Maintaining an active lifestyle and exercising regularly can help to reduce the severity of the symptoms of arthritis alongside it’s usual benefits of improving strength and ability to complete everyday tasks.

Having arthritis and opting not to exercise can have detrimental affects on your overall health. Not exercising can lead to weight gain which could put an additional strain on joints and increase the pain of symptoms. Some people may then avoid exercising all together in order to avoid the pain.

By being idle and not exercising, your joints will become increasingly stiff. Inflammation may also occur, resulting in a reduction in range of motion over a prolonged period of time.

Lack of exercise over a prolonged period of time will also lead to the weakening of muscles which in turn will put additional pressure on your joints and make everyday tasks more difficult to complete.

Your heart and body circulation will also be negatively affected by a lack of exercise. Poor circulation will make the symptoms of arthritis seem much worse to the sufferer as it compounds the effects.

To find safe ways to be more active, you should make an appointment with your GP and ask for their advice. They may be able to provide you with a suitable exercise programme and/or a fitness instructor.

Factors such as individual fitness levels and the severity of your condition will impact what you are and aren’t able to do. Stretching, strengthening and aerobic exercises should all be considered as they have a range of benefits that may help to ease the severity of your symptoms.