Clinical trials of patients with Osteoarthritis report physical activities including aerobic exercise, stretching/flexibility, endurance training, aquatic exercise, and muscle strengthening lead to improvements in pain relief and body weight. The Arthritis Foundation promotes an exercise program involving low-impact physical activity, and participants have reported less pain and fatigue, and increased strength. Moderate-intensity exercise does not, as some have feared, increase the risk for osteoarthritis.
Avoid activities that put too much strain on the joints, such as running and sports that involve jumping, quick turns, or sudden stops, tennis and basketball, for example. Enjoyable forms of exercise may promote long-term adherence to an exercise program.
Inactivity due to osteoarthritis, as well as aging in general, can reduce muscle mass, contributing to frailty and weakness.