According to a report in Arthritis Today, people with knee osteoarthritis do not get the recommended amount of exercise. But, it is not necessarily due to their pain, as most of us would suspect. Physical activity guidelines set by the Department of Health and Human Services state that Americans should exercise 150 minutes or more each week. Physical activity should last for at least 10 minutes at a time.
Researchers from Boston University studied more than 1,750 patients who had knee osteoarthritis or who were at high risk for developing the condition. There was not a huge difference in the number of people who met the exercise guidelines between those with knee osteoarthritis and those at risk. There also was no significant difference when those with moderate to severe pain were compared to those with no pain. In essence, the results were similar to those in the general population, suggesting that the reasons for not getting enough exercise were related to factors other than disease. Researchers suggested that people figure out what keeps them from exercising and try to make necessary changes. Regular exercise can actually decrease pain associated with osteoarthritis.
Related Articles:
- How You Can Start to Exercise with Osteoarthritis
- Osteoarthritis and Adherence to Home Exercise
- Walking Helps You Cope with Osteoarthritis
- More About Exercise and Osteoarthritis
- Readers Respond: What Keeps You From Exercising?
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