Managing and maintaining a healthy weight when living with arthritis is important. Your joints pain may worsen when there is added weight and pressure, which could cause further damage.
How Weight Affects Arthritis
Extra weight and added weight increases inflammation, which leads to more arthritis progression. If you have OA (osteoarthritis) and are overweight, you are less likely to achieve pain relief compared to those who have a healthier BMI. This leads to worsened symptoms, reduced physical function, and poor quality of life.
Obesity can negatively impact the effectiveness of arthritis medication. DMARDs (disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs) are less effective in patients who are overweight. The good news is that losing weight can increase the efficacy of medications.
Here are some tips for losing weight and managing your arthritis pain
Ways to Manage Weight
Anti-Inflammatory Diet
Foods that fight inflammation come from plants, whole grains, nuts and seeds, and legumes. This is helpful for losing weight, especially if you have arthritis. These foods help manage normal inflammation and reduce excess inflammation. Anti-inflammatory foods boost energy levels, improve digestion, and reduce hunger cravings because they are full of healthy nutrients that keep you fuller, longer.
Gentle Exercises
Being active is just as important as eating well for weight loss and managing arthritis. By strengthening muscles, you take pressure off of your joints. Burn calories without hurting your joints with a few gentle exercises:
- Swimming and low-impact cardio are good for reducing joint pain.
- Resistance training using weights, resistance machines, and elastic bands help build muscle, improve balance, and keep joints active.
- Yoga is gentle and helps increase range of motion for people with stiff joints.
- Biking is great cardio and can be a full body workout without putting too much pressure and strain on your joints.
Adding low impact exercises to your daily routine can help lose weight.
Healthy Oils
Swap out oils that are high in saturated fats with avocado oil or olive oil. Avocado oil is a healthy fat that helps reduce inflammation. Olive oil is a great substitute for salad dressing, whereas avocado oil does well under heat, making it ideal for cooking.
Drink More Water
Dehydration can sometimes feel like hunger. Instead of grabbing a snack, drink a glass of water to subdue hunger pangs. Staying hydrated also helps your body process and digest food, cleansing your body of impurities. A glass of water in the morning and before each meal will help lose weight and reduce joint pain.
While losing weight can seem impossible when living with joint pain, small changes in your lifestyle to encourage a healthier body can help. An exercise routine and healthy diet will help provide relief.
