Exercise and Arthritis Part 3/3
We’ve spent the last two blogs discussing benefits of exercise and types of exercise generally well tolerated by individuals living with osteoarthritis. The next big question is:
Can you overdo it?
Short answer: yes. However, learning to identify your body’s signals for when you’ve done too much is a part of the process when engaging in activity. This also varies depending on whether you have an inflammatory arthritis (an autoimmune condition) or osteoarthritis.
If you are unsure what your diagnosis is, please speak with a health care professional such as your family doctor or physiotherapist.
In the meantime, try this
The 2-hour rule: if you have osteoarthritis, some discomfort with exercise can be expected. Once you have finished your activity, your increased discomfort should settle down within 2 hours. If not, this is a sign you may have done too much and need to modify (not stop!) your activity.
Keep pain less than 4/10: Rating pain is a subjective experience and your 4/10 may be different from someone else’s. However, it has been recognized that by maintaining pain levels below a 4/10, your pain will be more manageable and controllable by using various pain management techniques E.g. heat, cold, rest breaks, bracing
Don’t increase pain by more than 2 points: If your baseline level of pain is already above a 4/10, movement is still important! Try starting with gentle range of motion, or activities with less weight bearing (your Physiotherapist can help you determine what these are). As you move your body, try to keep your pain from increasing more than 2 points above your baseline rating.
Respect pain boundaries: Exercising with arthritis will not always be pain free, however, this does not mean we follow the “No pain, No gain” philosophy. This is important for individuals with an Inflammatory arthritis condition, or if you notice a significant increase in pain, swelling, or decreased function after activity. Begin moving within your boundaries of pain, rather than pushing through the pain. You may find that your overall movement begins to improve!
Please remember that these are all general recommendations and everyone’s experience with exercise is unique when living with arthritis. If you need further specific advice to help you reach your movement goals, reach out to speak with a physiotherapist.
Happy Exercising!