What are the best exercises for arthritis?

If you suffer from any form of arthritis, just the thought of doing some sort of physical exercise makes you cringe. Yet, physical exercises in moderate forms are key to chronic conditions such as reumathoid arthritis and ostheoarthritis. After just few weeks of exercises, most people notice a decrease in pain and increase mobility. Stiffness, immobility or rigidity felt in joints are a thing of the past.

There are some forms of exercises which should be avoided while others are essential for increasing mobility. Usually, you should avoid exercises that puts lots of pressure on your joints such as tennis or jogging. The types of exercises that you want are those slow in motion such as walking, cycling, or swimming. Another excellent type of exercise for those with painful joints is aqua-aerobics. Those types of exercises are also called cardio exercises as they are help with hurt and lungs.

Another great type of exercise is the so-called flexibility exercise. This one is essential to keep your muscles flexible and avoid rigidity and stiffness, symptoms often associated with arthritis. Having good flexible muscles helps support joints and good mobility.

Yoga is one of the most preferred type of flexibility exercises, not only because it addresses the mobility and flexibility of the muscles, but it helps with relieving stress and depression, often caused by pain. Other types of exercises that you could try from the same category are bending and muscle stretching.

Strength training is also a good type of exercise to try as long as it is moderate. For example, small to moderate weight lifting aids in keeping muscles strong.

Resistance training is a great way to improve the joint flexibility by targeting the knees, arms, hips, chest and back muscles.
Another important tip when it comes to exercises for arthritis is "cross training". This is nothing more than combing different types of exercises and make a routine from them. For example, one day you do swimming and the next day you do yoga classes. This helps train different types of muscles.

Another thing to remember is that you should not over-do exercises. You should also not necessary feel pain during exercise, not looking to. As a side note, if you are new to it, then a degree of pain at first it is perfectly normal. If, after two hours since you have done your routine, still experience pain, chances are that you have over-done it and next time you should do it lighter.