Too Much Exercise Could Give Middle Aged People Arthritis

A recently published study from the US has shown increased likelihood of suffering arthritic changes to the knees in middle aged people who exercised most. Jarring exercises such as jumping and running were more risky than cycling or swimming.

Osteoarthritis is the most common degenerative joint condition in the world and is related particularly to age, increasing in frequency with every decade we live.

The research groups were divided into groups whose activity was rated as low, medium or high and all had MRI scans to investigate any arthritic and other changes in their knees. The researchers related the damage found in the knees primarily to the amount and type of exercise they did.

Knee cartilage health may be compromised by too much exercise which is of the weight bearing and higher impact type such as jogging. Repetitive lower impact exercise may even promote the health of joint cartilage.

Exercise remains one of the mainstays of management of osteoarthritis as long as good choices in type of exercise and frequency are made.