Exercise plays a crucial role in managing chronic conditions such as joint pain. It has been proven to reduce pain, improve function, and enhance the overall quality of life. When selecting an exercise program for patients with joint pain and gait abnormalities, it is crucial to consider factors like impact, joint stress, and the patient’s physical abilities (Hambali et al., 2021). Walking in water, also known as aquatic exercise, is a low-impact exercise that is gentle on the joints. The water’s buoyancy helps reduce stress on the joints while providing resistance to improve joint stability and mobility. This exercise is suitable for individuals of all fitness levels, and the warm water can help soothe painful joints. A sample 5-day program for walking in water could look like this:
Day 1: Start with a 10-minute warm-up, which could include stretching and light cardio exercises. Then, spend 20 minutes walking in the pool at a moderate pace, keeping your back straight, shoulders relaxed, and arms swinging naturally. You can also perform light resistance exercises like leg lifts or arm curls to target specific muscle groups.
Day 2: Repeat the 10-minute warm-up from day 1. Then, spend 25 minutes walking in the pool at a moderate pace. Gradually increase your speed and the duration of your workout each day to challenge yourself and improve your fitness level.
Day 3: Rest day. It’s important to allow your body to recover and repair between workouts.
Day 4: Repeat the 10-minute warm-up from day 1. Then, spend 30 minutes walking in the pool at a moderate pace. Incorporate water aerobics or other aquatic exercises like jogging or cross-country skiing to target specific muscle groups and improve cardiovascular fitness.
Day 5: Repeat the 10-minute warm-up from day 1. Then, spend 35 minutes walking in the pool at a moderate pace. End your workout with a 10-minute cool-down, which could include stretching and light cardio exercises.
Cycling is another form of low-impact exercise that can be beneficial for patients with joint pain. Cycling provides a cardiovascular workout that improves joint mobility and stability while reducing stress on the joints. Depending on the patient’s preferences and physical abilities, it can be performed on a stationary bike or outdoors. A sample 5-day program for cycling could look like this:
Day 1: Start with a 10-minute warm-up, which could include stretching and light cardio exercises. Then, spend 20 minutes cycling at a moderate pace on a stationary bike, making sure to adjust the seat height and handlebars for proper posture and alignment.
Day 2: Repeat the 10-minute warm-up from day 1. Then, spend 25 minutes on a stationary bike at a moderate pace. Gradually increase your speed and duration daily to challenge yourself and improve your fitness level.
Day 3: Rest day. It’s important to allow your body to recover and repair between workouts.
Day 4: Repeat the 10-minute warm-up from day 1. Then, spend 30 minutes on a stationary bike at a moderate pace. Incorporate interval training, like alternating between high and low-intensity intervals, to challenge your cardiovascular system and burn more calories.
Day 5: Repeat the 10-minute warm-up from day 1. Then, spend 35 minutes cycling at a moderate pace on a stationary bike. End your workout with a 10-minute cool-down, which could include stretching and light cardio exercises.
In conclusion, walking in water and cycling are excellent low-impact exercises for patients with joint pain and gait abnormalities. Other types of exercise, including running or leaping, may not be suitable for this patient because of joint discomfort and gait irregularities since these activities might strain the joints and increase their symptoms. Before beginning any fitness program, it is critical to contact a healthcare practitioner and examine the person’s history of illness and physical ability.
Reference
Hambali, R. H., Akmal, S., & Komaruddin, N. H. (2021). Muscle activity and gait analysis of assistive device for rehabilitation gait abnormalities patient. Journal of Physics: Conference Series, 2107(1), 012063. Web.