Any Members with Arthritis???

kaydensmom12
kaydensmom12 Posts: 338
We all know that exercising is an important part of any type of weight loss success. I'm 21 with arthritis which makes exercising discouraging and sometimes nearly impossible. My arthritis is very painful in both knees, especially during cold weather this time of year. Well it makes it difficult to find any type of exercise that doesn't cause excessive pain or swelling. Jogging, the mountain climber exercise and lunges are out. I have been doing the stationary bike and some sit-ups but would like to mix it up. I understand most exercises will cause some pain, but looking for motivation and advice on exercises others have had success with. Thanks:)
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Replies

  • I dont have arthritis but my daughter in law does (she's 29 and has rheumatoid arthritis). She works out everyday. She says it's when she stops working out that the pain is worse. And I dont know if this really works, but she gets Juvederm injections in her lips and she says that has totally taken away the pain in her hands. She really just has pain in the fingers and toes, but according to her working out daily helps.
  • tambink
    tambink Posts: 349
    I have arthritis and it is in my knees and hands and all over but I work all the time it actully hurts less when I workout then when I dont.
  • 2011_4mygirls
    2011_4mygirls Posts: 298 Member
    Yes, I have arthritis in my left knee and my neck. I have found that it is worse when the weather is chaning to damp or cold. I love to do water aerobics b/c there is no impact on my knee and it gives me great relief in my neck. I also ride a recumbent style bike, b/c it has less impact on my knee as well. Do you take a daily med? If not, I strongly suggest you visit with your dr about one.
  • merrick7871
    merrick7871 Posts: 161 Member
    I have fibro, which exercise helps greatly. But, there are times like right now, that I am i a flare up and exercise is non existent. I firmly believe that what caused this flare up was being so busy the couple of days before Christmas that I was unable to exercise. Now I am pretty much confined to my chair because it hurts so much to do anything else.
  • UsedToBeHusky
    UsedToBeHusky Posts: 15,228 Member
    I am 33 years old and I have had osteoarthritis since 27. Honestly, I think I have had it my whole life, but I injured myself at 27 and the symptoms seem to worsen from there. I did a lot of yoga initially and I also used physical games like Wii boxing and tennis. After I lost 30 to 35 lbs, walking became easier so I began to do that. I use an elliptical and a gazelle glider at home. The elliptical was hard on my knees at first, but I adjusted. I don't have access to a pool but swimming and water aerobics would probably cause the least amount of damage to your joints. Best of luck and remember to keep moving. The more we move, the better our joints feel. Just don't overdo it!
  • I have Rheumatoid Arthritis and work out regulary. When I first started working out, there were days I was in alot of pain & I thought doing lunges & squats were going to be out of the question, but I can do them with no problem or pain, as long as I keep proper form. You will find too, that when you do work out regulary the pain won't be so bad, so hang in there! If you would like friend me and we can motivate each other :flowerforyou:
  • SeaSiren1
    SeaSiren1 Posts: 242 Member
    I dont have arthritis but my daughter in law does (she's 29 and has rheumatoid arthritis). She works out everyday. She says it's when she stops working out that the pain is worse.

    this

    I have fibro, which exercise helps greatly. But, there are times like right now, that I am i a flare up and exercise is non existent. I firmly believe that what caused this flare up was being so busy the couple of days before Christmas that I was unable to exercise. Now I am pretty much confined to my chair because it hurts so much to do anything else.

    I have fibro as well, the day just before Christmas I was slammed hard with a flare and am still trying to recover.
  • TRIMoses59
    TRIMoses59 Posts: 86 Member
    I have arthritis in my spine, knees, well lets just say almost everywhere. I started walking at 1 mile the boosted it up 1/2 mile at a time. My joints seem to move better now! Oh yes it hurt and sometimes it feels like my spine is breaking in two, but if it is pretty enough to walk, I walk. Start out slow and build a little each week. It will make you feel better!
  • Thank you for all of your helpful replies. Unfortunately I do not have access to water aerobics, but it seems like it would be the ideal workout that is easy on the joints. I am thinking about trying the elliptical. You all have good advice. It is nice to hear others with similar problems so thank you for the motivation, I will start out exercising slowly:) I hope those of you with flare ups recover well.
  • sandiki
    sandiki Posts: 454
    rheumatoid arthritis here... I find I am better after i get ta moving.. Yoga had helped a great deal as well.
  • I have fibro and also arthritis in both knees. If I stop working out, I am in a lot of pain. I take Osteo bi Flex and found it works wonders for me (nice and cheap at Walmart). There is nothing that I allow to limit my activity. I am a Personal Trainer, Spin Instructor and and currently training for my first half marathon. My friends who have fibro and/or arthritis who workout regularly lead very active lives with very little pain. Those of my friends who have these conditions and don't workout live each day as a constant struggle and with ongoing pain.
    I'm not suggesting everyone do what I do. But, definitely keep moving. Pool walking/joggin is a nice low impact workout that also massages your muscles while you are working out.
  • PepeGreggerton
    PepeGreggerton Posts: 986 Member
    I have fibromyalgia.
  • Get in the water! Swimming and water aerobics are great for arthritis because it takes the pressure and stress off the joints (zero gravity effect). Many gyms with pools, such as the YMCA, also offer water aerobics classes targeted specifically for arthritis problems.
  • EDesq
    EDesq Posts: 1,527 Member
    We all know that exercising is an important part of any type of weight loss success. I'm 21 with arthritis which makes exercising discouraging and sometimes nearly impossible. My arthritis is very painful in both knees, especially during cold weather this time of year. Well it makes it difficult to find any type of exercise that doesn't cause excessive pain or swelling. Jogging, the mountain climber exercise and lunges are out. I have been doing the stationary bike and some sit-ups but would like to mix it up. I understand most exercises will cause some pain, but looking for motivation and advice on exercises others have had success with. Thanks:)


