|
|
1999 Volunteer Leadership Training Guide
Managing Arthritis
Recommended Exercises
Handout 2
Printer Friendly Version (PDF)
Flexibility Exercises • Strengthening
Exercises
If you can walk, walking is the best starter exercise. If you cannot walk,
try a stationary bicycle with no resistance or do hand or arm exercises. It's
good to move each joint in its full range of motion every day. The following are
descriptions of recommended exercises.
Flexibility Exercises
These exercises help maintain normal joint function and relieve stiffness. Do
an assortment of them for 5 to 10 minutes several times each day. As you can,
gradually add a few repetitions.
Your Neck:
- Bring your head and neck forward, touching your chin to your chest;
return upright.
- Tilt your ear to your left shoulder without raising your shoulders;
return upright. Repeat to the right.
- Turn your face to the left, keeping neck, shoulders and trunk straight;
repeat to the right.
Your Shoulders:
- With your arms at your side, roll your shoulders forward in a
circular motion. Then reverse.
- Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart. Hold a cane, broomstick
or wand comfortably with both hands (1). Raise the cane forward and upward
over your head. Return to the starting positions. Repeat. You may place your
palms up (as in illustration 1) or down (2).
- To exercise one arm, hold the cane vertically in front of you.
Place the arm to be exercised higher on the cane (3). Your lower arm
may push to help raise your upper arm.
- Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart. Grasp the cane with both
hands, palm up on the hand you are exercising (4). Raise your arm out to the
side (not in front of you). Continue, until your arm touches your ear.
Return to the starting position. Change hands and repeat (5).
- Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart. Hold the cane behind
your back, with your hands shoulder-width apart (6). Slowly move the cane
backward and upward, keeping your elbows straight (7). All movement should
come from your shoulders. Don't lean forward to get more motion. Return to
the starting position. Repeat.
- With arms out to your sides, bend your elbows and hold the cane in
front of your chest (8). Gently move the cane in an upward arc toward your
head (9). Try not to move your upper arms. Repeat. Move the cane over your
head and lower it to the base of your neck (10). Repeat.
- With your arms out to your sides, bend your elbows and hold the
cane in front of your chest (11). Gently move the cane in a downward arc
toward your stomach (12). If you can, position the cane behind your hips,
with your palms facing behind you. Slowly raise the cane up along your back
toward your shoulder blades (13). Repeat.
- With your upper arms against your body, bend your elbows and grasp
the cane with palm up on the arm that will move outward (14). The palm on
the arm that will move inward faces down. Gently slide the cane across your
body so that one forearm swings outward from your body while the other one
swings inward toward your stomach (15). Repeat. Change palm positions and
repeat.
- Place your right palm behind your neck and back of your left hand
in the small of your back. Gently attempt to touch your hands behind your
back. Reverse.
- Clasp your hands behind your head. Slowly breathe in as you gently
move your elbows back and release your breath as you relax your elbows
forward.
- Bring both elbows to shoulder height. Ease your elbows backward and
feel a slight (not painful) stretch in your chest muscles.
Your Elbows:
- Bend both elbows, bringing your forearm up until your fingers touch
your shoulders. Straighten arms.
- Keep your upper arms next to your body while bending your elbows to
form a right angle. Turn your palms toward the ceiling, then toward the
floor.
Your Wrists:
- Keep your upper arms at your side and bend your elbows to form a
right angle. Hold your hands out with your thumbs facing upward. Move both
hands toward your stomach, then facing out as far as possible.
Your Hands and Fingers:
- Bend your thumb across your palm to touch the base of your little
finger.
- Bend and straighten the end and middle joints of your fingers (16).
Keep your knuckles straight. Relax and repeat with each hand.
- Bend your fingers to make a fist. Bend each joint as much as
possible (17). Relax and repeat with each hand.
- Straighten your fingers (18). Relax and repeat with each hand. Make
an "O" by touching your thumb to each fingertip (19). Open your hand wide
(20). Relax and repeat.
Your Hips:
- While standing, lift your knee toward your chest to make a right
angle. Alternate legs to march in place. Try this while lying on your back,
too. Keep one leg extended as the other leg is bent. Grasp the back of the
thigh of your bent leg and gently pull it toward the chest. Don't force your
leg. Repeat with the other leg.
- Stand and face a chair. Hold onto the back of the chair for
support. Gently move one straight leg out to the side and return. Repeat
with the other leg. You can also do this exercise lying down, sliding one
leg at a time out to the side and back to midline.
