The Charlton Centre

In our last blog, we discussed the impact of excess weight and inflammation in the body.  While we all know exercise is one of the fundamental ways to increase weight loss, we also know that it is not always easy for people to add exercise to their routines. One of the best ways to incorporate exercise into your routine is walking! Increasing every week by a few minutes to reach the 150 minutes/week goal may be a great way to start.

With that, we know that walking is not a viable option for some. For many people with joint issues, movement in the water is the most beneficial. This allows for increased blood flow to the brain and other parts of the body while moving in the water, and in addition, water provides a benefit of hydrotherapy to the joints. Many communities have a hot water pool to facilitate exercise for those with arthritis and may even provide a lift chair to lower you into the water.

For those who prefer the comfort of their own home, a wonderful program called “from soup to tomatoes” is available as an online session promoting movement while seated. Learn more about this program here.

The Arthritis Society provides physiotherapists for those living with arthritis. They can help structure an exercise program that is safe for you. Please don’t hesitate to use these resources – you can learn more here.

The vast majority of disease states are improved through exercise. In fact, one of the best strategies to preserve memory is exercise. Ultimately, The most important thing is to keep moving. If you’d like more help, speak to your healthcare provider today.

Carolyn Whiskin is the Pharmacy Manager for Charlton Health.  Carolyn specializes in the treatment of autoimmune diseases, pharmaceutical compounding, women’s health, pain and smoking cessation. Carolyn has won provincial and national awards for her commitment to patient care and public service.