Is Arthritis Worse in the Winter?
It’s not just your imagination: arthritis pain really can become worse when the weather turns cold. Beyond taking prescription or over-the-counter medication, here are several ways to ease your discomfort as the temperature drops.
1. Dress to Keep Warm
Joints ache less when you keep them warm. The best approach of all is to wear several layers of loose clothing — this will trap in the heat most effectively. If you suffer from arthritis in your hands, gloves or mittens are a must whenever you’re outside. You should also bundle up with a scarf and a hat to minimize body heat loss and wear waterproof shoes or boots to prevent your feet from becoming damp. It may be worth choosing footwear that’s slightly larger than the size you normally wear to fit thick socks inside. Finally, keep your knees insulated with thermal underwear or leggings.
2. Stay Active
It can be extra difficult to exercise in the cold weather because just the idea of moving around is unappealing, especially if your joints are already stiff. However, a lack of movement will only make matters worse. Instead of jumping straight into a workout, take your time to warm up. Furthermore, remember that there’s no need for exercise to be strenuous to be effective. In fact, walking, biking, dancing, and swimming are all excellent options.
3. Lose Weight
It can be a challenge to lose weight at the best of times. During winter, it’s common to even gain weight, as it can seem like the only pleasures available are eating and drinking while staying huddled up indoors. However, since putting more weight on your joints exacerbates discomfort from arthritis, it’s definitely worth avoiding temptations as much as possible and sticking to your weight loss goals.
4. Adopt Better Habits
To see results, you’ll need to develop long-term habits. There’s no better time than today to start a new exercise routine and to commit to a healthy diet. To see the best results, take any medication you have for arthritis pain around 30 minutes before you exercise, stay hydrated (you still sweat when it’s cold), and be careful when outside — this include wearing the right shoes to prevent a slip on the ice, using reflective clothing, and carrying a cell phone at all times.
Another way to gain relief from arthritis is to receive physiotherapy. Sherwood Park, Alberta, has trained physiotherapists ready to provide you with the personalized treatment you need at Global Physiotherapy. Contact us to book an appointment.