Got arthritis? Get up and keep moving, says charity
People with arthritis should get up and get fit - and overcome their fear that exercise will make their condition worse. That's the New Year message from the Arthritis Research Campaign at the launch of its winter awareness week on exercise and arthritis, Keep Moving, (January 2-6 2001).
The charity is encouraging people with arthritis to stay active and keep their joints as mobile as possible because it will reduce pain, and improve their self-confidence and esteem. Exercises such as swimming, walking and fitness classes and videos can all be beneficial.
"The message is very clear - exercise is the best thing you can do if you have arthritis, and keeping as active and fit as you can will only do you good and will not damage the joints," said Dr Mike Hurley, a physiotherapist at King's College, London. With a grant from the ARC he is running a large-scale community-based research project in south London, investigating the effects of regular, but simple, exercise on older patients with knee pain.
"When we are in pain, our natural reaction is not to want to move, but if we don't, not only do our joints get more stiff and more painful, but after a short time, our muscles start to weaken.
"It's a myth that people will wear down their joints by walking on them. People are doing themselves the greatest damage by sitting in a chair and doing nothing."
The ARC is currently funding several research projects which should provide proof of the benefits of exercise on arthritis patients. Positive results should lead to a greater awareness among the public and the health professions of the urgent need to keep more people active.
To coincide with its awareness week, the charity has produced a Keep Moving guide to help people with arthritis plan a basic fitness regime to suit them. It explains the different types of exercises such as stretching, strengthening and aerobic exercise and includes a simple set of stretches and strengthening movements which fold out into a handy wall chart.
"Exercise is within everyone's capabilities; people don't need to buy expensive equipment or join a formal exercise class if they don't want to. For example, just walking a bit further than you normally do, and increasing the distance gradually, will help," added Dr Hurley. "The key is to find something you enjoy, and then do it regularly."
The Keep Moving guide is now available, free of charge, from the ARC, St Mary's Gate, Chesterfield, Derbyshire, S41 7TD, from January 2. Nutritional supplement manufacturer Seven Seas, which is supporting the ARC's awareness week, has produced an accompanying leaflet on exercise and diet, available with the Keep Moving guide.
