 before you exercise read this  you may think that exercise and arthritis do not go hand in hand if so you would be mistaken it was thought for many years that if you had arthritis you should not exercise because it would damage your joints now however research has shown that exercise is an essential tool in managing your arthritis regular moderate exercise offers a whole host of benefits to people with arthritis mainly exercise reduces joint pain and stiffness builds strong muscle around the joints and increases flexibility and endurance but it also helps promote overall health and fitness by giving you more energy helping you sleep better controlling your weight decreasing depression and improving your selfesteem furthermore exercise can help stave off other health problems such as osteoporosis and heart disease starting an exercise program can seem like a daunting proposition the important thing to remember is to start slow and make it fun it is always good to start with flexibility exercises which are basically stretching exercises that will improve your range of motion and help you perform daily activities once you feel comfortable you can move on to weight training and endurance exercises such as bicycling you may be reluctant to exercise because you are in such pain if this is the case you may want to start with a water exercise program in the water your body s buoyancy reduces stress on your hips knees and spine an exercise program can include anything from walking around the block taking a yoga class or playing a round of golf in this section we ve attempted to give you all the information you will need on how to start exercising and the proper way to incorporate exercise into the management of your arthritis whatever exercise program you decide on you should always consult with your doctor before starting out two other types of health professionals that can help you develop an exercise program that fits your specific needs are a physical or occupational therapist a physical therapist can show you the proper techniques and precautions when performing certain types of exercise an occupational therapist can show you how to perform daily activities without putting additional stress on your joints and can provide you with splint devices that can make working out more comfortable  getting comfort  