    I recommend Pilates, Stretching, Water Aerobics, and Simple Calisthenics. This extreme stuff is for the "birds" even if you don't have arthritis; also the way I got My arthritis was from RUNNING. Don't be fooled, all exercise routines are NOT healthy, and that's what we should be in this for HEALTHY. It took Me harming Myself through excessive and unhealthy exercise to learn this.
  • MissingPixies
    MissingPixies Posts: 316 Member
    I'm 23 and I have arthritis in my wrists, knees, and hips. It is more painful in the winter for my wrists and hips, but as a previous poster said... Start out slow and it will get better/easier. Some days I can't even do any hand exercises, like push-ups, weight lifting, etc... and when I walk my hips start to be real painful after about a mile into my walk (when this happens I just take a quick break and move slower). I can't even jog/run in the summer time because with the heat my knees get all swollen and painful, so I try to jog/run during the winter or when it is cooler (it's less painful this way).
  • Hi --I have fbromyalgia which is a bear and acts up in the cold too. I find that the warmer my environment is, the easier it is to reciver from the flareups and manage the pain. So before working out, I make sure I am very warm, whether this is with a hot shower or with many layers of clothing and the thermoeter turned up. After working out, i keep moving for as long as possible. This has helped to eliminate the "day after" pain that most arthritis and fibro patients are familar with. The key is to never let yourself get cold, to elimiate as much acidic food i your diet as possible, and to help balance your body with alkaline foods (alkaline water, cauliflower magnesium, etc.). The excercises I work on specifically target pain areas such as knees, shoulders, hips, and back because strengthening these areas will reduce deterioration of the joints and result in less pain over time. I hope ome of the advice helps! Take good care!
  • fitzie63
    fitzie63 Posts: 508 Member
    EXERCISE in WATER... find your nearest indoor pool facility and see how their scheduling might work for you. When you exercise in water, you not only will feel less (if any) pain during the activity, you are not likely to feel it the next day either.
  • gingerb85
    gingerb85 Posts: 357 Member
    I have arthritis in my knees and back. I do like swimming and doing aqua Zumba, but most of the time I just take ibuprofen and push through. I am sensitive to what my body can take, though. I prefer our gym's elliptical bike to the elliptical machine or treadmill - that seems to be easier on my knees even though it is a lot of knee bending. For some reason, my knees like it better than the treadmill. I can do regular Zumba and usually am fine with that. Sometimes my knees will hurt from the beginning of the class and I skip the other two classes after Zumba (I'll try to do three classes on Tuesdays if my knees let me - Zumba, a weight class, and a high intensity class that I do modify for my knees.)
  • It hasn't been diagnosed, but I think I do. My mother has rhumatoid arthritis and takes a lot of meds for it. The reason I think I do is because I have all the symptoms of swelling, pain, heat around the joints, etc. However, I feel the best when I exercise and the last couple of times I have done lunges (400 this last time), I have been happy to say that I have not really had any pain!! Well....except discomfort in the right places.....butt, legs, and hamstrings! That's good pain! My weekly leg workout is 400 lunges, 125 squats, and 125 deadlifts.
  • MostlyWater
    MostlyWater Posts: 4,294 Member
    I had a gout attack in the summer (gout is a type of arthritis). The dr said that I do not actually have gout but the blood work showed that I have a high amount inflammation .

