1. You Don’t Work on Muscle Strength
“One of the things to realize, which a lot of people don’t, is the importance of strengthening,” says Chris Kolba, PT, PhD, a physical therapist at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center in Columbus.
“Basically, the stronger your muscles are, the better they can absorb shock and control motion,” he explains, “which ultimately minimizes stress on the actual joint.” A study published in February 2018 in the journal Clinical Rheumatology found that participants with psoriatic arthritis who added strength training two days a week for 12 weeks had improved quality of life and functional fitness versus participants who continued with conventional therapy.
It’s important not to start out with too much weight or resistance, Dr. Kolba notes. Instead, begin at an intensity that doesn’t feel too difficult, and do more repetitions of the exercise than you would at a higher weight.
2. You Don’t Get Enough Aerobic Activity
As important as strength training is, it’s equally essential to incorporate aerobic exercise into your routine.
If you’ve experienced discomfort in your joints while doing moderate-impact aerobic exercises like jogging, Kolba says, you may be tempted to skip cardio altogether. But lower-impact alternatives like elliptical machines, stationary bikes, rowing machines, swimming, or pool exercises can boost your health without overstressing your joints.
As an alternative, you can use lighter weights for strength training and do them in a circuit fashion — with short, timed pauses between activities — to achieve cardiovascular benefits, Kolba notes.