Exercise was once believed to worsen arthritis symptoms by increasing pain and inflammation. However, research has shown that appropriate, targeted exercise can help reduce overall pain without negatively affecting disease activity or increasing inflammation.

Just as medications are prescribed based on your individual needs, your exercise program should also be tailored to your specific condition and abilities. It is important to choose exercises that are appropriate for your type of arthritis and current level of function.

We recommend working with a physiotherapist to develop a safe and effective exercise program that meets your individual needs and helps manage your arthritis symptoms.

Exercise safely and listen to your body. Keep the following tips in mind:

• Warm up and cool down: Allow time before and after exercise to prepare your muscles and joints and help them recover.
• Start slowly: Gradually increase the intensity and duration of your exercises to avoid overexertion.
• Respect your pain: Pay attention to how your body responds and avoid pushing through significant or worsening pain.
• Maintain good posture: Use proper body mechanics and technique when performing exercises.
• Manage discomfort: If you experience mild pain, heat or ice may help. Take prescribed medications as directed, and discuss medication timing with your healthcare professional if needed.
• Remember to breathe: Avoid holding your breath, particularly when performing strengthening exercises.
• Monitor your joints: Watch for signs of overuse, such as increased pain, swelling, or stiffness, and adjust your activities accordingly.

The goal is to exercise consistently and safely while improving strength, mobility, and overall quality of life.

Exercise should be enjoyable and comfortable, without causing significant pain. If you experience pain or discomfort that lasts longer than two hours after exercising, this may be a sign that you have overdone it. Consider reducing the intensity, duration, or frequency of your exercises and adjusting your program accordingly.

Other warning signs that you may be exercising too much include:

• Increased joint swelling
• Reduced range of motion
• Increased muscle weakness
• Excessive fatigue

It is important to listen to your body and adjust your exercise routine when necessary. Finding the right balance will help you stay active while protecting your joints.

It is always helpful to start with a structured exercise plan. Your physiotherapist can work with you to develop an individualized program with specific, measurable, and realistic goals. Your plan should be achievable, fit into your daily routine, and include a reasonable timeframe for reaching your goals.

Some people find that exercising with a partner provides encouragement, support, and motivation to stay on track.

To keep things interesting and prevent boredom, try incorporating a variety of activities into your routine. Keeping an exercise diary can also help you monitor your progress, recognize improvements, and stay motivated.

Above all, exercise should be enjoyable! Celebrate your achievements and reward yourself for your hard work and commitment.

It is always helpful to start with a structured exercise plan. Your physiotherapist can work with you to develop an individualized program with specific, measurable, and realistic goals. Your plan should be achievable, fit into your daily routine, and include a reasonable timeframe for reaching your goals.

Some people find that exercising with a partner provides encouragement, support, and motivation to stay on track.

To keep things interesting and prevent boredom, try incorporating a variety of activities into your routine. Keeping an exercise diary can also help you monitor your progress, recognize improvements, and stay motivated.

Above all, exercise should be enjoyable! Celebrate your achievements and reward yourself for your hard work and commitment.

Range-of-motion exercises are designed to maintain the full movement of your joints. They can also help reduce joint stiffness, improve mobility, and relieve discomfort.

To perform these exercises, gently move each joint through its available range of motion and then return it to the starting or neutral position. Movements should be slow, controlled, and comfortable.

For example, when exercising the knee, slowly straighten your leg and then bend your knee as far as is comfortably possible. There is no need to hold the position; simply move smoothly through the available range.

For joints that are stiff or affected by arthritis, repeat each movement 5–10 times. If a joint is hot, swollen, or particularly painful, reduce the repetitions to 3–5 or modify the movement as needed.

These gentle exercises can generally be performed daily, particularly when joints feel stiff. Regular range-of-motion exercises help maintain joint flexibility, prevent contractures (permanent tightening or shortening of muscles and surrounding tissues), and reduce morning stiffness.

Strengthening exercises help build and tone the muscles surrounding your joints. Strong muscles provide support and stability to the joints while helping absorb some of the forces and shock transmitted through them during everyday activities. This can help protect your joints and improve overall function.

As your strength improves, you can gradually progress your exercises by increasing the number of repetitions or adding resistance or weight. It is important to make only one change at a time so that your body can adjust safely.

How often should you do strengthening exercises?

• To build muscle strength: Aim for 3–4 sessions per week, allowing adequate recovery between sessions.
• To maintain muscle strength: Aim for 2–3 sessions per week.
• To improve muscular power: Use heavier resistance with fewer repetitions (approximately 6–8).
• To improve muscular endurance: Use lighter resistance with more repetitions (approximately 12–15).

Getting started

Start slowly and gradually build up your strength. We generally recommend beginning with:

1. One set of 10 repetitions, performed 3–4 times per week.
2. Once this becomes comfortable, progress to two sets of 10 repetitions.
3. Gradually increase to three sets of 10 repetitions as your strength improves.

When these exercises become easier, speak with your physiotherapist about progressing your program. This may involve adding weights or resistance, changing your exercise position, or moving on to more challenging exercises.

Remember to use proper technique, avoid holding your breath, and listen to your body. If you experience increased joint pain or swelling, modify your exercises accordingly.

The goal is to build strength gradually, protect your joints, and make exercise an enjoyable part of your daily routine!

Aerobic exercise is designed to improve the health and efficiency of your heart and lungs. It helps improve cardiovascular fitness, increase endurance, and support overall health and well-being.

