The pain and stiffness that arthritis causes can make it tempting to throw in the towel when it comes to exercise. It is very difficult to motivate yourself to do something that causes more pain both during and after the activity. Exercise, however, is a very important part of managing your arthritis and keeping your body in shape. Here are some principles to follow to make exercise less painful and easier.

First, start any new exercise program gradually. As with any type of new physical activity, you will have increased pain and stiffness the following day or two. If you overdo the exercise, the pain and stiffness will be severe and you will be less likely to do that activity again. If you start the exercise gradually, the pain and stiffness will be mild and will go away quickly. You are likely to think "oh, that was not so bad", and you are more likely to try the exercise again.

Related to the previous point, give your muscles a day off after strenuous exercise. This does not mean you have to exercise one day, then not exercise at all the next day. What it means is if you complete a moderate or strenuous exercise routine that targets a certain set of muscles on one day, give that set of muscles a rest the next day and target a different set of muscles. An example would be a weight lifting program where you lift upper body weights for 20 minutes on Tuesday, lift lower body weights for 20 minutes on Wednesday, then back to upper body weights on Thursday, and so on. Another example would be swimming on Tuesday and Thursday, walking on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. The idea is to change the type of exercise for your muscles to give different sets of muscles a rest. This also decreases the strain on your joints.

Next, make sure to warm up before and cool down after exercise. Those old phy ed class warm up exercises had a purpose: they primed your muscles for exercise. If your muscles are warmed up and loosened up before exercising, you reduce your chance of injuring yourself. Before any exercise, do some easy walking or jogging, or some of those old warm up exercises, followed by some easy stretching. Try to target the muscle groups you will be exercising. Never bounce on a muscle as you stretch it. Just stretch and hold the stretch, easy and relaxed. After exercise, make sure to do some easy walking and easy stretching exercises to bring your heart rate down gradually.

Another point to follow is to keep moving later in the day when you are feeling stiff from exercise. If you have arthritis, you will feel stiff after exercise, especially if you are starting a new exercise program. Don't stop moving just because you are stiff. Take your pain medication, do some stretches, and try to do some easy activity. Moving through the movement will help ease you through the stiff period and make sure your muscles and joints don't react severely to the new exercise. If you rest or sit still through that period, the stiffness may become severe and you may have difficulty moving later in the day.

When exercising with arthritis, it is a good idea to find low impact exercises that do not place a lot of strain on your joints. Many people opt for swimming, as the water supports your body and takes some of the weight off of your joints, making exercise easier. The water also provides natural resistance as you move through it, helping you to build muscle. Other low impact forms of exercise include walking, low impact aerobics, and rowing. Bicycling can also be a good low impact exercise if your knees and back are in good shape. Certain forms of martial arts, such as tai chi, are very good for stretching and strengthening the muscles around your joints. Yoga is great for this as well but make sure to start slowly if you are new to yoga as this can be a very strenuous exercise.

If your arthritis is more advanced and you have had difficulty with exercise in the past, a specially designed exercise program might be for you. The Arthritis Foundation has designed classes, both land and water based, that are especially for people with arthritis. These range from beginning level to more advanced and are offered at numerous locations throughout the United States. For more information on these programs, please visit The Arthritis Foundation website at http://www.arthritis.org