January is the month of good intentions. As many as 90% of those resolutions are about wanting to move more. Walking is one of the most accessible ways to get moving. Even if you suffer from joint problems, such as osteoarthritis, walking is extremely suitable. But why is walking so good? You can read about it in this blog.
Why walk with osteoarthritis?
Whether you suffer from osteoarthritis or not, walking has an awful lot of benefits for your body anyway. Walking burns calories and improves your balance and heart health. It also strengthens your bones and muscles. Walking also reduces pain from stiffness and joint inflammation.
Do you suffer from chronic pain due to osteoarthritis? This often affects your mood and sleep quality. By walking, you can have a positive impact on this.
What does walking do to joints?
Walking is a non-impactful exercise. It does not greatly affect your joints such as the hips, knees and feet. Walking also provides:
Healthy cartilage
Walking nourishes cartilage. This allows you to move your joints more smoothly. It gives you more control over the movement you need to make with these joints.
Exercise makes for stronger muscles
Walking makes your leg muscles stronger. Strong muscles can better support the joints. If your affected joints can be better supported, you will experience less pain.
Managing your weight
Extra weight can cause more strain on load-bearing joints, such as knees, hips and feet. Walking burns calories and can help you lose weight. In doing so, you not only improve your overall health, but thus relieve stress on your joints.
Research on walking with osteoarthritis
Researchers at Northwestern University followed more than 1,500 older adults with osteoarthritis of the knee, hip, ankle or foot for four years. From the research revealed that elderly people who walked briskly for one hour a week (i.e. less than 10 minutes a day) could maintain their ability to perform daily tasks independently. These include dressing yourself to shopping, and from showering to crossing the street in time before the traffic light turns red.
Is it better to walk indoors or outdoors with osteoarthritis?
Walking outside allows you to enjoy the fresh air and gets the muscles more involved. Blood flow to muscles, joints and other tissues increases in the outdoors. In addition, walking outside is a lot more social than walking indoors. Social interaction in turn has a positive impact on walking longer and subsequently reducing pain.
Although there are many benefits attached to walking outdoors, it can also have drawbacks. For instance, you may end up on uneven footpaths or if there are temperature changes, which affect joint pain. In that case, it is better to walk indoors.
Three tips to get you started hiking
To get you started, we have listed three handy tips before you start hiking.
Get the right walking shoes
Comfortable, supportive and not too tight are ideal walking shoes. It is important to look at proper arch support. While walking, use your whole foot. This will ensure better blood flow and smoother muscles.
Build up the pace gently
Do not walk too fast if you are just starting to walk. Try walking for five minutes a day at first. Each week, see if you can increase your walk by five minutes. Or try increasing your pace a little. It is important to warm up the joints properly and move carefully. While walking, concentrate on making a soft landing with each step.
Does it hurt? Then go do something else
Do you notice your joints bothering you a lot while walking? If so, try taking a break first. Sit on a bench for a few minutes to catch your breath before walking again. Do you experience a sharp pain? Then it's time to stop and pick it up another time. Prevent the pain from going from bad to worse.
Do you suffer from osteoarthritis and are looking for guidance in treating your symptoms or walking?
Then contact us by emailing info@friskfysio.nl, calling 085-5000333 or by visiting our website visit and fill in the fill-in form. We will then contact you as soon as possible.
