Arthritis: 8 Best Workout Practices To Reduce Stiffness In Joints

Suffering from arthritis can be tough on the body and mind. Arthritis essentially means swelling and stiffness on the various joints in your body. You might experience Arthritis on your knees, elbows, hips, and even fingers. It may be caused due to ageing (osteoarthritis arthritis) or autoimmune disease (rheumatoid arthritis).

As discussed above, arthritis can cause discomfort to the various joints in our body. This pain and discomfort can make your joints stiff and restrict their movement. To better the flexibility of your joints you can try various workout regimes that promote better muscle elasticity.

8 best workout regimes to increase joint elasticity and reduce arthritis symptoms:

Walking

Walking is one of the easiest ways to improve your flexibility and reduce stiffness in the joints and muscles. Walking also is easy to follow and hence can be practiced by almost everyone. Walking is a great habit to keep in your daily routine as it also reduces your risk of developing other diseases.

Yoga

Yoga originated in India and is popularly known for its long-term benefits to the body and mind. One of the main benefits of practicing yoga is flexibility. Yoga exponentially increases overall elasticity in the body. It also has different levels of difficulty which makes it very easy to customise poses that work for you.

Qigong

Qigong is a workout regime that originated in China thousands of years ago. Although qigong works towards mental awareness and visualisation, it has been proven to cure various illnesses. It also includes various poses that boost flexibility in the body.

Tai Chi

Tai Chi similar to qigong originated in China. It has been followed for thousands of years and encompasses more physical movements than qigong. Tai Chi just like yoga incorporates various poses and positions which help increase flexibility in the joints, muscles, and the overall body.

Dancing

Dancing is a very fun and interesting way to incorporate working out into your routine. Dancing similar to yoga has different levels of difficulty and can be customised to the intensity that works best for you. Dancing may be slow-paced or high-paced, either way, it betters overall elasticity in the muscles.

Swimming

Swimming is another easy-to-follow workout regime for people that have arthritis. It is usually low-intensity and is more effective in relieving arthritis pain. Swimming and other water training methods are highly encouraged for people suffering from arthritis.

Cycling

Cycling is another great way to increase flexibility in the joints if you have arthritis. However, similar to walking, it may only impact the lower half of your body. Although, it still promotes blood circulation and other benefits in the whole body.

Pilates

Pilates is a great regime if you wish to ease the stiffness in your joints as it is low-impact and significantly increases flexibility. Pilates similar to yoga and tai chi works towards bettering the elasticity of muscles and joints.

In conclusion, regularly stretching your joints and muscles can help you better manage arthritis. Furthermore, these regimes reduce arthritis symptoms and also better blood circulation. Also please note that these exercises only relieve stiffness and discomfort and are not an alternative to medication and a proper diet.

Disclaimer: This content including advice provides generic information only. It is in no way a substitute for a qualified medical opinion. Always consult a specialist or your own doctor for more information. NDTV does not claim responsibility for this information.