Entertaining kids andkeeping up with theirenergy can be a challenge,especially whenyou have arthritis. Butwith planning, a positiveattitude and some helpfrom others, you canenjoy your time with themwithout paying for it laterin joint pain andfatigue.Continue readingKeep Your Grandkids Busy Without the Fatigue of Arthritis
Think video games are just for kids and couch potatoes? Think again. Some games incorporate exercise, getting players up and moving. Called “exergaming,” this trend is on the rise in homes, gyms, physical therapy offices and rehabilitation centers.
Made popular by the Nintendo Wii, these interactive games use a handheld controller or sensors to track your body’s movement. That puts you in the game: You swing your arm to hit a baseball, jab in a boxing match or dance to earn points.
Continue readingAdd Video Games to Your Arthritis Workout Plan
迷你蹦床课程，也被称为“反弹”，最近引起了热议。上课时，每个人都在自己的蹦床上原地跳跃和奔跑，通常还会伴着音乐。克利夫兰诊所(Cleveland Clinic)康复与运动治疗中心(Rehabilitation & Sports Therapy)的教育主任、物理治疗师斯科特•尤普(Scott Euype)说，粉丝们说，这些快节奏的锻炼消耗热量，增强肌肉，比在硬地面上锻炼的效果要小。
However, you should be cautious before hopping on this bandwagon. If you jump too high or fast, the force may harm an already inflamed or damaged joint. Plus, “the landing surface is unstable, so you could turn an ankle or hurt your knee,” says Mary Ann Wilmarth, owner of Back2Back Physical Therapy in Andover, Massachusetts, and a spokesperson for the American Physical Therapy Association. Check with your doctor before you try rebounding. (Avoid it if you’ve hadjoint replacementin your feet, ankles, knees or hips unless your doctor has given the OK.)
Continue readingAre Trampoline Workouts Safe with Arthritis?
From easing pain to boosting flexibility, yoga has a long list of benefits for people with arthritis.
“Yoga is as safe as walking when it’s done properly,” says Steffany Moonaz, PhD, founder of Yoga for Arthritis and a research director at Maryland University of Integrative Health.
However, many people do poses incorrectly or without proper support. In fact, a recent study revealed that nearly 11 percent of people who did yoga experienced pain at some point as a result, and 1 in 5 said yoga made an existing injury worse. Stay safe with these simple tips.
You might exercise toimprove function, gain strength or slim down. Whatever your reason, “setting a goal can give you focus, confidence and motivation,” says Hannah J. Bennett, a physical therapist with Baylor Scott & White Sports Medicine and Rehabilitation in Round Rock, Texas.
But how can you tell if your workouts are working? The key is making realistic and specific milestones. “Check your progress regularly,” says Bennett. Seeing results can provide motivation – or signal that it’s time to switch things up. Here are four common fitness goals and how to track them.
Continue readingUse Goal Setting to Motivate Your Arthritis Workout
Whether by plane, train or car, travel can be a pain – literally. Especially if you haveinflammatory arthritisorosteoarthritis. Less oxygen and nutrients reach your joints, which contributes to pain and stiffness. “Sitting for long stretches slows your circulation,” says Lisa M. Higginbotham, anoccupational therapistand clinical rehab manager at a Cleveland Clinic hospital in Ohio.
Sluggish circulation also raises the risk for swelling and potentially dangerous blood clots, she adds. Moving at least every hour keeps joints mobile. Plus, “contracting your muscles pumps blood back to the heart,” says Eric Robertson, PT, director of Kaiser Permanente Northern California Graduate Physical Therapy Education. These moves done while seated can also help:
Research shows thatpeople with knee painhave a 25% greater risk of falling than people without pain. It’s also been found that one in three older adults falls each year. Falls can result in severe injuries, such as hip fractures.
To reduce your risk of falling,improve your balance with exercisesthat build strength and flexibility, says rheumatologist Rob Keenan, MD, at Duke Medicine in Durham, North Carolina. Improving your response time – that is, how quickly you react to stop yourself from falling – also can help, explains Alexander Aruin, PhD, a professor of physical therapy and bioengineering at the University of Illinois at Chicago.
Here are four ways to improve your balance and response time.
Continue readingDon’t Let Knee or Hip Pain Make You Unsteady
The popular childhood pastime hula hooping is back as a hot fitness trend. The workouts use heavier hoops – weighing one to five pounds – in fun routines set to music, says Joanne Wu, MD, a physical rehabilitation physician at Unity Spine Center in Rochester, New York, and owner of a wellness consulting company.
Although people with balance disorders shouldn’t try hula-hooping, the exercise is a gentle way tostrengthen the core. In fact, Dr. Wu recommends it for her spine patients. “Hooping itself is a low-impact exercise that’s gentle on the joints,” says Dr. Wu. “It builds balance and strength, especially in the core and legs.”
Continue readingMix Up Your Arthritis Workout With Hula Hooping
科学表明，平衡训练对患有关节炎和相关疾病的人有很大的好处。
每小时站起来走动两分钟就能让你活得更久。这是个好消息，因为越来越多的证据表明，久坐会缩短寿命，并进一步增加罹患几种慢性疾病的风险，这些疾病通常与关节炎有关，包括糖尿病、肾病、肥胖和心脏病。
在一项全国健康调查中，研究人员查看了3626人每天佩戴最多一周的设备的数据。他们测量了参与者每天花在久坐、各种低强度活动(如站立)、低强度活动(如随意行走)以及中等到剧烈运动(如快步走或举重)上的时间。
Continue readingTwo Minutes of Activity an Hour To Live Longer