| A proper exercise program should consist of | | | | water every 15 minutes during your workout. |
| stretching, strengthening, and non-impact or low | | | | After your workout you should continue to drink. |
| impact aerobic exercises. Neglecting one of these | | | | This will help with blood circulation, removal of |
| components not only makes your program | | | | toxins from the system, and also helps with |
| incomplete, it also may lead to unnecessary injury. | | | | cooling down. |
| Patients should start out slow depending on their | | | | Make sure you don't start your exercise until at |
| level of conditioning. People who are used to | | | | least two hours after a meal. Otherwise you could |
| exercising can probably maintain and improve | | | | be in for an uncomfortable time with abdominal |
| upon what they already have been doing while | | | | cramps, nausea, and diarrhea as consequences. |
| people who aren't used to exercise may want to | | | | If you're using machines such as stair climbers, |
| start out with 5 minutes a day and build up. | | | | elliptical trainers, rowers, and such, make sure you |
| Proper stretching both before and after exercise | | | | use proper form. Leaning on the railings or not |
| is critical. Stretching improves flexibility and | | | | paying attention to proper posture robs you of |
| prepares stiff joints for the work out. Warming | | | | the benefit of your exercise and also may lead to |
| up is very important because this increases blood | | | | injury. |
| flow to muscles and helps reduce the possibility of | | | | If you are flaring from your arthritis, you might |
| injury to joints and tendons. Consult a physical | | | | want to skip your workout that day. Note: Don't |
| therapist or an exercise physiologist about the | | | | confuse the muscle soreness and mild joint pain |
| proper stretches to do. | | | | you get after a workout with a major flare. They |
| Working out should be done in the aerobic zone. | | | | are different. |
| Too vigorous a program can put you into the | | | | If you are lifting weights, always make sure you |
| anaerobic range. This causes lactic acid buildup and | | | | get some instruction from someone who knows |
| also makes you prone to injury. The rule of | | | | what they're doing first. Start out slow with lower |
| thumb for a good cardiovascular workout is to | | | | amounts of weight. It's better to use lower |
| get your heart rate to its target zone (subtract | | | | amounts of weight and do more repetitions than |
| your age from 220. The target range is the heart | | | | it is to use larger amounts of weight that your |
| rate that is between 40 to 70 per cent of that | | | | body is not used to. Use a spotter if you're |
| number). | | | | unsure of yourself. |
| Make sure you drink plenty of water. Adequate | | | | Keep an exercise log. It's a good idea for |
| hydration means drinking an 8 ounce glass of | | | | motivation to see improvement as you continue |
| water before you work out and then a glass of | | | | to exercise and begin to improve your fitness. |