14 DAY TRIAL // A recent study conducted by a team of researchers at the Harvard Medical School found that weight training and cardiovascular exercise are very beneficial for individuals who suffer from arthritis. The results of the study proved that arthritis patients who exercised for one hour three times per week were 73 % more likely to avoid entering a rehabilitation center after going through a knee or hip-replacement surgical intervention.
The study was carried out on a rather small number of subjects, but the findings were rather amazing. The total number of participants in the study was 79, all of them being arthritis patients who were going to suffer a surgical knee or hip replacement in the near future. Out of the 36 subjects who took part in the group which exercised regularly, only 12 had to go into a rehabilitation center after the surgical intervention. On the other hand, the control group (who did no action to improve the outcomes of the future surgery) was formed of 43 patients, out of which 23 had to enter a rehab center.
"The benefits of exercise before surgery are very clear. The more you can do for yourself physically before surgery, the better off you are. Their muscles and soft tissues are stronger and better conditioned, which helps stabilize the knee, protect the joints and allow people with arthritis to move with less discomfort," stated leader of the research Daniel Rooks, Assistant Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School and Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston.
The team also advised all people to exercise, whether they suffer or not from any condition. All medical experts say that anyone should exercise on a regular basis if he wants to preserve his/her health and tonus. However, arthritis patients usually have the wrong impression that they are not supposed to exercise because physical activity can only worsen the symptoms of their condition.
The team wrote in the Arthritis Care & Research Journal: "just because you have arthritis doesn't mean you should not exercise, and if you have arthritis, it's another reason you should begin exercising or keep exercising." In conclusion, arthritis patients should start exercising regularly because physical activity is very beneficial for them and eases their symptoms and pain.