EXERCISE GUIDELINES FOR PEOPLE WITH SPECIAL HEALTH CONCERNS
As explained in Chapters 2-7, regular, appropriate exercise is safe and beneficial for many people with chronic conditions or other special health concerns. In fact, for many people with special health concerns, the risks associated with not exercising are far greater than those associated with a moderate program of regular exercise.
The fitness recommendations made throughout this book are intended for the general population and can serve as basic guidelines for any exercise program. If you have a chronic health condition, however, you may need to modify your exercise program to accommodate your situation. This appendix presents precautions and specialized recommendations for people with a variety of special health concerns.
These recommendations, however, are not intended to replace a physician’s advice. If you have a special health concern, talk to your physician before starting any exercise program.
EXERCISE GUIDELINES FOR PEOPLE WITH SPECIAL HEALTH CONCERNS Photo Gallery
ARTHRITIS
• Begin an exercise program as early as possible in the course of the disease.
• Warm up thoroughly before each workout to loosen stiff muscles and lower the risk of injury.
• For cardiorespiratory endurance exercise, avoid high-impact activities that may damage arthritic joints. Consider swimming, water walking, or another type of exercise that can be done in a warm pool.
• Strength train the whole body. Pay special attention to muscles that support and protect affected joints. For example, build the quadriceps, hamstrings, and calf muscles to support and protect arthritic knees. Start with small amounts of weight and gradually increase the intensity of your workouts.
• Perform flexibility exercises daily to maintain joint mobility.
