Health & Nutrition Health and Nutrition - February 2018.edcoan.ir | Page 61
Joint Ef for t
Vinata Shetty, ACE, ACSM Certified, Reebok Master
Trainer solves your workout dilemmas
I
know I need to exercise to help counteract my
osteoarthritis, but how do I know if a particular exercise
is helping or actually making the arthritis worse?
Sneha Kamat, Bangalore
I’m glad you understand the importance of exercise for
improving your condition. There are a few contra-indications
to exercise for those with osteoarthritis that you might want
to be aware of.
l High impact activities can be avoided, as they do have
greater impact forces acting on your joints.
l To begin with, low impact movements will be a lot safer
and less stressful on your joints.
l Walking, swimming etc are safe activities to pursue.
l Strength training and mobility are other components
that need to be addressed. Work on improving mobility
and flexibility and then add the strength component.
Range-of-motion might be limited due to pain or even
stiffness. So work through a range of motion that
doesn’t result in any pain while performing any of the
exercise movements.
l Your warm up should be sufficient and efficient, and
include a lot of joint mobilization drills.
l Progress gradually and do not attempt too much too
soon. That is stressful even for healthy joints!
Your condition doesn’t mean you cannot perform
activities of daily living or even exercise. If anything, being
sedentary and gaining weight can only add to your woes.
So, definitely start working out and strengthen your joints,
and your condition will improve over time.
MOVE OF THE MONTH Strength exercises for key muscles
1. Holding onto a chair
to help you balance,
raise your left leg straight
out to the side and then
lower it back to the
starting position. Repeat
8-12 times, and then do
the same exercise with
the other leg. Wear a 1 lb
ankle weight to increase
the resistance.
2. Holding onto the back
of the chair again, raise
your leg behind you,
moving from the hip and
without bending your
knee. Go as far as you
comfortably can before
slowly lowering your leg.
Repeat 8-12 times, and
then do the exercise with
the other leg.
3. Holding 1-2 lb
dumbbells, bend your
arms at the elbow to
raise the weights to your
chest. Keep your elbows
close to your sides as you
lift the weights, and as
you slowly lower them
back down to your sides.
Repeat 8-12 times.
4. Stand at arms’
length from a wall,
palms flat on the
surface, shoulder-
width apart. Slowly
bend your elbows
to lower your body
against the wall and
then slowly push back.
Repeat 8-12 times.