, but its much more common for people with Type 1. If you have this type of diabetes, you will have to work especially closely with your doctor to find the right balance of exercise, diet, and medications

Tom Parker asked:


Exercise can be a fantastic way to manage your diabetes providing you take adequate precautions. On top of this exercise also has a number of additional benefits including an improved appearance, greater strength and more energy. In this article I will be discussing the exercise options available to you, the precautions you should take when exercising and the benefits exercise can have on your diabetes.

To begin lets discuss the types of exercise available to you. Exercise generally falls under two main categories; ‘Cardiovascular Training’ and ‘Resistance Training’. Cardiovascular training focuses on improving the amount of oxygen that is delivered to your muscles which in turn improves your endurance and stamina. There are many choices when it comes to cardiovascular exercise which include cycling, jogging and swimming. Resistance training focuses on improving your strength using short, explosive movements. When it comes to resistance training the choices are a little more limited and involve the use of free weights, machine weights or your own body weight.

So which type is best for your diabetes and your overall health? Well, both types have their advantages. Cardiovascular training is more effective at stimulating the body to use blood sugar for energy but weight training has been linked with significant improvements in blood sugar control. My advice is to do a mixture of both cardiovascular training and resistance training as part of your regular exercise routine. This will allow you to gain the maximum benefit from each type of exercise which include:

1) IMPROVED BLOOD SUGAR CONTROL:- As mentioned above both types of exercise can help you control your blood sugar levels by prompting your body to burn more blood sugar. In fact in some cases of type 2 diabetes exercise has been so effective that it has removed the need for insulin injections.

2) IMPROVED RECEPTIVENESS TO INSULIN:- One of the key problems facing diabetics is a lack of insulin in the body. However, research suggests that regular exercise can improve the body’s sensitivity to insulin. Therefore, by exercising regularly diabetics can use the limited insulin they have available more effectively.

3) REDUCED BODY FAT LEVELS:- Both types of exercise can help you burn fat in different ways. Cardiovascular training stimulates fat burning directly (both during and after exercise) whereas building muscle mass through resistance training can slightly increase the number of calories you burn each day. Fat cells are more resistant to insulin than muscle cells and so by burning them off through exercise you can make your body more receptive to insulin.

Although regular exercise is a fantastic way to moderate your diabetes it is very important that you take the following precautions.

- Always monitor your blood sugar levels before, during and after exercise using a portable glucose meter. Although exercise can help control your blood sugar levels you need to be aware if any fluctuations occur.

- Always keep insulin and glucose nearby so that you can quickly address any potential blood sugar fluctuations.

- Make sure that you stay properly hydrated whilst working out as dehydration can can cause further blood sugar fluctuations.

- Talk to your doctor before beginning an exercise plan. They will know about your health better than most people and therefore will be able to advise you of any further precautions you need to take when exercising.

Regular exercise can do wonders for your health, your appearance and your diabetes. If you want to command greater control over your diabetes then you should start getting physical today. Begin with just a daily brisk walk and then progressively work your way towards more intense forms of exercise. Before you know it you will have made huge steps in your health, your fitness and your diabetes management.

Every intention has been made to make this article accurate and informative but it is intended for general information only. Diabetes is a medical condition and this article is not intended as a substitute for the advice of your doctor or a qualified medical practitioner. If you have any concerns regarding any form of diabetes you should seek the advice of your doctor immediately.

Donald Mckenzie Jr asked:


Type 1 and 2 diabetes is a major deal in the United States. Statistics show that more than 14.6 million people are diagnosed with diabetes each year. There are many ways to fight this disease, however, many people simply give up. Exercise has been proven to treat diabetes along with proper diet. Here are a few benefits of exercise for anyone living with diabetes.

1) Exercise increases insulin sensitivity.

The big problem for Type 2 diabetics is insulin insensitivity. By exercising you can improve how well your insulin works. This will ultimately help you to control your blood glucose levels.

Remember, there are 2 types of diabetes. Type I diabetes is when the pancreas makes too little or no insulin. An individual with diabetes type I will have to inject insulin throughout the day in order to control their glucose levels. Type II diabetes is characterized by the pancreas not producing enough insulin to control glucose levels. It can also mean that the cells are not responding to the insulin. When a cell does not respond to insulin, it is commonly known as insulin resistance.

The risk factors for type II diabetes include a feeling of laziness, high cholesterol, obesity, and hypertension. Just by being lazy the person will have a very strong risk factor that has been proven to lead to type 2 diabetes. When a person is diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, they are told to exercise and diet in order to help with their insulin resistance.

A few things they should follow when dieting is to eat a low-fat diet and limit calories from saturated fats. The recommendations also include eating complete sources of protein, and limiting calories from protein. It is worth noting that protein plays an added role in a diabetic diet. Protein can actually slowly transform into glucose. Consuming appropriate amounts of protein can help a person who has either type I or II diabetes to manage their blood sugar levels.

