In our first article, Arthritis: Introduction, Causes of Arthritis, we had talked about introduction and causes of Arthritis. In this article, we will discuss about the Exercises for Arthritis.
What are the various exercises for arthritis?
Though there are loads of exercises prescribed by the physiotherapist, doctors or physician for the arthritis problems as a part of arthritis treatment, exercises are classified in the 3 main categories:

Flexibility or Stretching Exercises for arthritis:
The stretching and flexibility exercises form the most important part of the arthritis exercises. Whether or not you are an arthritis patient, you must do gentle stretching exercises. They are a must for arthritis patient and they should be done every day without fail.

Flexibility exercises can help in many ways:
 -- protect your joints by reducing the risk of joint injury
 -- help you warm-up for more strenuous exercise
 -- help you relax and release tension from your body.

The good thing about these Flexibility exercises that they can be done on land or in water like when you are swimming in a pool, or taking bath or shower in hot tub or warm bath. These exercises can be particularly useful for easing those stiff joints in the morning. Good range-of-motion exercises include tai chi and yoga.

Strengthening exercises for arthritis:
The biggest problem with arthritis is that they make the joints weak. Hence, you need a mechanism by which you can build up strong muscles so that the pressure on the joints is relieved and it does not damage them further when doing heavy work.
Strengthening exercises can help in many ways
- They build your muscles to add strength
- they absorb shock and protect your joints from injury
- These exercises use weight or resistance to make your muscles strong

Cardiovascular (aerobic or endurance) exercise for arthritis:
These are the kind of exercises which may include dancing, swimming, walking and bicycling.
These exercise help in the following ways:tehy make your lungs, blood vessels, heart and muscles work more better and efficiently. They also can result in improved endurance, stronger bones, improved sleep, controlled weight and reduced stress, depression and anxiety.

However, a word of caution here. Please do not start the exercises for arthritis on your own or by looking at some magazines or videos on TV or internet. Remember, each arthritis case is different and depending upon your own individual condition, the doctor will suggest the right exercises for you. It is easy to follow the steps given on a website or magazine, but when you consult a doctor for arthritis problems, he will also suggest you the required prescription as well as what you should avoid doing. Hence, it is always advisable to consult a doctor for arthritis problems