Inactivity or Sedentary Lifestyles
You have been reading all about the benefits of regular exercise adapted to your physical needs. You can expect improvement in joint flexibility and muscle strength, less fatigue, and better endurance, as well as a better attitude. With a sedentary lifestyle, you get the opposite results. With inactivity, joint flexibility becomes joint stiffness, muscle strength becomes muscle weakness, fatigue is greater and more problematic, and endurance and positive attitude suffer.
Essential
It's a fact that inactivity feeds weakness. You may have a doctor who has not warned you about the negative outcomes associated with lack of exercise. If exercise is important to you, you may do well with a doctor who values the importance of exercise as much as you do.
It's quite easy to fall into a pattern of inactivity. Chronic pain can leave you feeling like you want to do nothing at all. Yet too much bed rest has serious consequences for an arthritis patient. It's somewhat of a vicious cycle — pain leads to bed rest, yet too much bed rest leads to more pain. Ideally, arthritis patients must find the balance between rest and activity. Actually, inactivity is a risk factor for many chronic conditions, not just arthritis.
If you have been progressively becoming more inactive, it will take a conscious effort to change your habits. With the promise of better health overall and better joint health specifically, the decision to change and set healthy goals is awaiting your commitment.
To start, make a list of changes you know you need to make. Make a list of activities you want to begin doing. Decide that regular exercise is part of your life and fit it in. Don't allow yourself to miss your regular exercise session, but if you must miss, don't make it easy. Eliminate something you enjoy doing that day also. Finally, make sure the goals you are setting are realistic.
