Being Active with Physical Limitations

Don’t let arthritis slow you down.

• To help joint movement and make your joints feel less stiff, do stretching exercises almost daily.
• Stretches and exercises are best done when your muscles and joints are warm.
• Try stretching after doing the dishes, taking a warm bath or after a walk.
• Take care of numb or tingly feet or hands.
• Never walk barefoot.
• Keep your feet and hands warm.

• Use tools with thicker grips to help you hold them easily.

Manage breathing problems.

• Break your activity into 5 min. or 10 min. blocks of time. Rest in between if you need to, then try to do a few minutes more.
• Wait an hour after eating before you exercise.
• Try being active soon after taking your breathing medicine.

Preventing falls

• Be sure that stairwells and halls are well lit.
• Take your time on steps and curbs. Look at the steps.
• On icy days, walk with a friend or do indoor activities.
• Put nonskid backing on rugs.
• If reaching makes you dizzy, put things on low shelves.
• Strength training and stretching exercises will help your balance.
• Walking and strength training will strengthen your bones.

Work on upper body stretches.

• Upper body stretches can make it easier to do everyday activities like reaching for things, getting dressed, and doing household chores.
• Do upper body exercises.
• Work on neck flexibility.
• Neck flexibility makes it easier to do everyday activities like turning your head.
• Do gentle neck exercises.

Get a grip!

• Squeeze a soft ball to improve the strength of your grip.
• Use special equipment to help open jars or grasp things.
• Use foam rubber and tape to build up handles on your tools.

Protect your back and leg muscles.

• Good leg and lower back flexibility can help you prevent back injuries and reduce muscle soreness.
• Use raised garden beds or long-handled tools.
• Bend your knees and not your back when lifting.
• Try back stretches.

Do exercises that slowly increase your strength.

• Strong muscles can help prevent pain and injury.
• Use a stretch band looped around a heavy object like a table leg.
• Climb stairs, a few at a time, to increase leg strength.

Move a little more every day.

• Movement gets oxygen to your muscles.
• Do activities that use large muscles—try walking or vacuuming.
• Build up! Start with 5-10 minutes of walking at one time, and increase by 2-3 minutes every few days, until you can comfortably do 30 minutes.