Embracing Exercise: The Path to Better Health with Rheumatoid Arthritis

Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) is a chronic inflammatory disorder that primarily affects joints, leading to pain, swelling, and eventually joint damage. While the symptoms can be debilitating, incorporating regular exercise into your routine can be a powerful way to manage the condition and improve overall well-being. Let's explore the myriad benefits of exercising with RA and how it can positively impact your life.

1. Reducing Joint Pain and Stiffness

One of the most immediate and noticeable benefits of exercise for individuals with RA is the reduction of joint pain and stiffness. Regular physical activity helps to keep joints flexible and muscles strong, which in turn supports and stabilizes the joints. Low-impact exercises such as swimming, walking, and cycling are particularly effective, as they minimize stress on the joints while providing significant benefits.

2. Improving Range of Motion

RA can lead to decreased mobility due to joint stiffness and pain. Engaging in exercises that focus on flexibility, such as stretching routines and yoga, can greatly improve the range of motion in affected joints. Enhanced flexibility can make daily activities easier and reduce the risk of injury.

3. Enhancing Muscle Strength

Strong muscles are essential for supporting and protecting joints. Strength training exercises, including resistance bands, light weights, and body-weight exercises, can build muscle mass and increase overall strength. This not only helps in performing daily tasks with greater ease but also alleviates the load on your joints, reducing pain and the risk of joint damage.

4. Boosting Cardiovascular Health

Cardiovascular exercises, such as brisk walking, swimming, and cycling, improve heart health and enhance overall fitness. For individuals with RA, maintaining a healthy heart is crucial, as they are at a higher risk of cardiovascular diseases. Regular aerobic exercise can improve circulation, increase energy levels, and help manage weight, which in turn reduces pressure on the joints.

5. Managing Weight

Maintaining a healthy weight is particularly important for people with RA. Excess weight puts additional stress on weight-bearing joints like the knees and hips, exacerbating pain and accelerating joint damage. Regular exercise, combined with a balanced diet, helps in weight management, reducing the burden on your joints and enhancing overall health.

6. Enhancing Mental Health

Living with a chronic condition like RA can take a toll on mental health, leading to feelings of anxiety, depression, and frustration. Exercise is a natural mood booster. Physical activity stimulates the release of endorphins, the body’s natural painkillers and mood elevators. Engaging in regular exercise can reduce stress, improve sleep, and foster a sense of accomplishment, all of which contribute to better mental well-being.

7. Improving Bone Density

People with RA are at an increased risk of osteoporosis due to chronic inflammation and the use of corticosteroid medications. Weight-bearing exercises, such as walking and strength training, help to maintain and even improve bone density, reducing the risk of fractures and other complications.

8. Promoting Better Sleep

Chronic pain and discomfort from RA can interfere with sleep patterns. Regular physical activity has been shown to improve sleep quality and duration. Exercise helps to tire the body, reduce pain, and alleviate stress, all of which contribute to a more restful and restorative sleep.

Tips for Exercising Safely with RA

• Consult Your Doctor: Before starting any exercise regimen, it's essential to consult with your healthcare provider to ensure it's safe and appropriate for your condition.

• Start Slowly: Begin with low-impact exercises and gradually increase the intensity and duration as your body adapts.

• Listen to Your Body: Pay attention to your body's signals. If an exercise causes pain that lasts more than two hours, it's best to modify or avoid that activity.

• Stay Consistent: Regularity is key. Aim for a balanced mix of cardiovascular, strength, and flexibility exercises throughout the week.

• Warm-Up and Cool Down: Always start with a warm-up to prepare your joints and muscles, and finish with a cool-down to help your body recover.

Conclusion

Exercising with Rheumatoid Arthritis may seem challenging, but the benefits far outweigh the difficulties. Regular physical activity is a cornerstone of managing RA, helping to reduce pain, improve mobility, and enhance overall quality of life. By incorporating exercise into your daily routine, you can take proactive steps towards better health and a more active, fulfilling life despite the challenges of RA. So, lace up those sneakers, take a deep breath, and embrace the journey to a healthier, happier you.

When You Just Don't Wanna

We’ve all been there.

An alarm clock ringing too early.

Complete physical and mental exhaustion after a long day.

That moment when you simply can’t bear the thought of getting your workout in.

