exercise
s t n i o J
EXERCISES THAT ARE EASIER ON YOUR When osteoarthritis jeopardizes your mobility, exercise can keep you moving.
By Juliane Morris
Ensuring that muscles and surrounding tissues are strong is essential to provide support for osteoarthritis. Without proper exercise, supporting muscles are weakened, creating more stress on joints. For people with arthritis and related joint pain and stiffness, gentle exercise improves strength and flexibility of the muscles around joints. Gentle exercise also helps with bone strength, improves balance, weight control, and can diminish joint pain and fatigue. These three exercises help with range of motion, strength, balance and a touch of aerobic benefit. Move gently with low impact, breathing slowly and deeply.
1.
THE SEATED SIDE STRETCH Sit tall and comfortably positioned with your legs crossed. Tighten your core, checking that you are seated straight upright. Relax your face, jaw and shoulders. Raise one arm overhead and
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lean to the opposite side for a side body stretch and core muscle engagement practice. Hold for a count of six seconds, breathing in and out with each two second mark. Return to center and lower arm. Repeat on other side. Repeat the sequence twice.
