One of the biggest mistakes people make is doing too much too soon. A sore muscle after exercise may be expected. Sharp or worsening joint pain is not. For those who find walking difficult, swimming and water exercises can be excellent alternatives. Water supports body weight while allowing joints to move through a comfortable range of motion. There is another important point that deserves emphasis. Many people spend their time and money on gym memberships or physiotherapy appointments while ignoring one of the most effective
treatments available. For those carrying extra pounds, weight loss is an excellent objective. Excess body weight places tremendous stress on hips, knees, and ankles. Experts estimate that losing just one pound removes roughly four pounds of pressure from the knee joint with every step. Imagine the benefit of losing ten or twenty pounds. As said many times before, the bathroom scale can solve a surprising number of health problems. The bottom line? If you suffer from osteoarthritis, don’t assume that sitting in a chair is
protecting your joints. Benjamin Franklin was right when he said, “Motion is the best medicine.” Unfortunately, it doesn’t come in a pill bottle, which may be why so many people overlook it. This column offers opinions on health and wellness, not personal medical advice. Visit www.docgiff.com to learn more. For comments, diana@docgiff.com. Follow on Instagram @diana_gifford_jones
osteoarthritis, joint pain, exercise, water workouts, swimming, weight loss, knee pressure, Benjamin Franklin motion is the best medicine
So you just… walk less? Lol.
I feel like this is obvious but also not. My uncle’s knee pain got worse after he started “water therapy” so idk. The scale doing “4 pounds of pressure” sounds made up to me though.
Wait, it says motion is best medicine but also sharp joint pain isn’t expected. So like… how do you tell the difference? I read that and my brain just went “more exercise = bad” tbh. Also Benjamin Franklin couldn’t know about osteoarthritis lol.
I swear gym memberships are a scam half the time, like they want you coming back. But then they say swimming helps because it supports your weight, which makes sense. The “don’t assume sitting protects your joints” part is wild because sitting is literally what my doctor told me for my back. Anyway I’m gonna blame my knee pain on my shoes not my weight… probably.