Arthritis Awareness Month 2022
What is Arthritis?
1 in 5 Australians are living with Arthritis, with the condition affecting people of all ages and walks of life. The main symptoms of arthritis are joint pain and stiffness, which typically worsen with age. The most common types of arthritis are osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis.
Osteoarthritis causes cartilage, which is the hard, slippery tissue that covers the ends of bones where they form a joint, to break down. Rheumatoid arthritis is a disease in which the immune system attacks the joints, beginning with the lining of joints. Treatments vary depending on the type of arthritis, however the main goals are always the same: to reduce symptoms such as pain and stiffness, and improve quality of life.
What can you do to help ease the pain?
Exercise is crucial for people with arthritis. It can increase strength and flexibility, reduce joint pain, and helps combat fatigue. Though you might think exercise will aggravate your joint pain and stiffness, that’s not the case. Lack of exercise can actually make your joints even more painful and stiff.
That’s because keeping your muscles and surrounding tissue strong is crucial to maintaining support for your bones. Not exercising weakens those supporting muscles, creating more stress on your joints.
Regular activity replenishes lubrication to the cartilage of the joint and reduces stiffness and pain. Exercise can also assist in weight loss and help in long-term weight management. Weight loss is essential for those who are overweight and suffering from arthritis. But most of all, it will help you improve your health and fitness and reduce load on your joints.
What can Flex do to help you get on the right path?
Strength training is important to help you build strong muscles to support and protect your joints, that’s where we can help. Our Clinical Strength service can help you to enhance musculoskeletal resilience for the long term. Choose from either individual or 3:1 group sessions that incorporate the use of dumbbells, kettlebells, plyometric box, resistance and power bands to form a dynamic and integrated rehab program.
Ready to improve your strength and movement for your long term health? Let’s get you going with a personalised program adapted to your body and your goals here.
