“15 Easy Ways to Stay Active With Arthritis”

Play Video Games: Grab a gaming system but get off the couch. Research suggests some sports video games may burn as many calories as a brisk walk. In a study funded by Nintendo, the Wii Sports tennis, baseball, and boxing games all qualified as moderate-intensity exercise. For joint flexibility and to improve your range of motion with arthritis, try your hand at balance games and yoga exercises.

Get Your Dog and Start Walking: An eager dog can be the perfect cure for couch potato syndrome. He can keep you company and keep you motivated during your daily walks. Because walking keeps your joints flexible and your muscles strong, this low-impact, weight-bearing exercise is a good choice for people with arthritis. Research also suggests dog owners tend to have lower blood pressure and cholesterol than their pet-less peers.

Wash Your Car: Washing your car offers the chance to get a workout and a clean car at the same time. But don't just stand there spraying the hose at your windshield. You need to get your heart working. That means soaping up a rag and scrubbing your car from bumper to bumper. An hour's worth of hearty work can burn more than 300 calories for a 155-pound person.

Make a Play Date: If you have kids, grandkids, or babysit for neighbors, make your time with them as active as possible. Playing hide and seek or exploring a park can be an active, low-impact workout. For people with arthritis of the hands, board games, puzzles, and crafts are not only kid-friendly activities but they may also help keep your fingers limber. For the greatest benefit, arrange regular play dates a few times a week.

Carry Your Groceries: Make the most of your supermarket trip by carrying your groceries in the store and to your car. The weight adds intensity to walking and helps strengthen your upper body. Carry your bags across your arms to protect your hands. For an extra challenge, carry your bags up steps. Research suggests people who can carry groceries and climb stairs are less likely to have a stroke than those who can't.

Clean Your House: Don’t dread housework; it's a way to avoid the gym. Cleaning the floor counts as moderate exercise because it raises your heart rate and makes you breathe faster. Other good exercise: washing windows, hanging laundry, and cleaning the bathroom. To protect your joints: Alternate motions and the hands you use. Don't overextend your reach, and bend with your knees to save your back. Consider knee pads for kneeling.

Dance Through Your Chores: Some household chores, like unloading the dishwasher, don't raise your heart rate on their own. But you can kick things up a notch by putting on music and moving! Try dancing while dusting, vacuuming, cooking, or putting away dishes. The trick is to use music you love, so you'll have fun while working up a sweat.

Tend Your Garden: Gardening can provide a surprisingly well-rounded workout. Wielding a rake or shovel can strengthen your muscles, improve flexibility, and raise your heart rate. An hour of weeding or digging is great for endurance, too. To avoid stooping, use long-handled tools or build raised garden beds. As a bonus, whether your focus is on tending flowers or fruit, you’ll have something to show for your efforts.

Find Fitness Friends: Instead of planning lunch dates, suggest meeting friends for a brisk walk through the mall or a park. While you may be tempted to shrug off a solo workout, you will be less likely to stand up a friend. And being active can help you meet weight loss or goals if you have them. If you're overweight, losing extra pounds can help reduce arthritis pain -- especially in the knees.

Volunteer Your Time: Help yourself and other people by taking on volunteer projects that benefit both mind and body. Consider walking dogs at the local animal shelter, planting trees, coaching a youth sports team, or building houses. Studies show that older adults who volunteer regularly have a greater sense of well-being than those who don't.

Hike or Bike on Your Next Outing: You may be in the habit of driving everywhere, no matter how close your destination. But think about some of your favorite places -- stores, restaurants, the library, parks. Are any of them close enough to reach safely by bike or foot? If so, you'll get exercise while saving gas money. In addition, biking is easy on your joints while still giving you a good workout.

Take the Stairs: When you head toward an elevator, think before using it. By taking the stairs, you can weave exercise into your daily routine without setting aside time for a workout. However, if you have knee osteoarthritis -- a condition that affects nearly one in two people before age 85 -- your health care provider may suggest that you consider another form of exercise.