If dieting and exercise does not work, then medication will be prescribed by the doctor.

2) Exercising will improve your cholesterol levels.

Exercise helps by raising the good cholesterol and lowering the bad. This is good news for diabetics because they are always at increased risk for cardiovascular disease.

Exercise causes the body to process glucose much faster. This will in turn lower blood sugar dramatically. The more intense the exercise, the faster the body will burn glucose.

3) Exercise will strengthen your heart..

Cardiovascular exercise is a major benefit to diabetics. With a stronger heart you will be able to exercise much harder. You will be able to go throughout your day and carry out tasks much easier. Many people do not exercise because they feel as though they do not have the energy. One key to remember is that exercise will give you energy.

4) Exercise can decrease blood pressure.

Many diabetics also have high blood pressure. Exercising can reduce your blood pressure when you are resting or exercising. Keep in mind that your heart is responsible for pumping blood throughout your entire body. This is also very important for reducing your chances of heart disease and stroke.

5) Exercise can improve your mood.

Diabetes can be a very stressful disease on anyone who lives with it. One thing great about exercising for anyone is that you feel really good about yourself. Exercise can even improve depression. Depression has been found to be a major cause of suicide. Yes, you have diabetes, but it does not mean you cannot lead a normal life.

Copyright 2007 Donald Mckenzie Jr

Nick Mutt asked:


Physical activities are very essential in keeping a person energetic and healthy. In the case of diabetic, exercise has an important role in regulating blood glucose; avoiding long-term complications of diabetes; maintaining body weight and in minimizing medication.

Exercises like jogging, swimming, fast walking and cycling are good for diabetics. These exercises help to keep cardiovascular system in good condition. These exercises should couple with stretching exercises as warming and cooling down exercises. A typical exercise session should consist of: 10 minutes of warming up exercise of stretching type; about 20-30 minutes of aerobic exercise and finally 5 minutes of cool down and stretching exercise.

Precautions before and during exercise

1. Fix the timing of exercise.

2. Avoid the peak insulin activity period for exercise.

3. Pay special attention to proper foot wear. Never do out door exercise bare feet.

4. Do not forget the warm-up and cool-down exercises.

5. Keep in mind the symptoms of hypoglycemia and how to prevent it.

6. Remember the warning signs of impending cardiac complications, such as discomfort or pain in the chest, abdomen, back, neck or arms. These are the signs of inadequate supply of blood and oxygen.

7. If there are any unusual symptoms during or after the exercise, discuss them with your doctor.

8. Measure, if possible, blood glucose before and immediately after the exercise and again an hour later. The exercise should bring down the blood glucose.

If one follow the above guidelines of exercise, good diet control with medication recommended by doctor, one can achieve a good blood sugar control, cardiovascular conditioning, strengthening the muscles and skeletal system. This also helps in avoiding altogether or minimizing the long-term complications of diabetes.

Disclaimer: This article is not meant to provide health advice and is for general information only. Always seek the insights of a qualified health professional before embarking on any health program.

Copyright © Nick Mutt, All Rights Reserved. If you want to use this article on your website or in your ezine, make all the urls (links) active.

Are you looking for Hair loss remedy? Get effective Female hair loss treatment. Also find useful Male hair loss treatment to prevent hair fall in men.

Robert Kokoska asked:


Thinking about exercise and arthritis? It is not uncommon for people to show their horror at this thought. For many years it was believed that arthritis and exercise doesnt go hand in hand. However a recent study has revealed that exercise can in fact help people with arthritis. Additionally exercise is becoming a vital tool in managing arthritis. Regular exercise helps in improving the flexibility of the joints, decreasing pain and rigidity in the joints. It also helps in improving the general muscular structure of the body. Besides it brings extra benefits as well which includes, better overall fitness, more self-esteem and lower levels of depression. This article aims to deal with several exercise approaches that can be used by arthritis patients to get pain relief and manage arthritis more effectively.

Range of motion exercises involves trying to move the joints in all possible directions. It is more of a gentle exercise. It needs to be carried out on a regular basis in order to decrease the rigidity of the joints and avoid deformities. This exercise becomes more important for arthritis patients who tend to avoid much joint movement due to high inflammatory pain. It is believed by some people that normal day activities like dressing, bathing, housework are a substitute for ROM exercises; however this is not the case.

Strengthening exercises are used in everyday life to improve the muscular structure of the body, which allows the body to withstand pain more easily. Similar arthritis patients can use this exercise to help build strong muscles, which will lead to more stable joints and less pain. This type of exercise comes in two packages, which includes isotonic and isometric. Isometric exercises are used in conditions where the joint motion is impaired. It involves tightening the muscles without moving the joints. Isotonic on the other hand, involves tightening the muscles in coordination with joint movements.

