The New York Times reported last week on the high number of baby boomers seeking medical treatment for knee problems. One reason for the high rate of patients may be that boomers are the first generation to have grown up exercising regularly. And indeed, although staying fit is one good way to avoid serious issues with arthritis, it is important to moderate your physical activity too, so as not to exacerbate your pain.

If you have knee problems, the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases, a division of the National Institutes of Health, offers useful information about the best type of exercise for you:

Ideally, everyone should get three types of exercise regularly:

 

• Range-of-motion exercises to help maintain normal joint movement and relieve stiffness.
• Strengthening exercises to help keep or increase muscle strength. Keeping muscles strong with exercises, such as walking up stairs, doing leg lifts or dips, or riding a stationary bicycle, helps support and protect the knee.
• Aerobic or endurance exercises to improve function of the heart and circulation and to help control weight. Weight control can be important to people who have arthritis because extra weight puts pressure on many joints. Some studies show that aerobic exercise can reduce inflammation in some joints.

If you already have knee problems, your doctor or physical therapist can help with a plan of exercise that will help the knee(s) without increasing the risk of injury or further damage. As a general rule, you should choose gentle exercises such as swimming, aquatic exercise, or walking rather than jarring exercises such as jogging or high-impact aerobics.

Even lower-impact activities can wear down your knees and other joints, however. So consult with your doctor and, most of all, listen to your body.

Photo by basykes on Flickr