People with arthritis are even less likely than
the average to get enough -- or any --exercise,
a large U.S. study shows.
Among more than 27,000 adults in a national health
survey, those with arthritis were less likely to
be exercising at levels recommended by health experts:
at least 30 minutes of moderate activity, like brisk
walking, or 20 minutes of more vigorous exercise,
on most days of the week.
"People with arthritis are not meeting physical
activity recommendations made at the federal level
and by experts in the arthritis field," study co-author
Dr. Jennifer Hootman, of the Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention in Atlanta, said in a statement.
"That's not good," she said, "because we know that
being more active is beneficial for arthritis."
Osteoarthritis arises when the cartilage cushioning
the joints begins to wear away, leading to inflammation,
pain and stiffness. Though that may seem like an
obstacle to exercise, research shows that staying
active can help relieve the pain and mobility problems
arthritis causes.
Both strength conditioning and cardiovascular activities
like walking have been shown to offer benefits.
According to findings published in the American
Journal of Preventive Medicine, only 30 percent
of the 6,829 arthritis sufferers in the current
survey were getting recommended levels of moderate
or vigorous exercise. Twenty percent were regularly
performing strengthening exercises.
Moreover, 37 percent of arthritis sufferers said
they got no exercise at all. People who had no access
to a fitness center, often because of expense or
lack of transportation, had some of the highest
rates of inactivity. Those with multiple physical
limitations were most likely to be sedentary.
In the latter case, it's not clear whether the
inactivity or the disabilities came first, according
to Hootman, but it's known that exercise can help
delay arthritis-related disability.
Many people with arthritis worry that exercise
will be painful or worsen the damage to their joints.
More should be done, the study authors say, to not
only reassure people that exercise is safe, but
also to better manage their pain in general.
"If we can get people with arthritis over the initial
pain barrier by addressing their pain and getting
them more active," Hootman said, "they'll actually
have less pain in the long term."
SOURCE: American Journal of Preventive Medicine,
May 2006.