Park in the Last Spot: Walking is one of the best forms of exercise for arthritis, so find ways to fit it into your day. Whether you're driving to the mall, office, or supermarket, make a habit of parking in the spot farthest from the entrance. Then power walk to the front door. When this becomes too easy, try parking a couple of blocks away from your destination. Wear a pedometer to see how much ground you’ve covered.

Take a Class: Like working out in a social setting? Sign up for a class. You'll have a regular exercise time and place, plus a group of people who expect to see you. Remember, a fitness class doesn't have to mean aerobics. Always wanted to learn karate or salsa dancing? Look for a class that will keep you coming back. Or join a walking group or masters swim team. Both walking and swimming are especially easy on the joints.

Add Up Your Exercise Time: You don't have to do all your exercises at once. It’s OK to do it in 10-minute spurts. If you're new to exercise, aim to be active 15 to 20 minutes a day, three days a week. Then work up to 30 minutes every day. The key is doing activities that will work your large muscle groups, quickening your breathing and heart rate. Unsure about which activities may be best for you? Ask your doctor.

Reviewed by: Tyler Wheeler, MD on October 14, 2018

Sources:

WebMD Health News: "Wii Games Burn Calories Like a Brisk Walk," "Real-World Fitness May Cut Stroke Risk."
WebMD Medical Reference from Healthwise: "Healthy Aging: Physical Vitality," "Quick Tips: Fitting Physical Activity Into Your Day," "Fitness: Staying Active When You Have Young Children," "Emotional and Mental Vitality."
Arthritis Today: "Wii Fitness: Making Home Exercise Equipment Fun," "Having Fun With the Grandchildren," "Make Needlework Finger-Friendly," "Simplify Household Chores," "Gardening Tips for Everyone," "Knee Osteoarthritis: New Study Shows Higher Risk."
WebMD Feature: "5 Ways Pets Can Improve Your Health," "Get Fit by Gardening," "10 Easy Ways to Make Exercise a Habit," "Family Fitness Made Fun." "What's Your Workout Personality?"
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Harvard Medical School: "Calories burned in 30 minutes for people of three different weights."
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National Institutes of Health, Division of Nutrition Research Coordination: "General Guidance for Pedometer Use."
WebMD Medical Reference provided in collaboration with the Cleveland Clinic: "Arthritis: Exercise to Treat Arthritis.

Much Love, Dr.Shermaine, #InformativeRead #PleaseShare #HealthyBodySoulAndSpirit #IWantYou2LiveWell

The Goal is to Always Make You Aware of What Concerns Your Body, Soul and Spirit, So You Can Have Open, Honest and Frequent Discussions With Your Physicians and Counselors. You Can’t Treat or Cure What You Don’t Know is Sick.

"It's Not Selfish to Love Yourself, Take Care of Yourself and to Make Your Happiness a Priority. It's a Necessity." (Mandy Hale)

"Self-Care is Not Selfish. You Cannot Serve From an Empty Vessel." (Eleanor Brown)

The contents of the WebMD and Self-Care With Dr. Shermaine Sites, such as text, graphics, images, and other material contained on the WebMD and Self-Care With Dr. Shermaine Sites ("Content") are for informational purposes only. The Content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on the WebMD and Self-Care With Dr. Shermaine Sites!

If you think you may have a medical emergency, call your doctor or 911 immediately. WebMD and Self-Care With Dr. Shermaine does not recommend or endorse any specific tests, physicians, products, procedures, opinions, or other information that may be mentioned on the Sites. Reliance on any information provided by WebMD, WebMD employees, others appearing on the Site at the invitation of WebMD, and Self-Care With Dr. Shermaine or other visitors to the Sites is solely at your own risk.  

