Exercise and Arthritis.
Last updated Friday, April 08, 2005
Figure 1 - Isometric exercise Figure 2 - Isotonic exercise Figure 5 - Angry cat stretch Figure 6 - Double knee pull Strengthening exercisesWhat are strengthening exercises? These exercises help maintain or increase muscle strength. Strong muscles help keep your joints stable and more comfortable.What are common strengthening exercises for people with arthritis? Two common strengthening exercises for people with arthritis are:
- Isometric: In these exercises, you tighten your muscles, but
don't move your joints (see figure 1). This helps build your muscles
without moving painful joints.
- Isotonic: In these exercises, you strengthen muscles by
moving your joints (see figure 2). For example, when you press your
knee toward the floor, you are doing an isotonic exercise to strengthen
your thigh muscle.
Do these exercises daily or every other day. On days when you have
more joint pain and swelling, you can adapt your program by leaving out
or decreasing the strengthening exercises. Ask your therapist or doctor
about ways to do this.
Specific strengthening exercises can be done for different joints.
These should ONLY be done if they are comfortable. If you have
questions about whether you should be doing these exercises, contact
your physician. What are the instructions for viewing the exercise movies? Below are some strengthening exercises for people with arthritis.
Although these exercises were selected for their safety and
effectiveness, the UW Department of Ortheopedics is not responsible for
any injuries resulting from these exercises.
Some of these exercises are illustrated with movies. You must have
QuickTime installed to view these movies. Please go to Apple's
QuickTime website to download the player:
http://www.apple.com/quicktime/download/
After you have installed QuickTime, make sure that your browser is
set up to automatically play movies when you download them. When you
install QuickTime, it should do this for you. What strengthening exercises can a person with arthritis do? Back
- Pelvic tilt (see figure 3)
- Back erector (see figure 4)
- Angry cat stretch (see figure 5)
- Double knee pull (see figure 6)
- Half sit-up (see figure 7)
- Hip kicker (see figure 8)
Chest and torso
- To strengthen the muscles of the chest: Place your hands in front
of your chest, palms together, elbows at sides. Press your palms
together, holding for a count of five. Keep breathing.
- To tone the abdominal muscles: Place one hand over your stomach.
Inhale, then exhale, tightening your abdominal muscles while pressing
your lower back against a chair. Hold for up to a count of five. Inhale
or breathe normally, relaxing your abdominal muscles. (The hand is
there to feel the movement.)
Legs
- Knee lift: Sit in a chair. Slowly lift one knee at a time, keeping
the knee bent. Alternate left/right. Let your hands rest by your sides;
"hold" with the abdominal muscles rather than with your hands on the
chair. Don't let your knees roll inward.
- Leg extension: Sit in a chair. Slowly extend, or straighten, each
leg, then bring it back to resting. Alternate left and right legs.
- Thigh firmer: Sit on the edge of a chair with your legs stretched
out in front and heels resting on the floor. Tighten the muscle that
runs across the front of the knee by lifting your toes toward your
head. Push the back of the knee down towards the floor so you also feel
a stretch at the back of your ankle.
Calf and Ankle
Knee
Shoulder
Streaming videos  Keep Those Shoulder in Shape
Dr. Smith discusses shoulder exercises in the UWTV video, "Keep Those Shoulders in Shape: Training to Strengthen Muscles and How to Avoid Injuries".
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