Exercise Can Reduce Arthritis Pain In Elderly Women

Arthritis is an unfortunate side effect of aging for many women. As a result, they experience achy and stiff joints that can make movement seem impossible. According to a new Australian study, however, exercise and movement can actually help reduce the pain associated with arthritis in women.

According to the lead author of the study, Kristiann Heesch from the University of Queensland in Australia, it isn’t necessarily to start maniacally exercising in order to reduce arthritis-related pain. Rather, a bit of simple walking or engaging in moderate activities can be highly beneficial.

"If we could put out a pill that would solve a lot of problems, it would be physical activity, but we can‘t wrap it up into a little pill and give it to people” - Kristiann Heesch from the University of Queensland in Australia

The study indicates that getting exercise for just 75 minutes per day for women in their 70s can lead to significantly less symptoms. Those that were active for at least 2 ½ hours per week experienced even less difficulties and continued to experience less pain for three years afterward. The study also showed that the strongest link between exercise and arthritis was a reduction in lower joint pain. The reasons for this connection, however, are not quite clear.

Although exercise was beneficial in combating arthritis pain in older women, the study found that middle-aged women did not receive the same benefits.