Arthritis: A Good Excuse for Not Exercising
Dr. Christoph Stehling (University of California, San Francisco) presented his findings to the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA) annual meeting. The study looked at people aged 45-55 (136 women and 100 men) who were asked about their exercising. They were then divided into groups of high, medium and low levels of activity.
The press release from the annual meeting explained that:
A person whose activity level is classified as high typically might engage in several hours of walking, sports or other types of exercise per week, as well as yard work and other household chores.
None of the participants had reported knee pain or other problems, but MRI scans showed knee damage in those who exercised the most. Neither age or gender had an effect.
Knee problems and joint pain are often associated with being overweight, but the participants in this study were all of a healthy weight.
Dr Stehling recommended that middle-aged people continue to exercise, but emphasised that "high-impact, weight-bearing physical activity, such as running and jumping, may be worse for cartilage health".
Low-impact exercises that can build cartilage and help protect your bones include swimming, cycling, using gym equipment where your feet stay put (like cross-trainers and rowing machines), and yoga and pilates.
other studies have said just the opposite - high impact activities lowers risk of osteoarthritis and sedentary behavior majorly increases it. I wouldn't throw one around willy nilly to modify behavior
ReplyUmmm his point was not to be sedentary vs high-impact. The point is substitute lower-impact exercises for higher impact ones. Poor reading comprehension on your part heather.
ReplyI think that as with most things, it's best to do a variety of things. Don't always run, mix it up with walking, cycling, swimming etc...
ReplyAfter being normal weight and very active as a child and teen, I became a nurse at age 19 and walked all day long, performed heavy lifting, and was very strong for being only 5 feet tall. I also had horses and 'lived' outside, could toss a bale of hay or bag of grain, and jogged or ran instead of walking any time I could. By the time I was 30, I already had fairly advanced arthritis in my ankles, knees, and spine. Two serious lifting injuries ended my nursing career in the '80s and I returned to office work. Over 3 decades, I have gain a lot of weight due to several health factors and I can assure you that 99% of health-care providers look at me and assume that I have arthritis (3 types) because I'm obese when, in fact, the arthritis preceded the fat. One doctor even told me, "get up off the couch and you'll feel better." Nonassertive person that I am, even I was pushed too far that time and when I finished my abbreviated and very clinical history with him, I concluded by saying, "I would be a lot healthier today if I had stayed on the couch!" Water exercise is the very best for me; when I was able to go to the pool a couple or three times a week, I lost weight, gained endurance and balance, and felt the best I have in years. From personal experience I say that it's really important to keep moving, even if it must be slowly, and 'save your joints' by not over-stressing them.
ReplyLow impact exercise is definitely beneficial for anyone with joint issues, but like heather said, they have done numerous studies on middle-aged runners and most of them have very healthy knees and hips. Running does not give you bad knees, but if you run when injured or overweight, you can do some damage.
Incidentally, my dog is 11 and is starting to develop arthritis in her hips. The vet told me NOT to keep her sedentary because that makes it worse. I walk her every day and take her to the dog park where she runs around after a good warm up.
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