Exercise is Part of a Healthy Lifestyle for Rheumatoid Arthritis

Vickie,

If your doctor thinks you should rest during flares, then I would follow his advice.  But it depends on how you feel and how debilitating the flares are. Stretching and range of motions exercises are good exercises, even during flares.  And you say you stay as busy as you can around the house, that's good too.  Gardening and housework and just walking up and down your driveway or street are all good, if you can manage it.

Do you have access to an indoor swimming pool or a gym with pool facilities? Swimming or walking in the water is a great way to keep moving during flares. My gym is next to a hospital facility, so it has a lap pool and a special warm therapy pool that a lot of people use for stretching and to do exercises in the water.  My gym also offers land based and water-based exercise classes for people with arthritis.  Also, arthritis foundation has land and water-based exercise programs that are offered at a lot of gyms, community centers and senior centers around the country. Your local chapter can help you find a program.  They are geared toward people with moderate to severe arthritis.

Also, I'm concerned about your comment that maybe your medications haven't kicked in yet.  It's been a while since you were diagnosed.  If you can't tolerate prednisone but your other meds aren't helping, I would recommend talking to your doctor about a change.  People often find that their new medication aren't helping even after 6 months or meds/dosages lose their effectiveness over time.  I'm going back to see my doctor tomorrow to decide on a switch of dosage or meds because my current meds worked great for the last year or so, but now aren't as effective.

I hope this is somewhat helpful.  Stay positive, it's ok to fight a little and push to do the things you want to do in your life. 

Christine

Thank you for the advice. I will continue to take baby steps and perhaps one day they will be gaint steps. I will discuss meds with doc when I return in March. We are considering Enbrel. I am ready.  

Thank you for your comments, anonymous.  I've talked to the producer of the site and we are going to work on some more specific exercise ideas for people at different stages of disease activity. 

I agree with you, it's hard to exercise or be active in any way when it hurts and we're feeling down.  But I also agree with another commenter as well, Perry.  I think staying positive has a huge effect on how we feel and our ability to be active.  The more severe the RA, the less people are active and the more deconditioned they get.  Deconditioning leads to inactivity and more pain, which leads to malaise and depression.  Depression in turn creates more physical pain, leading to less activity.  It's a bad cycle.  But exercise is a mood lifter, not necessarily going to the gym or running a marathon, but even walking in the sunshine a bit or getting stuff done around the house. 

Honestly, I really don't care for exercising and I don't find swimming laps or being on a treadmill fun, especialy when I'm flaring.  I have to fight my general tendency to use my arthritis as an excuse to curl up in front of the tv.  And I often have to force myself into the pool after work, but I go, and I set small new goals each time.  For me, meeting them is like winning a little battle.  

Christine