Version June 2024
| Type of activity | There is no clear evidence on what type of exercise is the most beneficial. |
| Anything is better than nothing. | |
| The CDC guidelines are relevant: 150 minutes/week of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity, or 75 minutes/week of vigorous physical activity. | |
| Aerobic activity can include activities such as walking, biking, or swimming. | |
| Walking may be the most approachable form of physical activity for currently inactive individuals. However, some individuals may prefer engagement with exercise groups, which can provide both structure and social interactions. | |
| CDC guidelines recommend two or more days/week of muscle-strengthening activities that work all major muscle groups (legs, hips, back, abdomen, chest, shoulders, and arms). | |
| Frequency | Frequency should be at least three times/week. |
| Duration | Exercise bouts can be any length. Prior emphasis on 10-minutes bouts has evolved into recognition that even shorter periods of physical activity are beneficial. |
| New physical activity should be undertaken incrementally. Advise patients to start with what they know they can do, whether it is to walk for 15 minutes or for 2 minutes to get the mail and gradually increase. | |
| The goal is to accumulate a minimum of 150 minutes/week. | |
| Intensity | Activity should be of at least moderate intensity. Moderate intensity can be gauged using the "talk test." If an individual can talk, but not sing, during the activity, the intensity can be considered of moderate intensity. In vigorous activity, an individual will not be able to say more than a few words without pausing for breath (http://www.cdc.gov/physicalactivity/everyone/measuring/index.html). |
| Sit less | "Sit less" is also an important message. Feehan and Westby point out that most people sit about 10 hours/day, but could add 40 minutes of light activity by standing twice an hour[1]. Other suggestions they provide are standing up and stretching during television commercials or after a chapter in a book. |
| Incorporate physical activity into lifestyle | Suggest that persons with rheumatoid arthritis make it a habit to take the stairs, park slightly farther from the grocery store or postoffice door, walk the dog, and lose the television remote control. |
| Other | Physical activity is safe for people with rheumatic conditions. |
| Individuals who are depressed may need extra support in beginning a physical activity program and in maintaining it, at least in the initial stages. | |
| Pedometers or other activity monitors can serve as useful guides to help quantify activity and monitor progress. They can also serve as motivation. Many new activity monitoring devices include online communities and self-monitoring and motivational tools. Some activity monitors can track exercise other than walking or running. | |
| Careful selection of walking or other exercise shoes may be necessary for individuals with rheumatoid arthritis. Some individuals may benefit from shoe inserts or orthotics. | |
| Support from health care providers and family/friends is an important facilitator for physical activity[2,3]. |
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