Does your aching hip stop you from keeping up with your grandkids? Has chronic knee pain left you out of pickleball? Does lower back stiffness prevent you from tending to your garden? If any of these sound familiar, you, like many others, might be suffering from arthritis. In fact, 80% of all 60 year olds will have arthritis in at least one joint. It helps to understand that arthritis is part of the normal aging process: as cartilage in a joint breaks down it can cause everyday movements to be painful or difficult. As a result, a lot of people avoid being active for fear of worsening their symptoms when actually, doing nothing and avoiding activities will lead to more stiffness and weakness. The key to managing your arthritis is finding low impact activities you enjoy like walking, cycling, and water exercises. Exercise helps to reduce stiffness, strengthen the muscles around the joint, improve flexibility, and can even decrease pain. Try starting each day with a morning stretching routine. Find the things you can do and keep your body moving. Your joints will thank you for it.
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The Family Center provides free programs and resources for residents of Harper Woods and Grosse Pointe.
