Five ways to stay active – world arthritis day focuses on healthy ageing
And with back and joint pain affecting more than 80 per cent of us at some stage in our lives, and more likely as we get older, there’s no doubt that the number of people who experience a rheumatic or musculoskeletal disease will increase.
That’s why World Arthritis Day in 2013-14 is focussed on growing up and growing older with a rheumatic or musculoskeletal disease (RMD).
“Keeping fit and healthy can be a challenge when you have joint stiffness, pain, fatigue and other symptoms of an RMD,” says the World Arthritis Day website, “but even small changes to your lifestyle can make a big difference.”
The WAD website offers some key tips on how to stay healthy while living with an RMD, through exercise, diet and lifestyle choices.
“Movement is especially important for people with rheumatic and musculoskeletal conditions,” says Christina Opava, Professor of Physiotherapy at the Karolinska Institute, Stockholm. “Just by adding a bit more activity into your day will be a great start and will help keep your joints mobile.”
Here’s a few recommended tips from WAD on how you can increase your movement throughout the day:
- Set yourself small targets, such as getting off the bus one stop early and walking the rest of the way, or going to the shops little and often so you don’t have heavy bags to carry
- Invest in a pedometer and see how many steps you can take in a day. (The Heart Foundation of Australia recommends a minimum of 10,000 steps per day for a healthy lifestyle.)
- Look for assistive technologies to help you perform daily tasks without needing help from others
- Go for a 10 minute walk in your lunch time – taking a proper break is good for your body and mind
- Block out time for exercise in your diary, and give it the same importance as a business appointment.
But the WAD team recommends not to try to do too much at once – “introduce changes slowly, and try to build in some goals and fun elements to help keep you motivated and on track.”
World Arthritis Day is held on 12 October in 2014, and aims to raise awareness of rheumatic and musculoskeletal diseases.
Additional information features will be available throughout the year, including topics such as healthy eating, lifestyle choices, emotional wellbeing, and self management and motivation.
