Arthritis and Exercise§

As we grow older, it becomes harder and harder to maintain an ideal body weight.  That can leave us overweight and out of shape.  The first step towards reversing that trend and regaining a well balanced healthy lifestyle is exercise.

Exercise is important because it can slow down or even reverse some of the conditions that can happen with aging.  These facts are taken from the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons:

• Exercise and activity helps to maintain your ability to walk, which is important in maintaining your independence.
• Exercise can reduce your risk of falling by improving your balance and body posture.
• Exercise promotes bone strength and helps our bones retain more calcium.
• Exercise helps to grow muscle.  Muscle tissue burns more calories than fat tissue, so the more muscle we have, the easier it will be for us to burn calories and maintain a good body weight.  In addition, stronger muscles help to protect our joints from injury.
• Exercise is imperative for joint health!  By moving our joints, we promote the body’s natural lubrication process of our joint surfaces.  This helps to reduce joint pain.

An exercise program must be well balanced to avoid injury and maximize our outcomes.  The best programs are comprised of: aerobic conditioning, flexibility/agility exercises, strength training, and relaxation techniques.  Please consult with your doctor before starting an exercise program.

• Aerobic conditioning means you are constantly moving to increase your heart rate and keep it increased for a certain period of time.  Usually it is between 20 – 30 minutes a day, 3 – 4 times per week.  If you have arthritis, consider low impact activities such as swimming, water aerobics, stationary bicycle, rowing machine, or elliptical trainer.
• Flexibility/agility exercises increase our range of motion and help to improve our balance.  Yoga and Tai Chi are excellent examples of this.
• Strength training uses weights to improve muscle mass.  You can also use resistance bands.  Please consult with your physician prior to a weight program, especially if you have osteoporosis.
• Relaxation techniques are important to lower blood pressure, decrease stress, and exercise our minds, which is just as important in the big picture of maintaining a healthy lifestyle.

Make a plan for yourself and stick to it!  Remember to take it slow and do not get discouraged.  It may have been many years since you last exercised, so it might take a long time to get back in shape.  The first step, though, is to start and keep showing up to your workouts.  You can do it!

For more info on Orthopedic related topics, please see www.orthoinfo.org.  This site is sponsored by the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons.

James Bicos, M.D.

Fellow of the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons

Board Certified Orthopedic Surgeon

Read Dr. Bicos' Bio

§ Portions taken from AAOS website orthoinfo.org

 The information on this website has been provided for educational and information purposes only and shall not otherwise be construed or relied on as medical advice.  Each reader is solely responsible for seeking the medical advice and/or care from his or her own physician or other provider to address the user/viewer/reader's specific medical condition and/or other health care needs.

Meet James Bicos, M.D. Our Medical Blogger!

Name: James Bicos, M.D.

Hometown: Addison, IL (suburbs of Chicago); currently lives in Carmel, IN

Profession/Practice: Orthopedic Sports Medicine Fellowship Trained Surgeon with St. Vincent Orthopedics/St. Vincent Sports Medicine

How has arthritis affected your life or how do you help people with arthritis:  I help people with arthritis every day. That makes up 90% of my practice. Since I am on the sports medicine side and see young athletes, I feel that I have an extra incentive (and duty) to keep them healthy and prevent arthritis from taking over their joints.

How long and in what capacity have you been connected to the Arthritis Foundation:  I have been associated with the Arthritis Foundation for the past year, donating to the Research Advocate campaign. I have also represented St. Vincent at the 2010 Evening of Appreciation when St. Vincent was recognized for becoming the first every Indiana Friend of the Foundation.

Why do you (volunteer, donate, work, etc.) with Arthritis Foundation:  Being an Orthopedic Surgeon, arthritis is part of my job every day. I have a motto that “I am stomping out arthritis, one joint at a time!”

A little about you: Dr. Bicos is a member of St. Vincent Orthopedics and the St. Vincent Performance Center. He concentrates his practice on the specialized needs of athletes of all ages. He has received extensive training in cartilage restoration, shoulder replacement surgery, complex shoulder arthroscopy (including rotator cuff tears, shoulder dislocations and multi-directional instability), knee ligament reconstruction, and patellofemoral instability. He is currently the team physician for Park Tudor High School and University High School. He is a consulting physician for our USA Gymnastics, USA Track and Field, and USA Diving teams. He has been the head team physician for the USA Men’s and Women’s Worlds Gymnastics Championship Teams for the past two years, representing the United States in London and the Netherlands. He has also served the United States Olympic Committee as a Medical Volunteer at the training camp in Colorado Springs, CO. He has authored numerous peer-reviewed publications and chapters, and has multiple ongoing clinical and biomechanical research initiatives.

Dr. Bicos earned his undergraduate degree in Biomedical Engineering at Northwestern University, Evanston, IL. He attended Rush Medical College (Chicago, IL) where he earned his medical degree, and then completed his Orthopedic Surgery residency at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago. He then went on to sub-specialize in Orthopedic Sports Medicine, completing a fellowship at the University of Connecticut, and now is a member of St. Vincent Orthopedics and Sports Medicine.

Dr. Bicos is a native of the Mid-West region, having grown up in the suburbs of Chicago. He is married and has two children. He enjoys playing golf and remote controlled model aviation, in addition to spending time with his family and friends.

What you will be blogging about: Dr. Bicos will be providing general health information related to arthritis and orthopedics. 

If you have a question you would like Dr. Bicos to answer you can comment on this blog or email Kendall Rich Horvatich, Special Events Coordinator for the Arthritis Foundation, at krich@arthritis.org.