“Working Out When You're Over 50”

You Need Exercise Now More Than Ever: Let's face it: A 50- or 60-year-old body isn't the same as a 20-year-old one. You won't be able to do the same things -- nor should you. But exercise is key to your independence and a good quality of life as you age. So what do you need to think about to be healthy without hurting yourself?

What Exercise Does: You lose muscle mass as you get older, and exercise can help you rebuild it. Muscles also burn more calories than fat, even at rest, which will offset your slowing metabolism. Exercise helps stop, delay, and sometimes improve serious illnesses like heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, stroke, Alzheimer's disease, arthritis, and osteoporosis. It can help your brain stay sharp and keep you from falling into a funk.

Types of Exercise: Young or old, everyone needs different kinds. Cardio or aerobic exercise gets your heart rate up and makes you breathe harder, which builds your endurance and burns calories. Strength or weight training keeps your muscles ready for action. Flexibility exercises help you stay limber so you can have a full range of movement and avoid injury. Balance training becomes important after age 50, so you can prevent falls and stay active.

Choose the Right Activities: Lower-impact exercise, with less jumping and pounding, is kinder to your joints. Some activities provide more than one type of exercise, so you'll get more bang from your workout buck. Definitely pick things that you enjoy doing! Your doctor or physical therapist can suggest ways to adapt sports and exercises, or better alternatives, based on the limitations of any medical conditions you have.

Walking: Simple and effective! It builds your stamina, strengthens lower body muscles, and helps fight against bone diseases like osteoporosis. It's easy to work into your day. You can go solo or make it social. At a moderate pace, you'll get exercise and still be able to chat with a friend or group. 

Jogging: If you like to sweat a bit more when you exercise, try jogging to get your heart rate up. As long as you take it slow and steady, wear the right shoes, and take walking breaks, your joints should be fine. Soft surfaces, like a track or grass, may also help. Pay attention to your calves and hips, with extra stretching and strengthening to lessen your chance of injuries.

Dancing: It doesn't really matter what kind: ballroom, line, square, even dance-based aerobics classes like Zumba and Jazzercise. Dancing helps your endurance, strengthens your muscles, and improves your balance. It burns a lot of calories because it gets you moving in all directions. Research shows learning new moves is really good for your brain, too. Plus, you could be having so much fun, you might not notice you're doing exercise.

Golfing: Much of the benefit of this sport comes from the walking: an average round is more than 10,000 steps, or about 5 miles! In addition, your swing uses your whole body, and it requires good balance -- and calm focus. If you carry or pull your clubs, that's even more of a workout. But even using a cart is worth it. You're still working your muscles and getting in steps along with fresh air and stress relief.

Cycling: It's especially good when you have stiff or sore joints, because your legs don't have to support your weight. The action gets your blood moving and builds muscles on both the front and back of your legs and hips. You use your abs for balance and your arms and shoulders to steer. Because there's resistance, you're strengthening your bones, too. Specially designed bike frames and saddles can make riding safer and easier for various health issues.

Tennis: Racquet sports, including tennis, squash, and badminton, may be particularly good at keeping you alive longer and for lowering your chance of dying from heart disease. Playing tennis 2 or 3 times a week is linked to better stamina and reaction times, lower body fat, and higher "good" HDL cholesterol. And it builds bones, especially in your arm, low back, and neck. Play doubles for a less intense, more social workout.

Strength Training: Muscle loss is one of the main reasons people feel less energetic as they get older. When you lift weights, work out on machines, use resistance bands, or do exercises with your own body weight (like push-ups and sit-ups), you build strength, muscle mass, and flexibility. It'll make things like carrying groceries and climbing stairs easier. You can join a gym, but you don't have to. Digging and shoveling in the garden counts, too!

Swimming: You can exercise for longer in the water than on land. There's no weight putting stress on your joints (and making them hurt), and the water offers resistance to build muscles and bones. Swimming laps burns calories and works your heart like jogging and cycling, yet you're not likely to overheat. The moisture helps people with asthma breathe. Water-based exercise improves the mind-set of people with fibromyalgia.

