HHS HealthBeat (August 01, 2008)

Exercise against arthritis

From the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, I’m Ira Dreyfuss with HHS HealthBeat.

Do you struggle with aching joints caused by arthritis? If you do, you aren’t the only one. Arthritis affects one out of every five American adults.

Among the best things you can do for your arthritis is to keep your joints moving, because physical activity can preserve range of motion and increase muscle strength.  

How much should you use them?

At the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Dr. Jennifer Hootman advises:

“What we recommend for people with arthritis is they should strive to get, at minimum, 30 minutes a day of aerobic exercise, which is something that increases the hear rate or breathing rate. They should do that at least three days per week.” (11 seconds)

Moderate physical activity can do that.

Dr. Hootman also recommends maintaining a normal body weight and seeking treatment early.

Learn more at hhs.gov.

HHS HealthBeat is a production of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.  I’m Ira Dreyfuss.

Last revised: August, 01 2008