Rheumatoid arthritis: Is exercise important?
Which types of exercises are best for people who have rheumatoid arthritis? Which should be avoided?
Many people with rheumatoid arthritis tend to avoid exercise because they're afraid that the activity might worsen their joint pain. But exercise is one of the key treatments to help reduce the disability often associated with rheumatoid arthritis.
Regular exercise can boost strength and flexibility in people who have rheumatoid arthritis. Stronger muscles can better support your joints, while improved flexibility can aid joint function.
Exercise can reduce fatigue and ease depression. And better overall fitness helps prevent heart disease and diabetes, two life-shortening ailments that often accompany rheumatoid arthritis.
Rheumatoid arthritis also accelerates the loss of muscle mass that typically occurs as people get older. That's why it's important to do exercises that will build muscle, in addition to aerobic exercises, which strengthen your heart and lungs.
Weight-bearing exercises, such as walking, can help prevent a loss of bone density (osteoporosis), which can result from rheumatoid arthritis.
Studies indicate that exercise will not worsen rheumatoid arthritis symptoms. But if rheumatoid arthritis has severely damaged your hips or knees, you may want to choose low-impact exercises, such as swimming, water aerobics, walking or bicycling.
From Mayo Clinic to your inbox
Sign up for free and stay up to date on research advancements, health tips, current health topics, and expertise on managing health. Click here for an email preview.
To provide you with the most relevant and helpful information, and understand which information is beneficial, we may combine your email and website usage information with other information we have about you. If you are a Mayo Clinic patient, this could include protected health information. If we combine this information with your protected health information, we will treat all of that information as protected health information and will only use or disclose that information as set forth in our notice of privacy practices. You may opt-out of email communications at any time by clicking on the unsubscribe link in the e-mail.
Sept. 21, 2023
- Schur PH, et al. Nonpharmacologic and preventive therapies of rheumatoid arthritis. https://www.uptodate.com/home. Accessed April 12, 2017.
- Veldhuijzen van Zanten JJ, et al. Perceived barriers, facilitators and benefits for regular physical activity and exercise in patients with rheumatoid arthritis: A review of the literature. Sports Medicine. 2015;45:1401.
- Swärdh E, et al. Effects of aerobic and muscle strengthening exercise in adults with rheumatoid arthritis: A narrative review summarising a chapter in Physical activity in the prevention and treatment of disease (FYSS 2016). British Journal of Sports Medicine. 2016;50:362.
- Hochberg MC, et al., eds. Multidisciplinary approach to rheumatoid arthritis. In: Rheumatology. 6th ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Mosby Elsevier; 2015. https://www.clinicalkey.com. Accessed May 8, 2017.
- What people with rheumatoid arthritis need to know about osteoporosis. NIH Osteoporosis and Related Bone Diseases National Resource Center. https://www.niams.nih.gov/Health_Info/Bone/Osteoporosis/Conditions_Behaviors/osteoporosis_ra.asp. Accessed May 15, 2017.
Products and Services
See also
- 3D Printer Helps Hip
- 6 tips to manage rheumatoid arthritis symptoms
- C-reactive protein test
- Do infrared saunas have any health benefits?
- Does stress make rheumatoid arthritis worse?
- Ease rheumatoid arthritis pain when grocery shopping
- Elbow Replacement
- Elbow replacement surgery
- Fatigue
- Hip replacement
- Hip Surgery Overview
- Hockey Coach Gets Hip
- How do I reduce fatigue from rheumatoid arthritis?
- Is depression a factor in rheumatoid arthritis?
- Isometric exercise
- Joint pain
- Joint protection
- Joint replacement
- Knee replacement
- Living better with rheumatoid arthritis
- MRI
- Outpatient joint replacement
- Partial shoulder replacement
- Physical therapy
- Prednisone risks, benefits
- Prednisone withdrawal: Why taper down slowly?
- Protect your joints while housecleaning
- Rethinking Rheumatoid Arthritis
- Rheumatoid arthritis
- Rheumatoid arthritis
- Rheumatoid arthritis: Does pregnancy affect symptoms?
- Rheumatoid arthritis: Can it affect the eyes?
- Rheumatoid arthritis: Can it affect the lungs?
- Rheumatoid factor
- Robotic-arm assisted knee resurfacing
- Sed rate (erythrocyte sedimentation rate)
- Seeing inside the heart with MRI
- Shoulder replacement surgery
- Spinal fusion
- Stem Cells Get Hip
- Symptom Checker
- Tips to make your mornings easier
- Total shoulder replacement options
- Ultrasound
- Unexplained weight loss
- MRI
- X-ray
.
