Arthritis Will Steal Your Life Away If You Let It

Arthritis has been around forever but for the last 100 years doctors believed the

best treatment for painful joints was rest and the message they gave sufferers was that inflamed joints would become more inflamed with activity. Fortunately current research acknowledges the multitude of health benefits of proper exercise for arthritis sufferers.

People who are sedentary are much more prone to developing bone and joint problems like osteoporosis and arthritis. Not enough vigorous activity leads to loss of muscle tone and body flexibility. Without strong muscles pulling on the bones they are attached to they weaken along with the joints that separate the bones to allow for movement.

Weakened muscles are less able to properly do their job of strengthening, protecting and cushioning joints so they become stiff and painful and more at risk of everyday injuries and accidents. When people have arthritis it hurts to move, so they often limit their movement but inactivity can be crippling - literally - for people with this disease.

Pain leads to inactivity, more muscle weakness and joint damage followed by more pain, and the cycle continues. Cartilage that allows the joint surfaces to slide smoothly over each other do not have a blood supply and instead rely on fluid moving in and out of the joint to nourish, lubricate and take away waste. This requires joint movement and some joint stress such as supporting a load.

Without strong toned muscles, cartilage wears out much sooner, shrinking and stiffening, reducing joint mobility and causing pain. You can count on double the decline in physical function without proper strengthening exercise and this leads to decreased ability to perform the basic functional tasks of daily living.

You cannot grow new cartilage to replace the cartilage that has been eroded away, but the good news is that you can rebuild muscle tissue and thereby rebuild the body's shock absorber system A strength training program performed 2-3 times each week with a bit of effort put into it is all it takes to get those muscles toned back up. They can then resume their job of supporting the bones of the skeleton so body parts like the joints do not have to take more load then they are designed for.

Although painful joints usually do not become a problem till a person gets closer to mid- life the damage starts in the 30's and 40's or even younger. Arthritis starts long before pain emerges so the time to practice prevention with a proper strength training program is right throughout the adult years.

Studies show that eight out of the adults do not do enough muscle strengthening exercise and our modern lifestyles allow little opportunity for most of us to get much if any. The only way to make sure we get enough is with an intentional exercise program so we can prevent and even reverse negative changes to muscles, bones and joints through disuse. It is never too late to start living an active lifestyle and you will never ever regret it.

by: Gen Wright

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