Water Exercises Help in Arthritis and Fibromyalgia
Water/Pool Exercises have been proven to be very effective in Arthritis and Fibromyalgia. Discover how you can use water fitness to relieve pain in arthritis and helps strengthen your joints.
People who have arthritis or fibromyalgia will find that lying in a tub of really warm water will ease the pain and symptoms of these two illnesses. Doing water exercises do help in treating arthritis and fibromyalgia, however, it is always a good idea to check with your family physician before attempting these exercises.
Disclaimer - Some people can not use heat for their illnesses. Please visit your physician before starting any exercise program.
Despite the benefits that exercise is very good for arthritis and fibromyalgia, there are approximately 37% of people that do not do any exercises.
It is expected that the amount of pain only permits a person to do exercises for a short time, but any amount of exercise is better than no amount of exercise.
First you should consider how bad the pain is, if it is bad enough that you can not get out of the water by yourself, you should always have someone around to help you get in and out. This also will depend on your age as well. If you should experience any discomforts what-so-ever, immediately get out of the water. Do not take any drugs while you are in the water, and definitely do not drink alcohol, these may cause your blood pressure to change. You might even experience some drowsiness, and this could lead to falling asleep and drowning.
Always keep in mind that you do not want to use very hot water, but a moderate, comfortable temperature will do a better job at helping you relax. If you have a thermometer, it is advised to use a temperature range of 83 to 88 degrees F. Some people like it around 90 degrees.
First is rest and relaxation; after you get into the water, take a few minutes to rest and enjoy the heat from the water, as it raises your body temperature, and dilates your blood vessels allowing them to open up more. This also increases your circulation.
The second thing to do is to begin your exercises by moving your fingers for two minutes in order to loosen the joints. Then bend your elbows for the same amount of time. Next, holding your arm stiff make your shoulder move around in a circle, you should also feel this movement in your shoulder blades and the spine area.
This should also help relax your muscles, and you should notice a decrease in the stiffness that you had before you began your exercises, as well as noticing a decrease in the pain level that you were experiencing.
Flexibility exercises include some gentle stretching to help loosen your muscles, and releasing stress in your joints. The bubbles from a spa will also help this along.
Strengthening resistance are done using isometrics and isotonic exercises. Isometric exercises, tightens the muscles and does not put any stress on your joints; isotonics exercises, will strengthen your muscles using your joints.
Cardiovascular exercises include more physical activities such as dancing, walking and any thing else that will build your heart and lungs, as well as building your muscles. These will improve sleep, and stress, and help take away anxiety and depression.
If you are not in a water exercise program you should talk to your physician, he may know of a water program in your area. You could call and set up an appointment for their next session.
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