Arthritis and Slow-Motion Strength Training

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Taru Fisher

Arthritis and Slow-Motion Strength Training

A fitness modality that reduces pain and improves physical functioning adds up to hope for arthritis sufferers and a greater opportunity to live happier, healthier, and more fulfilling lives.
By: Taru Fisher

According to a recent study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, an estimated 46 million suffer from arthritis in the U.S. with a projected 67 million by 2030. For Baby Boomers, this statistic hits close to home with the rise of arthritis projected to increase 40% within our nation's aging population in the next two decades. Staggering. However, there's relief for arthritis sufferers. For those lucky enough to have avoided the disease, prevention is key.

Obesity found to be leading factor in the risk of arthritis.

Part of the rise, according to research conducted at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC), an affiliate of Harvard Medical School, discovered that Baby Boomers, born between 1946 and 1964, have significantly higher rates of obesity when compared to their parents.

The study, published in the September issue of the American Journal of Public Health, found a soaring correlation between obesity, a weight more than 20% above what is considered normal according to the body mass index, and arthritis risk-3% to 18% between 1971 and 2000. Looking across the table to specific arthritis disorders, the numbers are equally astounding and indicate escalating trends. In the January issue of Arthritis & Rheumatism, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention also reported osteoarthritis-the most common form of arthritis-affects 27 million people, up from 1990 estimates of 21 million.

Alive! Whole Life Fitness co-founder James Bell takes a client through a Slow-Motion Strength Training workout.

Healthy Attitude

Individuals with arthritis are urged to increase physical activity to reduce pain. A healthy attitude also proves to help manage arthritis. Health professionals advise arthritis sufferers to:

Focus on your abilities instead of disabilities.
Focus on your strengths instead of weaknesses.
Break down activities into small tasks that you can manage.
Incorporate fitness and nutrition into daily routines.
Develop methods to minimize and manage stress.
Balance rest with activity.
Develop a support system of family, friends, and health professionals.

Although arthritis is more commonly associated with "an aging nation," the number of children who suffer from the same aches and pains continues to rise. The study estimates that 294,000-or one in 250-U.S. children and teenagers under age 18 have been diagnosed with arthritis or another rheumatologic condition. Arthritis is now the most common cause of disability in the United States. Given the results of these studies and the age range associated with the disease, arthritis should concern us all.

If the picture isn't crystal, another finding may just synch it. Of the 46 million adults, 19 million remain inactive. The domino effect, as leading researchers will tell us, begins predictably, hits hard, and sweeps wide: obesity, arthritis, inactivity, and back to the top of the cycle with a deeper inset. Gloomy, yes, but there's hope.

Arthritis Sufferers Find Hope Through Specialized Training

An obvious remedy to obesity points to increased physical activity. Slow-motion, high-intensity strength training is on the rise for a multitude of people-but with an interestingly high percentage of those seeking arthritis relief to regain an active lifestyle. It's these people-and no small number of them-who have found this specialized training their hope.

Although too early to tell for some, others rave about its positive results and the "whole" affect slow-motion strength training has on their wellbeing. I'm one of those success stories.

I suffer from rheumatoid arthritis (RA)-and have for 30 years. I'm not alone. According to the Arthritis Foundation®, RA affects 3 million Americans. Through my long search for a pain-free life, I discovered slow-motion strength training. Amazed, I have become a strong advocate and living testimony to the program's life-changing results. This training consists of deliberately slow and controlled upward and downward movements with highly specialized equipment that offer users the ability to scale their workout by incremental adjustments-as little as half a pound. James Bell, my Alive! partner and master trainer, has created a slow-motion, high-intensity, low-impact strength training program-SafeStrength®-which is now used exclusively for the studio's clients. The magic within the training's success lies in the trainer's expertise to identify a workout regiment specific to each individual.

In the case of arthritis sufferers, James designs workouts focused on strengthening the muscles, tendons, and ligaments that support the joints with the ergonomically-correct, frictionless equipment. Strong muscles act as shock absorbers for the joints. If muscles are able to take pressure off of the joints during activities, there is less joint-related pressure and pain. James explains, "During each 20-minute session, maximum effort is focused on specific muscle groups, resulting in a concentrated, low-impact workout where strength gain replaces joint pain." Research findings concur. According to recent reports, this high-intensity, slow-motion technique can produce strength gains of up to 50% more than traditional methods.

Strength improvement, no matter how rapid, unquestionably plays a significant role in arthritis pain relief. For Alive! and its clientele, including Baby Boomers who suffer from osteoarthritis and rheumatologic conditions, they are living testimony to the positive results this strength training offers. The evidence is ever increasing. One study, published in the Journal of Rheumatology, followed two groups of individuals with a diagnosis of osteoarthritis over four months.

Those who performed simple weight training exercises reported a 43% reduction in pain and a 44% improvement in overall physical functioning-walking, stair climbing, sitting, and standing-than compared to the non-exercising group. Conclusive studies like these sweep the nation with optimistic reports of dramatic reductions in clinical symptoms of arthritis and its disabilities. All this adds up to hope for arthritis sufferers and a greater opportunity to live happier, healthier, and more fulfilling lives.

Strength Training Stats

One 12-month study conducted on postmenopausal women at Tufts University found with just two days per week of progressive strength training 75 percent increase in strength, 1 percent gain in hip and spine bone density, and 13 percent increase in dynamic balance.
In a recent New Zealand study of women 80 years of age and older showed a 40 percent reduction in falls with simple strength and balance training.
Results from another study conducted at Tufts University showed that strength training increases bone density and reduces the risk for fractures among women aged 50 to 70.

Autoimmune Disease & RA

Rheumatoid arthritis is one of the most commonly known chronic autoimmune diseases in which the body's immune system mistakenly begins to attack itself. For rheumatoid arthritis patients, the attack concentrates on the healthy tissue lining the joints.

More information about autoimmune diseases, courtesy of the U.S. National Women's Health Information Center:

Autoimmune diseases affect more women than men.
Symptoms may come and go, with no symptoms for a while, then a sudden, severe attack called a "flare-up."
Symptoms and severity can vary greatly from disease to disease.
Medication can help control symptoms, as can reducing stress.
Meditation and self-hypnosis also have helped some people.
People with an autoimmune disease should practice healthy habits including getting plenty of sleep, maintaining a proper diet-and regular exercise.

Rheumatoid Arthritis:

Rheumatoid Arthritis affects 3 million Americans, and strikes two to three times more women than men.
Although the disease usually first appears during middle age, it may occur in the 20s and 30s.
Rheumatoid arthritis can limit a person's ability to carry out normal daily activities such as dressing, bathing, and walking.
Patients often experience feelings of depression and helplessness as the disease progresses.

About Taru Fisher

Taru Fisher is a Certified Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP) Coach, NLP Master Practitioner and NLP Health Practitioner, as well as a WealthyMind™ Trainer. A graduate of The Coaches Training Institute (CTI), she is also a trained Co-Active™ Coach. Both of these coach training organizations are International Coach Federation accredited coach training programs.

Alive! Whole Life Fitness Founders, James Bell and Taru Fisher were inspired to begin the studio after the life-improving results (including Fisher's Rheumatoid Arthritis going into remission) from the slow motion, high-intensity strength training and Metabolic Nutrition each incorporated into their regular routines.

Related Articles:

The Healing Power of Your Next Meal

Glucosamine and Chondroitin Come Up Short in Arthritis Relief

Herbal Remedies to Balance the Human Immune System

Controlling Inflammation Should be Part of Your Aging Management Routine

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