Does Exercise “Prevent” Arthritis?
February 11, 2009
A study released earlier this year in Australia shows that exercise may actually act as a preventative for the stiff, achy joints that accompany arthritis. According to an article recently published in the Journal of Arthritis Research & Therapy, exercising as little as one hour and 15 minutes a week now can make a difference over the next three years. Although the study was performed on women only, it can be assumed that the same benefit results in men. More women than men suffer from arthritis, and the risk increases greatly with age.
The study suggests the more time older women spend exercising, the better their chances are of staying pain-free from one of the biggest chronic conditions plaguing developed countries - arthritis! Doctors have long encouraged exercise among aging patients to keep joints flexible, muscles strong and to keep off weight, which is a leading risk factor for arthritis, but this is the first study that focuses specifically on middle-aged and older women who did not have a previous history of stiff and painful joints. Women in their 70s who exercised 75 minutes a week reported fewer symptoms of arthritis than those who did less, while more spry women who were active at least 2 1/2 hours weekly had even less pain in the three years that followed. The study was performed on more than 8,700 Australian women over a three-year period.
Doctors have long encouraged exercise among aging patients to keep joints flexible, muscles strong and to keep off weight, which is a leading risk factor for arthritis. “I don’t think the results are suggesting that you should just become this maniac exerciser,” said lead author Kristiann Heesch from the University of Queensland, Australia. “What it does suggest is that just adding some walking and moderate activity to your life can make a big benefit.” “Maybe the exercise directly benefits the joints. Maybe exercise makes you lose weight and the latter benefits the joints. Maybe exercise causes pain sensing receptors to become less sensitive so one feels less pain,” said Dr. John Hardin, chief scientific officer at the Atlanta-based Arthritis Foundation, who did not participate in the study.
Arthritis is on the rise, one in five American adults has been diagnosed with it. Fully half of those over the age of 75 have reported it. In both the United States and Australia, arthritis is the No. 1 cause of disability. It is clear that exercise is a contributing factor to relief of arthritis pain. Simple exercises like swimming, walking, aerobics and other action-oriented leisure activities can surely help keep you away from the harmful steroidal prescriptions, that doctors customarily prescribe to mask the pain of arthritis. And since exercise helps keep the weight off, this reduces the strain placed on joints each day.
So as you approach your forties, fifties and beyond, pick up your equipment, put on your sneakers, and get in motion! This study shows clearly that you’ll regret it in a few years if you don’t!
