Suffering from pain in limbs and joints? Try these simple exercises

Arthritis is a serious medical condition that leaves people suffering due to joint pain, swelling, stiffness and fatigue. While it may lead you to spend more time on the couch or bed, it does more harm than good. To stay active and help reduce the pain, doctors recommend exercising and performing physical activities or aerobic exercises such as walking, swimming, or biking.

Decreased activity can sometimes cause limbs and joints to be blocked and result in reduced muscle strength, which ultimately leads to increased arthritis pain and disability.

Dr Sachin Bhonsle, Senior Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon, Fortis Hospitals in Mulund, says, “Exercise goes a long way to keep joint pain at bay.” He suggests five types of simple exercises or physical activities that help keep the body energised and help in reducing body pain.

Weight-bearing exercises

Brisk walking in the morning and evening is good for bones.

Flexibility exercises

Stretches, yoga and swimming are good for joints.

Moderately vigorous exercises

Brisk walking and jogging can help pump up the heart rate

Racquet sports

Racquet sports like badminton and tennis keep sedentary diseases away and help stay a person active. Take out thirty minutes out for yourself and play a game with your friends or colleagues.

Breathing exercises

A simpler alternative will be to go some stretches or yoga followed by a brisk 30-minute walk.

If you don’t want to move around too much, staying at home and performing simple activities can also be of much help. Balance on one leg to improve strength and improvise strengthening exercises by using a chair to move from sitting to standing, or lifting hand weights (probably, a hard book or soup cans) for some light strength training. Bhonsle adds, “All of the above work as stress busters and can improve your mental peace.”