Endurance exercises involve bringing the heart beat level of your heart to an optimal level for a short period of time. This optimal level of heart performance is acquired on the basis of the patients age and physical condition using computer. It helps in improving the cardiovascular fitness. In order to increase the effectiveness of these exercises, these shall be undertaken around 3 times a week. Carrying out theses exercises helps patients achieve better physical strength and improve mental attitude.

There are several exercises that be can undertaken by an arthritis patient. Walking is an ideal choice. It helps in building strength and improves mobility of the joints. It is also helpful for maintaining bone health. Similarly running can bring about pain relief to arthritis patients. Research has shown that running on soft surfaces doesnt cause osteoarthritis. This is a good option for people suffering from less extreme version of arthritis.

Yoga has long been an ultimate exercise for arthritis patients. Yoga can help bring relief to joints, decrease pain and relax muscles. It is also a good range-of-motion exercise as it includes controlled movements, maintaining pressures, and deep breathing relaxation. However this exercise must be carefully used if the condition is getting worse rapidly and try not to put pressure on the inflamed joints. Cycling can be used as a low level exercise option. This exercise can be carried in either position; freestanding or stationary. Additionally, cycling equipment can be fixed and altered according to the condition of the patient, in order to make the experience easier and less physically imposing.

The aforementioned exercises give an insight into possible ways of improving the health of patients suffering from arthritis. In order to effectives of each technique it is essential to be consistent. The exercise shall be started on a low note and then build up gradually in order to allow the body to adjust to the outside pressure. Also it is important to keep in mind, that each exercise shall be carried within its own limit. Excess exercise during flare-ups can worsen symptoms.

However before the exercise is undertaken, it is important to contact your nearest doctor and seek professional advice as each case of arthritis shall be dealt on an individual basis. This can be help in seeking a more effective approach to this condition.

Rick Hutch asked:


There are over 100 forms of arthritis and other rheumatic diseases. These diseases may cause pain, stiffness, and swelling in joints and other supporting structures of the body such as muscles, tendons, ligaments, and bones. Some forms can also affect other parts of the body, including various internal organs.

Studies have shown that exercise helps people with arthritis in many ways. Exercise reduces joint pain and stiffness and increases flexibility, muscle strength, cardiac fitness, and endurance. It also helps with weight reduction and contributes to an improved sense of well-being.

An exercise program can include anything from walking around the block, taking a yoga class, or playing a round of golf. In this section we’ve attempted to give you all the information you will need on how to start exercising and the proper way to incorporate exercise into the management of your arthritis.

As their names indicate, range-of-motion and stretching exercises have different purposes and thus target different parts of a joint. Range of Motion exercises help maintain or restore normal joint movement and relieve stiffness. Whereas, stretching exercises help maintain or restore normal flexibility to the joint’s muscles and tendons.

Aerobic or endurance exercises (e.g., bicycle riding) improve cardiovascular fitness, help control weight, and improve overall function. Weight control can be important to people who have arthritis because extra weight puts extra pressure on many joints. Some studies show that aerobic exercise can reduce inflammation in some joints.

Side bends: Put hands on hips. Bend from the waist on one side, then come back up. Repeat on the other side.

Shoulder shrugs: Raise one or both shoulders up toward the ears. Lower and repeat.

Strengthening exercises can help to improve joint stability and decrease pain. Examples of exercises that build strength include the use of free weights, weight machines, or body weight (eg, modified squats to build knee strength).

Strength-building moves. Extra muscle helps support your joints, which may help reduce pain. The key to building muscle is resistance exercises, which involve pushing, pulling or bending your joints against a force. Even walking (pushing against gravity) builds muscles. As you get stronger, increase the resistance by adding hand weights or resistance bands. Unlike your daily flexibility exercises, try to do resistance exercises two or three times a week. Leave a day in between each session to give your body a chance to recover.

Aerobic arthritis exercises aren’t just good for your heart, but also aid in your treatment of arthritis pain and inflammation. Plus, aerobic arthritis exercises help you burn calories. (Weight does add to arthritis pain, because it puts added stress on joints like the knee joints.)

Yoga has long been an ultimate exercise for arthritis patients. Yoga can help bring relief to joints, decrease pain and relax muscles. It is also a good range-of-motion exercise as it includes controlled movements, maintaining pressures, and deep breathing relaxation. However this exercise must be carefully used if the condition is getting worse rapidly and try not to put pressure on the inflamed joints.

Talk to your doctor and/or health professional before starting an exercise program. A physiotherapist or exercise physiologist can suggest safe exercises and make sure you are doing your exercises correctly to prevent an injury.