Common Questions About Arthritis

How Can I Exercise and Lose Weight with Arthritis Pain?

Question: I am 41 years old. I have Lupus and degenerative arthritis of the spine. I am in chronic pain. Due to the meds that I am on, I have gained a lot of weight that I must lose. My question is, how can I ever lose weight when it is even hard for me to walk at times?

Answer: It is extremely difficult to lose weight when your arthritis makes it difficult to perform weight-bearing exercises and you have medication-induced weight gain. But, it is NOT impossible--caloric restriction combined with the exercises you can handle should do it!

My advice is to either see a nutritionist to get a nutritionally sound low calorie diet that you can live with or join a group program such as Jenny Craig. Exercises that will help you lose weight without hurting your joints in any way include biking (stationary or traditional) and water programs such as water aerobics, water walking, or just swimming. The key to weight loss is consistent exercise that increases your heart rate to a level that will increase your metabolism.

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