    I sort of act like I have gout and I still have fluid in one foot from the attack. I do pretty much everything in the gym that I always did, but sometimes it hurts. The dr said that if the pain gets really bad, he'll have to put me on medication. No idea what that will be liked.
  • I have rheumatoid, I walk and go for swims when the weather permits. Stretching exercises are very important to me, especially in the morning before getting out of bed.
  • Amber82479
    Amber82479 Posts: 629 Member
    Arthritis can make life so frustrating! You know you'll feel better if you work out, but it hurts so much that working out is the last thing you want to do! I was diagnosed with a rare form of arthritis (spondyloarthropaty) when I was 14 and it's been a struggle on and off for the last 18 years. I can totally understand your frustration. Have you used or talked to your doctor about using any supplements? I find that religious use of fish oil and glucosamine and chondroitin has helped to ease my pain some. Not sure if they would help you or if you could take them, but just a thought. Do you have access to a pool? Swimming and water aerobics are a great way to get your heart rate up without the impact that can further hurt your aching knees. Also, maybe some low impact exercises using bands or perhaps yoga? I wish I had some wonderful advice to offer, but really it's finding a balance of what works for you. If there is anything I can do to help or you just want to talk, feel free to message me :)
  • Thank you so much for the replies and encouragement. Amber82479, I understand what you mean about feeling better from working out but the pain makes you not even attempt to. It is very frustrating. I'm going to try to keep exercising, and lorijo you had a good point about stretching daily. I'm not on meds, but do take a calcium and vit D supplement daily along with advil or ibprofen.
  • runwithmike
    runwithmike Posts: 145 Member
    My knees!
  • james_scholte
    james_scholte Posts: 5 Member
    Hi Amber. I also have Arthritis. Actually I have a rare auto-immune disorder called Still's Disease, which Arthritis is part of. I am having a hard time walking as fast as I would like to, due to the Arthritis. What sort of exercises do you do that work for you and minimize joint pain? Thanks for your time!

    ~Jim Scholte
  • I have Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, which is a collagen defect disorder. Because of my loose joints and frequent dislocations, I have arthritis in several joints. It makes exercising complicated, and there are days that I can't even move, but I am keeping at it because I am not giving in! I have been walking and am going to try some weight lifting to see if I can strengthen some areas. I have a physical therapist that I will be starting with soon, and I am hoping to get some good ideas there. I will share!
  • pglaf
    pglaf Posts: 257 Member
    I too have arthritis all over. The worst is in my knees and hands.
    Like others have said, keeping active helps so much.
    Do whatever you can. I started out just with walking and that helped. Then once I lost weight I felt better and was able to do more and more.
    There are still some days that are worse than others and I still have to modify workouts to me specifically but its so beneficial to keep moving.

    Good luck to you
  • meltygarden
    meltygarden Posts: 111 Member
    My arthritis is mostly in my spine, and yoga has helped that tremendously. Like, I have been able to stop using painkillers because of yoga.

    I do have some arthritis in my knees and ankles and the elliptical feels a lot better to me than most other things. Also it helps a lot to wrap a heating pad around my joints and warm them up before I start exercising.
  • DaniJeanine
    DaniJeanine Posts: 473 Member
    I have Rheumatoid Arthritis and I agree with the above posters about working out=less pain. I work out all the time--Zumba, Hiking, Kettlebells, Yoga, Pilates, Zumba Toning, etc. For me, it's the key to controlling my pain.

    In fact, there's an overwhelming body of evidence that shows the benefits of exercise on all forms of arthritis. I watched a video last night that outlined a clinical study which followed a large number of people over 9 years. Out of the patients who had arthritis of the knee, there was a 47% decrease in pain and symptoms in people who were active for 30 minutes a day, or for at least 150 minutes a week. By "active" they focused on the simple act of walking. Basically, you don't have to go high-intensity to get "exercise". Start by just walking outside or on the treadmill. Even just 1 hour a week is enough to improve symptoms and overall health. If you'd like to see the video for yourself, it's called "23 1/2 Hours" and it's on YouTube. I'd put the link, but I'm at work so I'm blocked lol.

    If you need a friend who knows what you're going through, feel free to friend or message me anytime!!!
  • I had arthritis when I was small - diagnosed at age two. I have since 'outgrown' it - this is what the doctors have told me - but I have since developed another joint problem and most likely will need knee replacements by age 30.

    I haven't worked out in several months (due to university, work, etc), but as of late have started again. When I was working out daily, I had virtually no pain. In the beginning, I did, but as I started running and doing more with my knees, the pain gradually subsided. Once I stopped working out, it came back. My knees are stiff all of the time - it even hurts to walk up the stairs.

    My advice to you would be to consult your doctor for his or her advice, but start doing something! Don't push yourself too hard, just little step by little step! Best of luck to you and hope all is well! x
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