Osteoarthritis can be a painful limiter to the activities you love. It can even prevent you from doing some of the exercises that will reduce pain. However, there are exercises that are beneficial, without causing pain or discomfort. These exercises, along with dietary changes, can also reduce inflammation.
Today’s question comes from 61-year old Cheryl, who writes,
“My biggest challenge is how to stay motivated and fit while dealing with osteoarthritis.”
Cheryl has tried water aerobics and doesn’t love it or the instructor. She would rather float on top of the water instead of be in it. She has issues with her wrists and her feet, and arthritis is advancing into her spine. Her main concern is inflammation and how to stop it.
Cheryl’s wise about the need to reduce inflammation so that her osteoarthritis is less of an issue. Whether you, like Cheryl, have osteoarthritis or are simply concerned about living as actively as possible in this second half of life, this episode is for you!
In this episode I focused on how to exercise with osteoporosis and still be inclusive of your other flipping 50 goals. Truly, Hot, Not Bothered (by joints in this case)!
In this episode’s Minute Made Meals I shared how to reduce inflammation so you can feel better exercising. Several nutrients are important and some ingredients in foods can make inflammation worse.
- Omega 3 – you want to focus on higher levels of EPA, DHA
- Vitamin C helps reduce inflammation
- Eliminate sugars and dairy – replace them with coconut or almond milk, coconut milk powder for creamer, goat cheese to “cream” soup without the cream, berries and coconut cream, or cashew yogurt
- A high quality multivitamin is important especially if you’re deficient in micronutrients (my favorites are listed here)
Muscles in Minutes
Do a simple weight training sequence (with 15 up to 20 repetitions) and stop short of fatigue. In other words, you want to feel you could have done a few more. This is unique to exercise with osteoarthritis. Where ordinarily with healthy joints you do want to reach fatigue, to give joints TLC and still strengthen the muscles surrounding them, walk away feeling like you could have done more.
- Squats
- Rows
- Hip bridges
- Hamstring curls
- Long arm bicep
- Long arm tricep
Even though Cheryl isn’t crazy about it, exercising in deep water with a belt or shallow water walking, between navel and nipple depth, is wonderful for removing the effects of gravity and allowing full range of motion with some resistance from the water.
You don’t need an instructor, you just need to locate a warm water pool and determine what depth of water you have access to. You may find you start loving the water if it leaves you feeling better.
Get Your Best Rest
Get your best rest to help reduce inflammation. Pain causes fatigue, but a few simple tricks can help. Soak in Epsom salt baths to relax muscles that may become tense when joints with osteoarthritis are causing pain and you compensate. If you struggle with sleep, the magnesium in the Epsom salt may help. You’ll absorb what you need across your skin.
Have you got a great mattress? Get one! My Sleep Number is a lifesaver.
Flipping 50 TV Episode 9 offers even more insight about how to reduce inflammation so you can move and exercise with osteoarthritis more comfortably. You’ll find a score card in that show to see how you’re doing daily with habits that influence your inflammation.
I’ve got two ways for you to give TLC to your joints. Start strengthening muscles around joints. The Whole Flip 4-DVD set comes with a DVD dedicated entirely to supporting range of motion, and strengthening muscles surrounding joints to reduce stress on the joints. You’ll find support for the upper back, neck, as well as knees, hips and more. The cardio is all joint friendly. If you love and prefer DVDs this is for you! 
Check out my new Knee Friendly 5-Day Flip. Get the first cardio video right away and give it a try! You can move in a way that meets your goals without pain of high impact exercise. 
Thank you for watching this Flipping 50 TV episode! Spread the word about the possibilities and what we CAN do to PRO-actively age.
Send me your question (this is the only way we can review and accept submissions for a future episode)! Flipping50tv.com
Two more episodes about joint health you might like:
Exercise for Weight Loss (Before or) After Joint Replacement: Episode 23
Exercise and Meals in Minutes for Your Hormone Health: Episode 1
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