Q: I have been active most of my life playing sports and doing all kinds of exercise. As I approach 60, I am stronger and fitter than most of my peers, and I am medication free. My energy is generally very high and I still participate in various activities and sports that go with our Canadian seasons. Weight training, golf, mountain biking, skiing, kayaking, etc… The one downside to my sports and fitness life, however, is that I have arthritis in various joints in my body. My knee sometimes flares up, my fingers and toes can sometimes hurt and my elbows and shoulders bother me if I push too hard at the gym or when I do my sports. When I’m sore, should I keep pushing myself or take time to rest and recover? Why is it important to keep moving even when it hurts? A: First of all, congratulations on continuing to live an active, energetic life as you approach your later years. Heading into retirement (eventually) with a strong body will give you plenty of options and opportunities to experience whatever life throws at you in the future. Too many people reach retirement with the financial means to live a full life, but with so little strength and stamina and so little “wellness” that they are unable to do much other than deal with their illnesses, pains, pains and sickness; leaving them very little choice as to what they can do. When it comes to your sore, aching joints, it’s vital to keep them moving as much as possible for a number of reasons. Perhaps most importantly, the more you exercise, the stronger the supporting muscles around your joints will become, allowing for greater range of motion, greater stability, and less pain. You can think of the supporting muscle around a joint as a brace that helps stabilize the area. This is especially important with osteoarthritis (OA) when the cartilage in the joint has been lost or damaged by injury, surgery or simple wear and tear and the bones begin to rub together causing inflammation. A secondary reason to keep your arthritic joints moving is that movement in general increases blood and oxygen circulation throughout the body and, in particular, to your joints. This means more lubricating (joint) fluid will be transported to the area to facilitate movement and bathe the joint in nutrients that can speed healing. In some cases, this can even cause the cartilage to repair and regrow. More generally, exercise brings a sense of well-being to the exerciser and provides them with a sense of control over what is happening in their body, enhancing mental health and reducing stress levels. Exercising and staying active during flare-ups is also important for maintaining a lean body and avoiding weight gain that can add stress to already stressed joints. Finally, while it’s very important to avoid a sedentary lifestyle when managing OA, it’s just as important to allow your body enough recovery time between sessions or activities and to understand how to modify things when flare-ups occur. The best way to modify exercises when your joints are irritated is to reduce the weights you lift, reduce the range of motion of each exercise you include in your workout, and perform exercises with less speed and more control. Also, be extra diligent that you maintain excellent posture without lying down. Consider taking an extra day of rest between workouts or sports activities. For activities such as walking, choose routes that are gentler, such as grass, dirt tracks or sports tracks, or even switch up your routine and exercise in the pool or ride a bike. Never work “through” the pain and always seek your doctor’s approval before attempting to exercise during an arthritis flare. SHARE:
