Arthritis is a common condition causing painful inflammation and stiffness in joints like the knees, hands, hips, and more. Luckily, certain exercises for arthritis can help soothe pain and provide relief.
Liberty Resources Home Choices is a home care agency serving people with disabilities and seniors in the Philadelphia metro area and eastern Pennsylvania with exercise assistance and other home care services. Here, we discuss exercises for arthritis that caregivers should be familiar with to help people feel relief from joint pain.
Strengthening Exercises
Arthritis causes the affected joints to feel stiff and painful and can often make movement and exercise uncomfortable. However, doing regular strengthening exercises can help build muscle that helps support and protect the joints, which can lead to a reduction in pain. Studies have even shown that adults with arthritis can experience about a 40 percent reduction in pain by being physically active. It’s important to take it slow and recognize that not all strengthening exercises are suitable for people with arthritis. Strengthening exercises that can help build muscle while not being too hard on the joints include:
- Bridges
- Side leg raises
- Backward leg lifts
- Sitting leg lifts
- Ankle rotations
- Using low resistance bands
There are also often modifications that can be used to make an exercise more suitable for people with arthritis, like doing chair squats instead of regular squats.
Stretching Exercises
Stretching exercises are beneficial for people with arthritis because they help to reduce stiffness in the joints and improve the range of motion. These exercises can usually be done daily to help strengthen joints and eventually decrease pain. Examples of stretching exercises suitable for arthritis include:
- Reaching arms up high
- Rolling shoulders forward and backward
- Arm circles
- Neck tilts
- Side bends
If you’re a caregiver for someone with arthritis or another painful condition, it can be helpful to know these exercises to help people you care for maintain their flexibility. At Liberty Resources Home Choices, we offer exercise services where our caregivers assist people with disabilities or seniors with light exercises like stretching.
Cardio Exercises
Another type of exercise that is beneficial for arthritis patients is low-impact cardiovascular activity. Low-impact cardio is best for arthritis patients because it doesn’t put the same stress on the joints that high-impact cardio does. It can also lead to weight loss, which can help relieve pressure on the joints. Some examples of low-impact cardio for arthritis include:
- Walking
- Biking
- Swimming
- Water aerobics
- Yoga
- Pilates
- Group exercise classes
If people haven’t been active for a while or think cardio will be too hard on their joints, they should start slowly and work up to longer periods as time goes on.
In-home caregivers can help support people with arthritis by knowing which exercises are beneficial for them and which are not. At Liberty Resources Home Choices, our caregivers develop a customized care plan for each person in our care, which can include assisting them with light exercises, transporting them to exercise classes, and other lifestyle support.
Learn More About Exercises for Arthritis Today
Caregivers can help people experience relief from arthritis joint pain by assisting them with light exercises for arthritis. Liberty Resources Home Choices is a home care agency dedicated to helping people with disabilities and seniors live as independently as possible. We provide various services like exercise assistance to help them do so. Contact us today to learn more about our home care agency serving the Philadelphia metro area and eastern Pennsylvania.
