Training with Arthritis

[cantygirl]

I have no personal experience with arthritis but as a trainer I have been approached by a lady who suffers from this. My advice to her is that strength training can only improve her health, obviously training on good days has to be the rule, resting on bad days. What are your thoughts? I was a little annoyed that her specialist advised her to stay away from the gym indefinately!!!!

[Truds]

I definitly agree that she could keep up exercise/resistance training. Apart from the usual health benefits for staying fit and healthy/preventing osteoporosis etc. it helps keep joints lubricated, keeps the muscles around joints strong.

A lot of studies now show that regular resistance training or cardio (non high-impact) can be beneficial to arthritis sufferers. As long as the client is warmed up sufficiently and there is no direct pain when training, resistance training only be good for her. 'Use it or lose it'.

[runveerun]

I have psoriatic arthritis I have had it for 20 years, when I was first diagnosed I was told the only exercise I was allowed to do was swimming as it didn't have any impact on the joints.

I find if I keep moving I'm ok, ANY exercise is good! I have been doing lots of running in recent years, I have run 2 marathons and tons of half marathons and 10km races, my joints have hardened up and I feel better for doing more exercise. I lift x4 times a week there's nothing I avoid because of it. Sure some days my joints might be painful but I just get on with it, if your client wants to use these days as rest days maybe do cardio instead, it's really up to the individual and there pain resistance.

My husband has gout and when it's really bad he can hardly walk so those days he doesn't do very much, it's just a matter of factoring it in and deciding what they will do on bad days.

I think there's no real reason to stay away from the gym, I think exercise cures most things!

[nzcatz76]

I have osteo-arthritis from a badly damanged hip-joint. Two years ago the tissue between the joints tore and as a result my hip is unstable in the socket and bone on bone damage has occured.

I'm in pain all the time and will be until I get my hip-replacement. Any repetition hurts (including swimming) but for me the mental benefits of any regular exercise outway the pain of the arthritis.

I just have to be careful now and really plan for workouts and try not to garden, do the shopping, train and the gym and walk the dog all in one day!!! If I do....I'm screwed!!

I definatly CANNOT run anymore - which SUCKS!!! As I used to run a lot and Mountain running especially. I can't walk VERY-long distances as the impact hurts.

So I suggest for arthritis sufferes to plan well for the week...and find a pain management plan that suits. I have deep tissue massage in my hip, butt, thigh area, have a good anti-flam and pain killer on hand...and I don't like using pills too much but have to weight-up the pro's & cons. If I take the pills I can do more activity and enjoy more things, if I don't I'm a sad-sack nana and very anti-social!!

I've just returned to training and working as a Personal Trainer after a few years sulking about my injury...lol My next challenge is to get back on stage this year and to find a way to train lower-body without wreaking myself...we'll see!! :pray: I'll be doing what this little cartoon is doing!!

[cantygirl]

Thanks guys for your replies, really inspirational to hear your stories and also to get reasurance that weight bearing exercises is the way to go.

[becbec]

I've got quite bad rheumatoid and found that high impact training can aggravate it a bit but there are exercises to get around the hard to hold grips.

For example I use cable chest press instead of normal chest press - doesn't hurt shoulders and elbows as much.

I've found that since I've started training that I've got alot better because it strengthens the tendons around the joint which supports it (but you can run into trouble when your arthritis causes tendonitis :evil: )

From my experience I'd go through exercises with her and if it hurts - use a different exercise to target that muscle group

I'm sure she probably knows this (but just incase she doesn't), taking panadol or ibuprofen before she works out helps, and ice the most affected joints afterwards

[agent86]

I have had Ankylosing Spondylitis since I was 28 and have 3 sisters and a brother with the same condition. This kind of Arthritis benefits from exercise even though some days the pain is excruciating. This arthritis affects the ligaments around the joints so exercise is necessary to keep mobility and avoid calcification of the joint.

I have taken Voltaren every day for 28 years and am coping the best of my family due to the exerise.

Weights allows me to exercise in a controlled manner so I can work around the painful bits.

Also have Osteoarthritis in right knee and right elbow so do exercises that don't aggravate the pain. Sounds like I'm screwed,

[cantygirl]

Thats amazing and full credit to you all for training so smartly.

[nzcatz76]

Hi all,

I just wanted to add this tip for those with knee, hip, elbow pain etc, that isometric type of exercises are good for arthritic sufferers. Instead of doing a repetition of an exercise with a full range of motion you hold the weight or movement in a fixed position instead. ie: bicep curls - hold the dumbbell or barbell in 90degree for a certain amount of seconds and reps or ie: Squats - Instead of moving up & down, you might hold the squat in the downward position for as long as possible - keeping all muscles contracted. This type of exercise (isometric) reduces the amount of repetitions in the joint and is great for getting the muscles going too - similar concepts in yoga, martial arts and other such sports/disipline. For those of you who want to read more just google ' isometric exercises' and if you choose 'images' you sometimes get some good examples of exercises that you can try.

Cat :pfft: