Make sport a part of your life

One of the most important things you can do for yourself when you have rheumatism is to keep moving. Regular exercise, such as swimming, spinal exercises, Yoga or Pilates helps you to stay fit and agile. Although it is not so easy to find a suitable sport after you got the diagnosis rheumatism, it is well worth the step. What can initially be a great effort, can enhance your quality of life in the long run.

If we get the diagnosis rheumatism, starting a new sport is usually the last thing we think about. Everything just hurts and our everyday life seems marked by severe pain and the feeling that, somehow, nothing works. But you’ll be surprised how much regular exercise can help you to move and, despite the limitations imposed by your illness, to remain flexible.

Make regular exercise a part of your everyday life

The most important thing you can do for your body is to keep moving. Despite pain. Therefore, you should accustom yourself to do a little workout every morning. From spinal exercises to yoga, you have a wide variety of options from which to choose.

First of all, you should consult a physical therapist. He or she can help you to find out the best exercises for your kind of rheumatism. This is important because the exercises should help you, not hot you. 😉
Once the proper exercises are found, you can do them yourself, at your own pace. However, you should check yourself in the mirror from time to time, to make sure that you do them according to the instructions of your physical therapist.

Do not be discouraged

Gentle exercise with as much stretching as possible should be the first thing you do in the morning. Although you might be slow and stiff at first, do not give up. Stay tuned, it is really worth your while. No matter how long you need for your exercises, you will definitely feel better afterwards.

Of course it is not easy to squeeze the exercises into an already busy day. So I always set my alarm clock half an hour earlier in the morning. Therefore I can be sure to have enough time to prepare my body in a gentle way for the demands of the day before starting to work.

Find a sport that excites you

As important as regular exercise is, not all sports are suitable for rheumatism-patients. You definitely should avoid sports that require sudden movements and put a strain on your joints. So instead of, for example, running and playing tennis or squash, you should go swimming or do yoga or pilates.

Check out a gym or book a course

If you prefer to do your training together with other people, check out a gym nearby. A good think would be if this was strategically located on the way home from work, then you will less likely skip your workout. Maybe you can even use your lunch break to swim a few rounds, as I did for years.

It is important that you make your training a regular part of your daily life. Doing some morning stretches as well as some other form of exercise during the day – every day – is ideal. really If you are very short on time, then stay with your morning exercises and do another set of these exercises later, maybe shortly before you go to sleep.

Reward yourself: Attractive equipment and a place to exercise helps you to stay tuned

It is always useful and often very successful, if you can create a place in your home that is entirely devoted to your exercises. There you can place your yoga mat, an exercise ball and everything else you need. This also saves time. 😉 Also a great thing to have is a special outfit. This doesn´t have to be expensive, regular leggings and a comfortable shirt are perfectly adequate, but it will help you to get into the workout mode.

Anyway you want to make exercise a part of your daily life, as it is important that you move regularly. Always remind yourself that you are doing it for yourself, for your body and for the beautiful moments in which you feel beautiful, strong and flexible after you did your workout. 🙂

• exercise
• Pilates
• Sport
• swimming
• Yoga