May is National Arthritis Awareness Month, and here at Piedmont Home Care we’re using this opportunity to encourage you to get up and get moving! More than 50 million Americans suffer from some type of arthritis pain. And while there are many different types of arthritis, the common symptoms are swelling, joint pain, stiffness and decreased range of motion. To help lessen the pain and preserve quality of life, the Arthritis Foundation suggests two things: maintain a healthy weight and get regular exercise. The good thing is, regular exercise can help with maintaining a healthy weight, so the two go hand in hand.

We know that it’s hard to motivate yourself to get moving when your joints ache. It might even feel like exercise is the last thing you should do when you have knee pain or back pain. But believe it or not, regular exercise can help ease the pain of arthritis. Here are just a few of the ways walking can benefit arthritis sufferers:

– Strengthen muscles — Strong muscles help shift the pressure away from joints, reducing pain
– Compress and release cartilage — Every step you take, the cartilage in your knees compresses and releases, which helps circulate the synovial fluid that brings oxygen to joints and removes inflammatory waste products.
– Increase balance and strength.
– Help maintain a healthy weight.

The best part is, getting in some regular walking can be as easy as walking around your living room a few times or taking the dog out for a walk to the mailbox and back. The Arthritis Foundation suggests walking 30 minutes a day, five days a week, as the minimum for regular exercise. But you don’t have to walk for 30 minutes at a time to get the positive benefits of regular exercise. Breaking it up into 10 minute increments can help get in the walking without over-exerting yourself.

Our qualified caregivers at Piedmont Home Care are specially trained to help clients get moving in a way that’s safe for them. As with any type of exercise, it’s best to check with your doctor first before staring something new. But once you’ve got a doctor’s permission, our caregivers can be there to help you stick to a regular schedule of walking, and even be your walking partner to make it more fun. Having a partner to walk with or someone to talk to while walking can help pass the time and make the exercise something to look forward to.

If you are caring for a loved one who needs a little extra motivation to get up and get moving, you might find the help you need through Piedmont Home Care. Give us a call today to learn more about the services we offer and how we can help your loved one maintain a healthy quality of life.

For more information on the services we provide, call 336-724-1197.