Joint Pain & Muscle Atrophy Why Exercise Matters and How to Start

Physical Activity vs Exercise

Physical activity is any bodily movement produced by skeletal muscles that requires expending energy. Exercise is a subcategory of physical activity that is planned, structured, repetitive and aims to improve or maintain physical fitness.

Understanding Exercise Types:

Aerobic Exercise

Aerobic exercise, also known as cardio, aims to improve cardiovascular endurance and fitness through increased heart rate and breathing for a sustained period. Examples of aerobic exercises include running, jogging, cycling, swimming and brisk walking.

Strengthening Exercise

Strengthening, or resistance, exercise builds muscle mass and bone density by working muscles against resistance or weight. These can be machine weights, bodyweight exercises, or resistance band workouts.​

Flexibility Exercise

Flexibility, or stretching, exercise increases the range of motion of joints, stretches muscles and connective tissues. Examples of flexibility exercises include static stretching, yoga, Pilates and Taichi.​

Adults should aim for 150 to 300 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic physical activity each week, this can include brisk walking, swimming or cycling. Adults should also do strengthening exercises at least twice a week, and limit long periods of sitting or sedentary time where possible. 

The same weekly exercise target applies to adults over 50, but it is also important to include multi-component physical activities at least three days a week.

These activities should focus on improving strength, balance and functional movement. These general recommendations also apply to patients with chronic medical conditions like diabetes or hypertension, though some precautions or modifications may be necessary. 

Find out more here: https://www.activesgcircle.gov.sg/campaigns/spag​

A study of 10,000 adults in the US found that those who were active had 36% lower risk of dying from any cause, and 31% lower risk of dying from heart disease. 

Extensive randomized controlled trials and analyses have shown that physical activity and exercise can lower your chance of heart diseases, stroke risk and blood pressure. There is also evidence that physical activity and exercise reduces the risk of dementia, Alzheimer’s disease and certain cancers.

Many individuals with osteoarthritis tend to shy away from moving their joints through their full range due to intense chronic pain. Range-of-motion exercises help keep joints fully mobile and prevent stiffness and deformities and are important in the acute stages of an arthritis flare.

​​Cardiovascular exercises also prevent excessive weight gain which may potentially aggravate arthritis of the weight bearing joints, as a result of increased loading. In a study published in 2012, it is noted that a combination of physical activity (aerobic exercise + strength training) and a weight reducing diet produced the most benefit on a range of clinical outcomes, with highest level recommendations for pain relief, functional status, strength, and quality of life.​​

Strengthening exercises help maintain and increase muscle strength around the affected joints, conferring stability as well as easing joint movements with less pain. ​​Joint movement also transports inflammatory markers away, therefore reducing pain and swelling from the affected joint. ​​

Overall, exercise improves mental health as well as overall quality of life, and prevents functional decline of the individual, both physically and mentally.

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Step 1: Stand Up!
Sedentary time was associated with more fat around the heart and in the chest area. 

Higher sedentary time is associated with greater risk for:

• ​Death from all causes
• ​Incidence and death from cardiovascular diseases
• Incidence and death from cancer
• ​Incidence of type 2 diabetes mellitus​

Step 2: Find every chance to move!

Non-exercise physical activity helps you meet your weekly physical activity recommendation. Little bits of physical activity across your day adds up.  

Step 3: Take the first steps to exercise!

It is never too late to start exercising. There are various preparticipation self-administered questionnaires that you may fill in, to evaluate if you are currently fit to participate safely in your chosen sport or physical activity, such as the Get Active Questionnaire.  Do remember that if you feel unwell or have an acute illness, you should also take a rest from exercise and seek further medical attention as needed. 

Step 4: Increase physical activity & exercise gradually

If you are new to exercising, it’s recommended that you start slow and increase the volume of your exercise gradually. There are 4 variables to exercise: frequency, intensity, time and type. You should increase one variable at a time. This is the questionnaire on Sport Singapore website, but is not created by them.

If you experience the following at rest or during activity, please stop and see a doctor: 

• Pain/discomfort in chest/neck/jaw/arms​
• Shortness of breath at rest or on mild exertion​
• Shortness of breath on lying down, or waking one up from sleep
• ​Dizziness / fainting
• ​Swelling in ankles
• ​Abnormally fast heartbeat / palpitations​Known heart murmur
• ​Unusual fatigue or shortness of breath with usual activity
• ​Pain / cramps in leg / calf triggered by exercise, relieved by rest

Ref: F26

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