When starting an aerobic exercise program, use the following guidelines:

FREQUENCY: Aim for 3–4 sessions per week of moderate-intensity exercise.

INTENSITY: Start with low- to moderate-intensity exercise and gradually increase as your fitness improves.

TIME: Aim to accumulate approximately 120 minutes of aerobic activity per week, starting with sessions of at least 10 minutes.

TYPE: Choose any continuous, rhythmic activity that uses large muscle groups and can be sustained comfortably for at least 10 minutes. Examples include:

• Walking
• Cycling
• Swimming
• Water aerobics
• Dancing

Monitoring Your Exercise Intensity

You can estimate your maximum heart rate using the following formula:

Maximum heart rate = 220 − your age

As a general guide, aim for approximately 55–70% of your estimated maximum heart rate, depending on your fitness level:

• Beginners: Start around 55% of your estimated maximum heart rate.
• More experienced individuals: May gradually progress towards 70%, if appropriate.

Another useful way to monitor exercise intensity is the talk test. During moderate-intensity exercise, you should be able to speak comfortably in full sentences, although singing may be difficult.

Start slowly, listen to your body, and gradually increase the duration and intensity of your activity as your fitness improves. Your exercise program should be adapted to your individual health conditions, abilities, and goals.

Hydrotherapy (Water-Based Exercise)

Hydrotherapy refers to therapeutic exercise performed in water. Water provides support, assistance, and resistance, making it an excellent environment for people with arthritis and other joint conditions.

The buoyancy of water helps reduce the amount of body weight placed on weight-bearing joints, such as the hips and knees. This reduces joint compression and makes movement easier and more comfortable. As a result, people may experience improved mobility with less pain and less muscular effort.

Therapeutic pools are generally heated to approximately 92–96°F (33–36°C), providing a warm and comfortable environment for exercise.

Benefits of Hydrotherapy

Exercising in warm water offers several potential benefits, including:

• Promotes general relaxation.
• Reduces muscle tension and spasms.
• Helps relieve joint and muscle pain.
• Improves flexibility of muscles and other soft tissues.
• Makes movement easier by reducing the load on weight-bearing joints.
• Helps improve joint mobility and overall physical function.

Precautions When Exercising in Warm Water

Although hydrotherapy can be beneficial, it is important to speak with your doctor before starting a warm-water exercise program, particularly if you have cardiovascular conditions or other underlying health concerns.

Warm water makes it more difficult for the body to release excess heat. It can also cause blood vessels to widen, potentially lowering blood pressure and increasing heart rate.

Vigorous exercise in warm water may place additional demands on the cardiovascular system and could cause the heart to work harder than is safe for some individuals.

For this reason, it is important to:

• Check with your doctor before starting hydrotherapy.
• Avoid excessively hot water.
• Begin with gentle exercises and gradually increase activity.
• Avoid overexertion.
• Stay hydrated.
• Stop exercising if you experience dizziness, unusual breathlessness, chest discomfort, or excessive fatigue.

A physiotherapist can help determine whether hydrotherapy is appropriate for you and develop a safe exercise program based on your individual needs and abilities.

When performed correctly, exercise can help reduce pain, improve joint health, and maintain joint mobility and flexibility.

Regular exercise also helps strengthen the muscles surrounding the joints, improve joint stability, and maintain bone strength.

In addition to its physical benefits, exercise can improve overall fitness, support healthy weight management, boost self-confidence, reduce stress and anxiety, and promote better sleep. Together, these benefits can improve overall health and quality of life.

A few tips if you have arthritis:

• Start slowly and increase activity gradually.
• Warm up before exercising and cool down afterward.
• Some mild soreness is normal, but sharp or persistent joint pain is a sign to stop and adjust the activity.
• During arthritis flare-ups, gentler movement or range-of-motion exercises may be more appropriate than vigorous exercise.

Exercise was once believed to worsen arthritis symptoms by increasing pain and inflammation. However, research has shown that appropriate, targeted exercise can help reduce overall pain without negatively affecting disease activity or increasing inflammation.

Stretching exercises help improve and maintain joint flexibility. Flexibility refers to the ability of muscles and tendons to stretch and lengthen.

Tight or shortened muscles can restrict joint movement and reduce the range of motion. Conversely, muscles that are excessively lengthened or lack sufficient tension may contribute to instability in the underlying joint. Maintaining a healthy balance between muscle tension and flexibility is important for optimal joint function and stability.

Guidelines for stretching:

• Always stretch after completing strengthening exercises, when your muscles are warm.
• Move slowly and gently into each stretch until you feel a mild pulling sensation.
• Hold each stretch for approximately 30 seconds.
• Repeat each stretch 3–4 times.
• Aim to perform stretching exercises at least 3 times per week.
• Avoid bouncing or forcing a stretch, and remember to breathe normally.

Stretching should feel comfortable and should not cause sharp pain. Regular stretching can help maintain flexibility, improve joint mobility, reduce stiffness, and make everyday activities easier.

Core stability exercises are designed to strengthen and retrain the deep muscles responsible for stabilizing your body’s core.

The core can be compared to the centre of an apple. It consists of the deep muscles surrounding and supporting your spine, pelvis, and trunk. These muscles work together to provide stability, maintain good posture, and support your body during everyday movements.

The deep core muscles are activated in preparation for movement, helping to stabilize the spine and pelvis before your arms, legs, or trunk move.

Developing good core stability can improve posture, balance, coordination, and overall movement control while helping support the spine during daily activities.