SATURDAY, Oct. 26 (HealthDay News) -- Regular exercise boosts quality of life and reduces health care costs for people with arthritis, a new study shows.
Researchers found that meeting national physical activity guidelines could add up to 20 days of good health in one year for these patients.
However, many Americans are not getting the recommended 150 minutes of moderate to vigorous activity a week, in bouts lasting at least 10 minutes each.
The findings were scheduled to be presented this week at the American College of Rheumatology annual meeting in San Diego.
"Regular physical activity improves health and reduces mortality in the general population. Furthermore, physical activity promotes arthritis-specific health benefits including improving symptoms, function and psychosocial outcomes, as well as reduced disability," study author Dr. Kai Sun, a medical resident and research trainee at Northwestern Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago, said in a news release from the American College of Rheumatology.
"Despite these benefits," Sun noted, "the majority of adults in the U.S. do not attain the recommended amounts of physical activity."
One type of arthritis -- osteoarthritis -- which is most common among middle-aged or older adults, causes progressive damage to the cartilage, or cushioning at the end of long bones. This damage can lead to pain, swelling or limited movements around the joint.
Knee osteoarthritis is one form of the joint disease that may be worsened by excess weight. A person's age, certain injuries, stress on the joints and having a family history of the condition also increase people's risk for osteoarthritis.
Using results from a nationwide study sponsored by the U.S. National Institutes of Health, a team of researchers examined physical activity levels and the quality-adjusted life years (a standard measurement of quality of life and cost-effectiveness of medical treatment) of 4,700 adults diagnosed with or at risk for arthritis of the knee.
The researchers measured the physical activity levels of the participants for one week using a device called an accelerometer. They then divided the participants into three groups: One group included those who were meeting national physical activity guidelines; the second group included participants who were not active enough, but did engage in some moderate to vigorous activity; and the third group included those who were inactive.
The researchers measured the participants' physical activity level and quality-adjusted life years when the study began, and again two years later.
Over the course of the study period, the quality-adjusted life years of participants who met the guidelines for physical activity were higher than those who were somewhat active or inactive, the investigators found.
The difference translated into between 10 and 20 more days of good health in one year. The researchers noted that even if the national guidelines are not met, increasing physical activity in any way could enhance quality of life, add years of health and lower overall health care costs for people with arthritis.
Research presented at meetings should be viewed as preliminary until published in a peer-reviewed medical journal.
-- Mary Elizabeth Dallas 
Copyright © 2013 HealthDay. All rights reserved. SOURCE: American College of Rheumatology, news release, October 2013
“I prescribe specific ways to exercise— running, lifting, tennis, and more— based on what my patients like to do,” he says. “I make recommendations on frequency and duration of exercise based on the patient’s current fitness level. I then discuss intensity using target heart rate or how much exertion you feel. It can get fairly scientific in a high-level someone just starting out.”Hayes tells his patients that exercise is essential to good health and that making time for exercise has to be among the things you consider non-negotiable. You have to buy groceries. You have to pay bills. You also have to exercise—even if you have to trick yourself into doing it.Sneaking exercise into the day is something anyone can do, Hayes says. “Take the stairs, park farther away than you need to, walk to lunch. Try 10 minutes of core exercise and pushups to start the day or a 15-minute walk over your lunch break. It adds up.”If you have kids, get them into the game, too. “Encourage kids to play outside, like we did growing up,” Hayes says. “Limit their screen time to less than two hours a day, and set a good example by being active yourself.”Hayes recommends you start somewhere. A little exercise is, after all, better than none. But he says the current recommendation from the medical community is to exercise four to five days each week for 30 to 45 minutes at a time.The obvious exercise for the most committed couch potato is walking. “If you are not disabled, then you can walk for exercise,” Hayes says. Beginners could start with a 20-minute walk three days a week. The goal of each walk should be to break a sweat.And just to drive the point home a little more, Hayes includes a quote from former U.S. Surgeon General C. Everett Koop on his prescriptions: “Exercise is the most effective medicine known to man.” Get it any way you can.• Do stretching exercises while you’re waiting for lunch to heat in the microwave.• Lunge a little as you wheel your grocery cart down the aisle.• Get up from your desk and walk a lap around the office, the building, or the block.Walk to any destination that’s less than a quarter-mile away. It will take longer to drive and park, anyway.Walk your dog 30 minutes a day or more. All dogs need structured exercise. (Humans do, too.)Take the stairs if you’re going up one or two floors. Do you really want to be that person who takes the elevator up one floor?Start your day with 10 minutes of core training or calisthenics, such as pushups or crunches. Or do a few minutes of a yoga DVD. You will have done more exercise before breakfast than most Americans do all day!Join a gym that has child care. The kids can have fun while you work out.To schedule time with Dr. Hayes or any Duke Primary Care provider near you, call 888-ASK-DUKE (275-3853)