Conquering Arthritis With Exercise

Arthritis can cause a lot of pain and severely alter the day-to-day activities of an individual. However, it does not have to be that way, and through exercise, you can actually get the better of arthritis and go back to the things you love, including knitting, golfing, gardening and more.

These exercises are easy to do and extremely effective.

1. Ankle circles are an excellent way to keep your ankle joints healthy. You simply need to sit upright in a chair with your feet out in front of you. Then, just circle your feet in one direction 20 times, and then the opposite direction 20 times.

2. The heal/toe lift is another effective way to deal with arthritis in your feet, and it involves sitting forward on a chair with your feet flat. Then, lift your heels, keep your toes on the floe and then lift your toes. Hold this for three seconds and repeat 20 times.

3. Knee raises will work the kneecap and joints there to ensure you do not suffer arthritis there, which can keep you from walking as much as you would like. Sit on the edge of a chair with your back straight and lift your knees as high as you can without bending your back. Keep your abdomen tight, and then slowly lower your legs back to the starting position.

4. If you want to combine the legs with the ankles in exercise, you can do the leg lift with ankle movements. In this case, you sit with your back supported, and you slowly straighten your knee. With the knee slightly bent, you then bend the ankle with your toes pointing out ahead. Reverse this and have your toes point towards the ceiling. Repeat once more with the other leg.

5. Shoulder stretches can be done by sitting or standing with your forearms pressed against your body. Then, bring your elbows to the 'hands up' position, with your palms facing forward. After that, stretch your arms overhead as far as you can, and keep your elbows in line with the side of your body.

6. Forward arm reaches involve sitting or standing with your arms at your sides and your elbow bent with the thumbs pointing towards your shoulders. Stretch your arms overhead and then lower to the start position.

7. The fingers are very prone to arthritis, but you can deal with this when you do the finger walk and thumb circles exercise. You simply sit with hands on the table, fingers pointing ahead, and then slide thumbs towards each other. Slide each finger, one at a time, toward the thumb, and then walk your hands by lifting them one at a time toward the thumb. Once completed, lift your hands and put them down straight, then move your fingers to the thumb again.

8. Walking everyday is a great way to stretch your back and leg muscles, along with your joints. Plus you get to see the outdoors and enjoy the nice weather.

Arthritis is a tough thing to deal with, but when you use the exercises outlined here, you can enjoy less arthritis problems and more mobility, which will get you out doing the things you have always enjoyed, quicker than you thought possible.