Osteoarthritis is a common disease of old age. However, more and more young people are also affected: The joints hurt, are swollen and restrict the ability to move – that’s why most sufferers quickly lose the desire to do sports. But sport is particularly important in the case of osteoarthritis. Because with the right types of sports, the symptoms of osteoarthritis can be alleviated.
Osteoarthritis: gradual wear and tear of the joints
Throughout our lives, we put strain on our joints. Climbing stairs, lifting objects, standing up, sitting down – and our own body weight is always involved, too. So it’s understandable that signs of wear and tear appear with age. The soft cartilage that surrounds our bones becomes more porous and thinner, until eventually it is no longer there at all: then bone rubs against bone. This process causes pain and also leads to gradual joint wear, osteoarthritis.
Even young people can have osteoarthritis
Along with cardiovascular disease and dementia, osteoarthritis is one of the three most significant diseases in old age. However, more and more young people are also affected: An accident, a congenital deformity, obesity, joint inflammation and certain metabolic diseases can be causes of osteoarthritis. Especially the large joints of the body such as knee, hip, shoulder, elbow and wrist then show the symptoms typical of arthrosis. Pain and functional limitations mean that those affected hardly move at all or engage in sports. But that is exactly what they should do. Because sport in osteoarthritis not only alleviates the symptoms, but can even stop the wear and tear in the best case.
Sport as prevention in osteoarthritis?
When we move, our joints produce a lubricating substance called synovial fluid. It has a dampening effect, acting as a lubricant, so to speak, and thus ensures smooth mobility. It also contains nutrients that supply the cartilage, thus keeping this protective coating of the joint surfaces alive. Through regular exercise, we also strengthen our muscles and thus the holding apparatus that surrounds and stabilizes our joints. Therefore, sport is important to prevent osteoarthritis. However, sport is also definitely recommended for those who are already suffering from the disease.
Not all sports are good for osteoarthritis
However, not every type of sport is suitable for osteoarthritis patients. Fast starting and stopping, such as in tennis, should be avoided. Other ball sports are also generally not recommended, as they often require rapid changes of direction and abrupt movements. In osteoarthritis, the joints should be loaded with little or no weight, so sports such as skiing or excessive weight training are prohibited. In general, extreme sports, competitive sports and competitions should be avoided. Relieve pain with osteoarthritis: this helps!
Swimming for osteoarthritis
Swimming is considered a panacea for any form of osteoarthritis. Whether it’s osteoarthritis of the knee, hip, shoulder or ankle, the weightlessness in the water relieves the joints and reduces the body weight bearing down on them. In addition, when you move in the water, you experience a pleasant massage effect and your heart rate is lowered by the water pressure. Swimming also promotes coordination, endurance and muscle development. The latter is further enhanced by the water resistance. Ideal for osteoarthritis are crawl and backstroke. Because in the case of knee or hip joint arthrosis, breaststroke puts unfavorable stress on the joints.
Aquajogging as an alternative to swimming
Aquajogging offers an interesting alternative to swimming. Through this sport, you burn about 400 calories in 30 minutes and a weight reduction is thus quickly established in case of overweight. However, one should pay attention to the correct technique:
- Tense abdomen
- Elbow flexion at 90 degrees
- Upright posture
- Opposite arm and leg movements
Cycling for osteoarthritis
In second place among the best sports for osteoarthritis is cycling: Both excursions by bike and cycling on a home trainer (ergometer) are good. In both cases, it is extremely important to adjust the bike properly for the individual:
- When sitting upright on the saddle, the stretched leg should reach the pedal.
- The handlebars must be set higher than the saddle.
- Contact with the pedal takes place between the ball of the foot and the metatarsus.
- With hand arthritis helps a grip gear or bottom bracket gear.
- The knee angle should be more than 90 degrees. Here, the knee angle is the angle between the upper and lower leg, which is achieved when you just start to press down the pedal.
In addition, the bike should have as many gears as possible, so that you can optimally adjust the resistance to the particular requirements. In general, you should prefer the lower gears when riding. The cadence is ideally between 80 and 100 pedal revolutions per minute, with the legs at no time fully pushed through. The same applies to the ergometer: Low wattage (25-50 watts) with high cadence.
Jogging for osteoarthritis
In principle, there is nothing wrong with jogging in osteoarthritis, if some points are observed. The most important requirement is well-cushioned shoes that cushion the weight. Because with the faster running we expect our hip, knee and foot joints the 2.5 – 3-fold of our body weight. Routes that go uphill or downhill, as well as asphalt paths, should be avoided. It is better to run on a flat forest path, because it is easier on the joints.
Nordic walking for osteoarthritis
Better than jogging is Nordic walking for osteoarthritis, because this sport uses special poles for support. Thus, the body weight is distributed and the load is only half that of jogging. The upper body muscles are also challenged, an advantage that Nordic walking has over normal walking. For osteoarthritis patients, it is especially important to pay attention to the correct technique when Nordic walking – the so-called ALFA technique:
- A: upright posture
- L: long arm
- F: flat stick
- A: adjusted stride length
Medical training therapy for osteoarthritis
This training program, supervised by a physician, combines several sports exercises. Elements of strength and endurance sports, as well as coordination and stretching exercises are applied under professional guidance. The body is challenged in its entirety, because the holistic training approach also takes into account individual breathing and the cardiovascular system. The rule of thumb for the ideal pulse rate is: 180 minus age.
The movement sequences learned can also be performed well at home.
Other useful sports for osteoarthritis
In winter, cross-country skiing is an option for osteoarthritis patients, as this type of sport puts particular strain on many joints in the body. Those who prefer to exercise at home instead of outdoors should try gymnastics. The advantage of this sport is that no strain is placed on the joints, but the ligaments and tendons are stretched. This has a positive effect on mobility and also helps to relax the muscles. In principle, a stretching exercise session should also be performed after any other workout.
7 general tips for exercising with osteoarthritis.
Anyone who suffers from osteoarthritis and wants to exercise should follow these tips:
- In order to exercise effectively and to really do something good for one’s body, athletic training should be tailored to the individual patient. This means that the workload must be adapted to the personal condition and training condition. Because osteoarthritis arises among other things by too little movement – but under certain circumstances also by too much.
- Therefore, look for exercises at the beginning, which you find easy. On these exercises you can then slowly build up.
- Care should be taken that the load is not too one-sided and preferably the whole body is involved in the training.
- It is very important to be pain-free during training. This means that you should take it easy during periods when the discomfort is stronger.
- To achieve some regularity, pick at least three days a week to work out. Alternatively, 30 minutes a day is also a good solution.
- You can combine the training well with your leisure activities, because sports is probably the only therapy against osteoarthritis that can be fun.
- If you have problems motivating yourself alone, look for a sports group, because together everything is easier.
Through sports for osteoarthritis, you can do something yourself and in the best case even avoid surgery.In addition, you can also prevent other diseases by exercising regularly. Consult with your doctor and start exercising today is best.