Those are the moments that we typically cave.

When we give ourselves permission to say “tomorrow.”

And the cycle repeats.

To make it even worse, it’s also usually the scenario that involves making quick, convenient, and often less than healthy food choices.

This cycle causes consistent weight gain, poor health, and months or years of shame and frustration.

It leads us down a road that can be incredibly hard for people to return from.

So, I want to tell you what will make all the difference when you have that experience of just NOT wanting to…

It’s doing it anyway.

Because hitting snooze and sleeping in or driving to the gym vs home after work is all a choice.

The key to serious success in most areas of life is feeling resistance and pushing through it anyway.

Because pretty much everything that’s going to give you life-changing results is hard work.

If it was supposed to be easy, everyone would be healthy, strong, fit, successful, in the perfect marriage, etc.

So, the next time that resistance pops up for you, OWN your choice, feel the resistance, and do it anyway.

How To Handle Judgement Against Your Commitment

Whether it’s snarky comments about your commitment to healthy eating, doubtful looks from friends and family who don’t believe you can stick with it, or the food pusher who just won’t leave you alone, most people who’ve started their health and fitness journey have experienced one or more of those scenarios.

And these events can be absolutely detrimental to one’s commitment if we’re not careful.

The reason I’m sharing this with you today is because I want you to be prepared when these things start showing up.

Expecting the unexpected is one of the best ways to navigate situations like this.

So why would friends and loved ones be seemingly interested in sabotaging your health and success?

Well, simply put – it really has nothing to do with you.

It’s their own insecurities coming out and being projected on you.

Or it may even be their fear coming out around what it means for their relationship with you if you change.

It could even be plain jealousy.

Whatever the case may be, be prepared and know that it truly has nothing to do with you.

You don’t have to take the food from the food pusher. “No, I’m good” is a perfectly acceptable response.

You don’t have to fall to judgmental eyes out of fear of rejection/isolation.

You’re getting healthy for YOU and everyone in your life benefits from that – remember this if things ever get super tough in this department.

I hope this helps. Or, if there’s someone else in your life who needs to hear this, please feel free to forward this message on.

Here’s to wrapping up 2019 as your healthiest YOU.

Be The Change!

One of the most powerful ways to not only stay committed to your fitness and health routine but to actually fall in love with it is by supporting and recruiting those you care about to join you.

 Less than 7% of people in the western world are “chronic exercisers” – meaning they’re consistent with exercise multiple days per week for an unending timespan.

 That’s sad and scary.

 But one of the ways to ensure you get into the 7% is to lift up those around you.

 Lead them to join you in health. Recruit them in your mission to make everyone and everything in your life stronger, happier, and more vibrant.

 Don’t let them buy their own excuses (and you don’t buy your own either).

 Because you know you love and care about those who are close to you.

 You want the best for their health, strength, confidence, and more.

 Start the change and be the change.

 Take them by the hand and ensure that you and those you love never sit on the sidelines of life again.

When You Want To Give Up

Humans, by nature, are not designed to be crazy enthusiastic about going to the gym or getting fit.

 Truthfully, our DNA wants us to do what we have to do to hunt and gather food then reserve our energy supply.

 You see, our wiring hasn’t caught up with how quickly we’ve progressed as a species over thousands of years.

 Even 100 years ago, food was much harder to come by than it is today.

 So, between the temptation of any food you can imagine at your fingertips constantly and the fact that our DNA has us wired to conserve energy, it’s no wonder more people than ever struggle with their weight.

 And I believe this wiring is one of the reasons so many people struggle to stay consistent in their fitness and why the yo-yo approach is so real.

 Since you’re not required to gather food to eat and you’re probably not going to be chased by wild animals randomly like our ancestors, we’ve got to find another way to stay on track. J

 Here are a few things to consider…

 Think about the feeling and the end result. How will you feel in your skin 24/7 when you achieve your goal? I promise that alone is worth it.

 Acknowledge your DNA and do it anyway. J You’re not too lazy, too tired, or whatever the thing may be. Regardless of whether or not you want to take care of your body, don’t even give yourself the choice.

 Think 6 months into the future. Things will either be better or worse with your health and body. What choice do you want to make?

 I hope that gives you some good things to think about and motivation when times feel tough!