Arthritis patients may not seem the most obvious candidates for adopting a strength-training or weightlifting regimen. But evidence shows that strength-training is highly beneficial to those suffering from osteoporosis and other forms of the disease.
Here’s 4 reasons arthritis sufferers can benefit:
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Alleviate pain. A recent study in the International Journal of Preventive Medicine found that men with rheumatoid arthritis who strength-trained three times a week over eight weeks reported a 23 percent reduction in pain (in the knees).
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Improve range of motion. Patients who practiced resistance training three days a week for five weeks, with equipment such as a band or by using their own body weight, exhibited similar flexibility to those not affected by arthritis who performed regular stretching routines (Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research).
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Build muscle. Strength-training builds up muscle, which burns calories. Burning calories helps to shed fat and maintain a healthy weight. Arthritis patients who are overweight often experience more painful and severe symptoms than others due to the excess pressure put on their already stressed joints.
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Increase bone density. Women are robbed of nearly 50% of their bone tissue at or around the time they reached menopause. Men follow closely behind losing bone mass at a rapid once they hit 65 or 70 (National Institutes of Health). Decreased bone mass, or density, is a leading cause of arthritis. Lifting weights on a regular basis slow down this bone density loss.
The stronger and leaner the body is, the better armed it is to fight against arthritis.
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(Courtesy Arthritis Foundation)
