Poor joint health can cause you to feel significant pain, especially when moving the offending joint. Aside from pain, you could also experience fatigue or swelling and stiffness at the site. Rheumatoid arthritis is one of the primary causes of poor joint health, and the condition could make you feel uncomfortable moving. However, these aerobic exercises can dramatically decrease your joint pain and discomfort. 

 What Aerobic Exercises Help With Joint Pain?

1. Walking 

You do not have to perform high-intensity exercises to improve your joint movement. Something as simple as walking for 30 minutes a day several times a week can have a significant impact on your overall health. The good news about walking for exercise is that it does not require special training or equipment. It can help you retain a healthy weight or cause you to shed any excess pounds safely, which will reduce the pain and pressure on each joint. 

2. Swimming

If your knees, hips, or ankles are your problematic joints, walking may be uncomfortable for you. However, swimming is an excellent alternative because the buoyancy of the water will prevent pressure from building on your joints. Whether you swim laps or join a water aerobics class, you can stretch your muscles with ease while soothing your aching joints. Water-based exercises are also beneficial if you want to control your weight.

3. Pilates

Pilates may not seem beneficial to someone who has rheumatoid arthritis, but this exercise has several advantages. The program helps people strengthen their muscles and improve how they control different muscle groups. It's a low-impact workout, so it is not a type of exercise that could worsen your condition. However, you can keep yourself comfortable while working out by performing the movements at your own pace instead of keeping up with the class. You can also ask your instructor about modifying movements if your joint pain flares up. 

Peter A. Matsuura, M.D., cares about his patients' joint health, which is why he serves his Hilo, HI, community through his orthopedic practice. Whether patients have sports injuries or broken bones, Dr. Masuura and his staff will provide comprehensive treatment options. To explore treatments for joint pain with this orthopedic surgeon, call (808) 969-3331 or visit him online to view a full list of his services.