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Research has shown that exercise can help reduce arthritis pain and improve range of motion, and it’s now considered an essential part of arthritis management.

This is a far cry from days past, when people with arthritis were warned to not exercise to avoid further damage to joints. Doctors now know that, in addition to all its heart health benefits, regular exercise can:

Reduce inflammation, stiffness, and joint pain

Build muscle around joints, better supporting them and protecting them from shock and daily wear and tear

Increase flexibility

Improve endurance

You do need to take some special precautions to make sure that your exercise routine provides maximum benefit while reducing the risk of injury and pain from sore joints.

Before You Begin Exercising With Arthritis

To get started safely, talk to your doctor first. Be sure to take into account any health concerns so that you follow the best possible exercise routine for your individual needs. Consulting with a physical therapist will be helpful as well, as this fitness professional is trained to build specific exercise programs to address the sore joints, aches, and any limitations you might be feeling.

The catch-22 of working out with arthritis is that, while exercise can help improve your condition, you may feel as though you’re in too much pain to begin. A physical therapist will show you the right way to get started and help you progress to meet the ultimate goal of exercising most days of the week.

Also look into exercise classes designed just for people with arthritis. These classes can show you specific techniques and help you adapt them to your individual condition. You could also share information with other arthritis patients about exercise strategies that work. These programs often are offered through health clubs, community centers, and the Y.

Creating Your Arthritis-Friendly Workout

The best exercise program for people with arthritis has a number of components and a certain order in which they should be done.

The warm-up. It is essential that you warm up prior to each workout session. If you don’t give your muscles and joints a chance to warm up, injury and pain are much more likely. Spend at least five minutes walking or doing another activity at a slow pace. You also might consider applying heat to your joints prior to exercise, to help loosen them up.

The exercises. There are three main types of exercises recommended by the Arthritis Foundation:

Flexibility or stretching exercises improve your range of motion and ease of movement. These are the most essential exercises for arthritis patients and should be performed at least once a day. After your gentle warm-up, devote the next 15 minutes to flexibility exercises. Mind-body disciplines like yoga or tai chi include some of the best range-of-motion exercises available.

Flexibility exercise tips for greater success:

Move slowly, gently, and deliberately.

Don’t push yourself past slight discomfort.

Stretch in a warm room, which will help your muscles relax and move more easily.

Strength training exercises benefit sore joints by building up the muscles around them. The Arthritis Foundation recommends that people perform strength training every other day, after your flexibility exercises.

Strength training exercises include isometric exercises that work muscles without moving the joint, such as squeezing your thigh muscle while lying on your back, and isotonic exercises that work muscles while moving (bending) the joint, such as a leg press and a partial chair squat.

Strength training tips for greater success:

You must take a day off between strength training sessions to give your muscles time to recover.

Ease into strength training — don’t lift heavy weights too soon.

If you feel joint pain, lower the resistance or amount of weight you’re using, or switch to another exercise that works the same muscle group.

Aerobic exercise is a recommended addition to your workout routine once you are able to comfortably do both flexibility and strength training exercises. Aerobics are good for your overall health and wellness — just be sure to choose the right type of activity for you.

Aerobic exercise tips for greater success:

Avoid high-impact activities. Walking is a good form of aerobic exercise for people with arthritis; jogging and running are not.

Explore non-impact aerobic activities. Water aerobics and swimming are excellent forms of aerobics that don’t stress the joints. Bicycling is another good way to get aerobic exercise.

Aim to do aerobic exercise three or four days a week. Ultimately, on each of these days you want to do at least 30 minutes of aerobic exercise in the target heart range recommended by your doctor, but start slowly, with even just five minutes.

Pay attention to your body. If you have pain that lasts longer than one hour after an aerobic workout or if you find yourself with swollen joints or joints that are more stiff and weak, talk to your doctor or physical therapist about how to adapt your workout.

The cool-down. The last part of any good exercise session is the cool-down. These steps will ensure that your body benefits and recuperates from each workout:

Ease out of exercise. Just as you warmed up at the beginning, be sure to give yourself 5 to 10 minutes to cool your muscles and joints. Do your aerobic activity at a slow pace to bring your heart rate down and then perform more stretches, rather than stopping exercise abruptly.

Take a soak. Some time spent in a warm whirlpool, sauna, or steam room may help relax muscles and joints that have been stressed by exercise.

Ice it. If you’ve got sore joints, apply ice or cold packs to help reduce inflammation.

Yes, you have to be more careful about your exercise plan when you have arthritis, but the benefits go beyond heart health. Exercise is essential to stay mobile and enjoy life.

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To fast-track coveted progress such as greater fat loss, Tramontana says you need to get back to basics.

Cardio is not ‘hardio’

With a combination of higher intensity interval training (HIIT), low-intensity steady state (LISS) training, body weight training sessions and a nutritious diet, Tramontana ensures his clients are given the best formula for their body.

“My cardiovascular programming is based around a 75/25 split of LISS and HIIT. So based on the available amount of time for a client to add in cardio on top of resistance training would determine the amount of each they conducted,” he says.

Here’s what your cardio program could look like:

2 hours per week for cardio training = 30 minutes of HIIT over two to three days + 90 minutes of LISS over one to two sessions.

Be wary, if HIIT was all you did, you may encounter the downside of too much stress on your body, which can ironically turn HIIT into a fat retention tactic.

So what about weight training?

“For fat loss, I structure everything around two to three full bodyweight training sessions – two sessions based on linear periodisation macro cycle of 16-to-24 week programming, altered every four to six weeks,” he explains.

Translation? A program that begins by incorporating high-volume and low intensity weight training, and progressively moves into phases when the volume decreases and intensity increases. Tramontana is a strong advocate for women to hit up the weights rack, “I find a lot of women are lifting nowhere near their capacity. Don’t be shy to lift heavy weights and test your ability regularly.”

The importance of rest

All this talk of intensity may have you thinking full pelt should be the only gear you work in, but without adequate recovery, you may be undermining your fat loss chances at the dumbbells. Both injury and overt fatigue can see you performing at less than 100 per cent over multiple sessions.

“Recovery begins with the post-workout meal. I advise at least 25 to 50 per cent of overall carbohydrates be included in this meal – either using complex carbohydrate sources or a combination of simple and complex carbs,” says Tramontana. “I also recommend at least one body therapy session per week.”

Think physiotherapy, massage, sauna, steam, floating, dry needling, sleep in, meditation, yoga, grounding – or something as simple as reading a book.

How to fuel your body with the right food

For Tramontana, eating for fat loss should focus on controlling hunger, which translates to better portion control and craving management.

“I ask that protein be included in every meal upon waking, generally an even or slightly escalating amount each meal depending again on habits and hunger patterns,” he says.

“For fat loss, I personally urge the exclusion of high-energy carbs even post workout – with the exception of competitors in the later stage of preparation.”

Supplementation may also give you an edge in the health and results stakes. Depending on your goals and needs, Tramontana advises the use of creatine, glutamine, vitamin C, branch chain amino acids, fish oils, whey protein, vitamin D, magnesium, zinc and a good-quality greens supplement to aid recovery, general wellbeing and lean muscle growth.