- Lie on your back, feet together, toes pointed up. Slide one leg to
the side. Keep your toes pointed to the ceiling. Turn your foot in, then
out. Return your leg to midline. Repeat with the other leg.
Your Knees:
- Hold onto the back of a chair as you stand on one foot. Keep your
knees together. Gently flex your knee and bring one foot up. Alternate.
Don't arch your back. You can do this lying down on your stomach, with a
pillow supporting your stomach and hips. Keep one leg extended. Bring the
other foot up toward the back of your thigh by bending your knee. Don't
force your knee to an uncomfortable angle. Return your leg to an extended
position. Repeat with the other leg.
- Lie on your back. Bend your knee to place one foot flat. Slide the
heel as close to your buttock as possible, then extend. Repeat with the
other leg.
- Sit in a chair with your ankles crossed. Push your feet against
each other. Put the other foot in front and repeat.
Your Calves:
- Stand an arm's length from the wall, one foot forward. Place your
hands on the wall at shoulder level (21). Keep your back straight as you
lean toward the wall with your hips (but not to the point of pain). Relax
and repeat with the other leg.
Your Hamstrings:
- Sit in a chair with one leg on another chair (22). Keep your back
straight. Slowly bend forward at your hip until you feel a slight stretch in
the back of your thigh. Repeat with the other leg.
Your Ankles and Feet (skip these exercises if they are painful):
- Stand with your feet about 12 inches apart. Rise to your toes with
both feet. Relax to the starting position. Rise to the toes of your right
foot. Relax. Rise to the toes of both feet. Relax. Rise to the toes of your
left foot. Relax. Repeat.
- Walk on your heels.
- Walk on your toes.
- Walk heel to toe, as if on a tightrope.
- While standing, lift your left foot and place it to the right of
your right foot. Repeat with left foot planted, placing your right foot to
the left of your left foot. This is called "braiding."
| Remember: Seek medical advice before beginning any exercise
program. Your physician, physical therapist or exercise physiologist can
instruct you in exercises specially designed to meet your needs. |
Strengthening Exercises
After warming up with flexibility exercises, do these several times a week B
only if you can do so without adding new pain. Don't use weights until approved
by your physician, physical therapist or exercise physiologist. Once approved
medically, you may gradually add weight and repetitions. Isometric exercises,
which involve no movement, can be very beneficial for people with arthritis.
- Chair sit-ups - Skip this exercise if your hands, wrists and elbows
are painful. Sit in a sturdy chair that has arms (no wheels), with your feet
firmly on the floor. Push your body up off the surface of the chair using
your arms only (23). Relax and repeat.
- Chair sits - Set up two chairs as shown (24). Hold onto the chair
in front of you. Begin to sit in the chair behind you in a position you can
hold for 5 seconds. As you build strength, extend the hold time and try to
hold a lower position that is almost, but not quite, seated. Relax and
repeat.
- Quadriceps - Sit or lie down on your back with one leg extended,
foot supported and knee straight. Push the back of your knee down by
tightening the muscles on the front of your thigh. Repeat for your other
leg.
- Hamstring - Sit or lie down on your back with your knee slightly
bent. Push down on your flat heel by tightening the muscles at the back of
your thigh. Repeat with your other leg.
- Gluteal - Lie face down, legs extended. Squeeze your buttocks
together. Relax.
Daily Back Routine
Walking is the most important way to exercise the muscles of your back. In
addition to walking, a variety of exercises to stretch and strengthen your back
and supporting muscles are available. A few of the most common are described.
Step 1: Get down on your hands and knees. Slowly let your back and
abdomen sag toward the floor.
Step 2: Slowly arch your back away from the floor. Repeat several times.
- Half sit-up - Lie on your back on a firm surface with your
knees bent and feet flat. With your arms outstretched, reach toward your
knees with your hands until your shoulder blades no longer touch the ground.
Do not grasp your knees. Hold for a few seconds and slowly return to the
starting position. Repeat several times.
- Shoulder-blade squeeze - Sit upright in a chair. Keep your
chin tucked in and your shoulders down. Pull your shoulder blades together
and straighten your upper back. Hold a few seconds. Return to starting
position. Repeat several times.
- Leg lifts - Lie face down on a firm surface with a
large pillow under your hips and lower abdomen. Keeping your knee bent,
raise one leg slightly off the surface and hold for about 5 seconds. Repeat
several times.
Prepared by Charlotte Mills Fant, Extension Health Education
Specialist
Back to 1999 Volunteer Leader Training Guide
|
