Put simply, exercise is good for arthritis.
The strength of the evidence varies across different studies but there is no debate that people with arthritis can experience improvements in their condition and overall wellbeing by participating in regular, appropriate exercise.
Yet significant confusion about the benefit and safety of exercise for people with arthritis still exists within the community, reflected in the large number of exercise-related calls to our national Arthritis Infoline. People with arthritis frequently report fear of making symptoms worse and a lack of knowledge about what to do and how to get started, ultimately resulting in sub-optimal physical activity levels. Australian GPs have also told us, via our Voice of GP survey1, that they lack confidence in prescribing the most appropriate exercise for their patients with arthritis. Recognising this uncertainty, Arthritis Australia has worked with a group of experts to bring together this guide for consumers, health professionals and fitness & exercise providers.
Its purpose is to provide clear, evidence-based recommendations about the role of exercise in the prevention of arthritis and ongoing management of individuals with the condition. These recommendations will drive the development of criteria that can be used to evaluate whether current and proposed community exercise programs are suitable for people with arthritis.
We hope that by pulling together this information we can offer a significant opportunity for the fitness industry to link with health sector professionals such as GPs, physiotherapists, and exercise physiologists. For these allied health professionals, we believe that creating and strengthening referral pathways into suitable evidence-based exercise programs will greatly assist the overall objective of preventing and managing arthritis and improving the quality of life for people living with the condition.
The position statement is endorsed by:
- Australian Rheumatology Association
- Australian Physiotherapy Association
- Exercise and Sports Science Association
- Fitness Australiaa