Yoga: Actively holding a series of poses will stretch and strengthen your muscles, as well as the tendons and ligaments that hold your bones together. Mindful breathing makes it a kind of meditation, too. Yoga can help lower your heart rate and blood pressure and relieve anxiety and depression. Check out different styles and classes to match your level of fitness and what appeals to you.

Tai Chi: This quiet exercise is sometimes called "moving meditation." You move your body slowly and gently, flowing from one position to the next, while you breathe deeply. Not only is it good for balance, it can also improve bone and heart health. It may help ease pain and stiffness from arthritis. It might even help you sleep better.

How Much? If you're in good health, you should get at least 150 minutes of moderate cardio activity a week. It's better when you spread it out over 3 days or more, for a minimum of 10 minutes at a time. Also spend time at least twice a week specifically working the muscles in your legs, hips, back, abs, chest, shoulders, and arms. Generally speaking, the more you exercise, the more benefit you get. And anything is better than nothing.

Start Slow: This is especially important if you haven't been exercising for a while or when you're starting some new activity that your body isn't used to. Begin with 10 minutes and gradually ramp up how long, how often, or how intensely you exercise. Need motivation? Track your progress, either on your own or with an app or online tool like the National Institutes of Health's My Go4Life.

When to Call Your Doctor: Chest pain, breathing problems, dizziness, balance problems, and nausea when you exercise could be warning signs. Let your doctor know sooner, rather than later. Your body isn't going to recover as fast as it used to. If your muscles or joints hurt the next day, you may have overdone it. Dial it back and see what happens. Check with your doctor if the pain continues.

Reviewed by: Neha Pathak, MD on July 26, 2017

Sources:

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Family Doctor.org: "Exercise and Seniors."
American Family Physician: "Physical Activity Guidelines for Older Adults."
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AARP: "Running After 50: You CAN Do It!"
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Harvard Medical School, Department of Neurobiology, On the Brain: "Dancing and the Brain."
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NPR: Shots: "Take A Swing At This: Golf Is Exercise, Cart Or No Cart."
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Victoria State Government, BetterHealth Channel: "Tennis – health benefits."
Growing Stronger: Strength Training for Older Adults, CDC, 2002.
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Swimming World: "10 Hidden Benefits of Swimming."
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Go4Life: "Tai Chi," "Improve Your Endurance."
Quality of Life Research: "The water exercise improves health-related quality of life of frail elderly people at day service facility."

Much Love, Dr.Shermaine #InformativeRead #PleaseShare #HealthyBodySoulAndSpirit #IWantYou2LiveWell

The Goal is to Always Make You Aware of What Concerns Your Body, Soul and Spirit, So You Can Have Open, Honest and Frequent Discussions With Your Physicians and Counselors. You Can’t Treat or Cure What You Don’t Know is Sick.

"It's Not Selfish to Love Yourself, Take Care of Yourself and to Make Your Happiness a Priority. It's a Necessity." (Mandy Hale)

"Self-Care is Not Selfish. You Cannot Serve From an Empty Vessel." (Eleanor Brown)

The contents of the WebMD and Self-Care With Dr. Shermaine Sites, such as text, graphics, images, and other material contained on the WebMD and Self-Care With Dr. Shermaine Sites ("Content") are for informational purposes only. The Content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on the WebMD and Self-Care With Dr. Shermaine Sites!

If you think you may have a medical emergency, call your doctor or 911 immediately. WebMD and Self-Care With Dr. Shermaine does not recommend or endorse any specific tests, physicians, products, procedures, opinions, or other information that may be mentioned on the Sites. Reliance on any information provided by WebMD, WebMD employees, others appearing on the Site at the invitation of WebMD, and Self-Care With Dr. Shermaine or other visitors to the Sites is solely at your own risk.