In a country plagued by disease, it is no surprise that fifty million Americans have osteoarthritis. The pain and swollen joints associated with arthritis can make exercise seem impossible. Arthritis prevents more people from living a healthy lifestyle than any other disease. For decades, the medical community has been unsuccessful at getting people with arthritis to exercise. An example of this gap is the Arthritis Foundation’s Exercise Program. The program effectively improves mobility and pain management in people with arthritis, yet less than 1% of arthritic adults participate in the program.
Medical professionals agree the benefits of such a program are significant, especially for older women who have the greatest prevalence of arthritis. In the meantime, health agencies, including the National Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, have been working to develop evidence-based exercise programs that improve function among adults with arthritis. A breakthrough in this area comes from a study published in the Journal of Rheumatology. The 16-week study led by a group of scientists at Tufts University achieved a 43 percent reduction in pain scores and a 71 percent increase in quadriceps strength (muscles of the upper leg). The study’s lead author, Dr. Miriam Nelson, attributes the remarkable results to the intensity of the Strength Training.
Eight years later, a study published in the American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine demonstrated comparable results with a supervised Strength Training program. The study examined the effects of a community-based Strength Training program in women 55 years of age and older with arthritis. In the 12-week study, women who completed two strength workouts per week achieved a 32 percent increase in lower body strength, while the control group (women who were not strength training) experienced a 7.3 percent decrease in strength. There was an 11.6 percent improvement in mobility among the strength-trained group and no change in the control group. The flexibility of the lower back and hamstrings also improved by 18.4 percent in the strength-trained group but did not change in the control group.
This study shows that Strength Training can significantly increase lower body strength in older women with arthritis. The Strength Training group achieved significant improvements in function across all areas. The plan was well-tolerated, as indicated by the high level of compliance and no adverse effects, which is important because the prevalence of arthritis is forecast to increase over the next 25 years. The benefits of Strength Training are primarily due to increases in muscular strength. Stronger muscles reduce the force absorbed by weight-bearing joints (i.e., knees, hips, and spine) when walking, kneeling, and stair climbing. Less pressure on weight-bearing joints means less pain and improved joint health.
The arrival of modern Strength Training is good news for adults living with arthritis. A healthier muscular system reduces pain scores and effectively lowers the risk for multiple chronic diseases (i.e., heart disease, diabetes, stroke, osteoporosis). In other words, adults living with inflammatory arthritis (i.e., rheumatoid arthritis) or degenerative arthritis (i.e., osteoarthritis) can increase the number of healthy years they live!
If you or someone you know is interested in a Free Trial Workout, please send them our way! Send your inquiries HERE to schedule a Free Trial Workout and start living your best life.
Stay Strong,
Richard J. Wolff, RDN
References
1. Journal of Rheumatology. 2001; 28: 1655-65.
2. Arthritis & Rheumatology. 2003; 49(3):463-470.
3. American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine. 2009;3(6):466-473.
4. Nelson, M., Baker, K., Roubenoff, R., 2002. Strong Women and Men Beat Arthritis. New York, NY. The Berkley Publishing Group
5. Arthritis Foundation, https://www.arthritis.org/living-witharthritis/exercise/workouts/ simple-routines/circuit-training-workouts.php